Using Facebook for Professional Networking and Professional Service

Elaine M. Lasda BergmanPresentation for

Professional Activities Committee December 11, 2012

“Taking Your Temperature”

1 How many of you have a Facebook account?

2 How often do you use it?

3 Do you use it for professional purposes?

4 Do you use it to reach out and connect with students and faculty?

What we’re going to cover

• Networking and service – why?

• Professional Uses for personal FB pages

• Caveats

• FB Organizational Pages for Professional Associations

• Caveats

Why do we join Professional Associations?

What benefit is there to sharing info on FB with

other librarians?

Share Resources

Promote Your Skill Set

What’s going on at other Libraries?

Find Speakers for Programming

Discuss the “big ideas” in our field

Stuff to Talk About IRL

Be Acknowledged By Peers

Caveats

• Mixing personal and professional can be tricky

• Understand FB privacy settings and use them

• Consider separate accounts if you’re squirrelly

A Quick Primer on Privacy

All the Privacy Options!

Custom Visibility

May wish to have this unchecked (can set to approve if others tag you and have this checked)

Blocking People and Apps

Help With Privacy Settings

Many use FB to move professional friendships into the personal realm.

Facebook for Professional Service Organizations

SLA DSOCCommunication Committee

Survey of Members:

• 66% in EasternTime Zone• 55.3% unaware of FB page• 60.7% check FB at least once a week

(39.4% each day)• Also looked at Twitter, LinkedIn, Web Page

Survey created and executed by Brandy King, Owner of KnowledgeLinking in Boston, MA. (DSOC Chair, 2012).

SLA DSOC Communication Committee

Created Communications Plan

• Outlined Priorities– (main target is existing members)

• Strategies for each social network based on survey responses

Facebook Section• Purpose: To promote blog entries and other SLA- and division-related

news, events and resources by appearing in the social media stream of our members.

• Writing style: Informal

• Length: 1-2 sentences and a link, photo, video or question

• Update Schedule: 2x/week between 6pm and 10pm EST

• Person responsible for upkeep: Facebook coordinator (in 2012, Chair is responsible)

• Communications Committee support: Suggesting non-blog content to link to, suggesting pages to follow, inviting other DSOC and SLA members to follow the page, commenting on and sharing posted content when possible.

Results for FacebookOct 2011:  Total Likes 88,  Engaged Users 10, Total Impressions 223Oct 2012:  Total Likes 112, Engaged Users 23, Total Impressions 695

• Social Media Referrals to DSOC website: 53% from FB

% increase0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

LikesEngaged UsersTotal Im-pressions

What is Posted on DSOC FB?

Drive Traffic To Blog

Useful Info from Other Groups

Organizational Business

Resources

Feature/Promote Events

Showcase Members

Also: Invitations for Events

Caveats

• Constant maintenance• Turnover of leadership• Variety• Set goals

Is It Worth The Trouble?

Questions?