I recently came across a social media report on the Music Library Association’s website and thought I would make it the subject of a blog post.
Links to the Report
Highlights
The report describes the work of the MLA task force and its look at creating a social media strategy. According to the report, “the charge of the task force is to explore existing and emerging social media tools in order to develop a comprehensive plan for their utilization.” The report states that the resulting recommendations were due to the board in December 2013.
The main motivations for using social media are listed as “communication, education, outreach, and advocacy,” which supplement the goals of the association’s strategic plan.
The document identifies ideal social media channels, comparable organizations on social media, and background research. It concludes with a paragraph on strategies for moving forward, with some great ideas for effective online engagement and the requirements to put the plan in motion.
Personal Reflection
Getting an insider look at the MLA’s social media plan was very interesting for me. There is only one problem: despite the report calling for a 2013 submission, it doesn’t appear that much of this has come to fruition.
I found one of the most interesting points of the report to be its recommendation of which Facebook account to model:
I Fucking Love Science [https://www.facebook.com/IFeakingLoveScience]
This can be the model for the MLA Facebook page–over 5.5 million likes and for many it is the only science page with which they interact.
The MLA does have a Facebook page, but the similarities end there. I Fucking Love Science’s page submits up to ten posts each day and they have minimal text, attractive visuals, and catchy headlines. In contrast, MLA’s page has no cover photo, submits a post about two times per month on average, and posts content that has lengthy passages of text with no visuals.
Also, the association doesn’t appear to have a Twitter account, even though a bunch of great Twitter strategies are listed in the document. I did discover this account: @MLAplacement. It’s an absolutely fantastic resource for music librarians in the job market; however, it doesn’t do anything to encourage interaction with the association. Moreover, with only 251 followers at the time of this post, it seems to be largely under-promoted.
It is a bit of shame that there is so much untapped potential here. My guess is that the association probably lacks the time and financial resources to have one or more staff members constantly maintaining its social media presence. Regardless, I think the report would be a very useful reference point for any similar organization venturing into the social media landscape.
Interesting findings. I bet you’re right about lack of resources to maintain a social media presence. That could possibly be a good volunteer opportunity!
Good point, Liz! Maybe I’ll keep that in mind for down the road…