Social media has definitely changed the internet for good, but I still think that traditional destination web sites are in demand. I typically prefer using the destination web for some of my information needs. Although Twitter and Facebook offer the advantage of allowing users to interact in ways the destination web cannot compete with, there are times where interaction is not my goal. Also, I still get intimidated by some Web 2.0 tools. I enjoy RSS feeds to a certain extent but I still find myself going to the New York Times website and browsing aimlessly for articles to read. These are all just my personal preferences but I believe many other people have similar reasons for relying on the destination web consistently.
Then there are also all of the internet users that are still uninformed on how and why they should use tools like Facebook or Twitter. They have either chosen to ignore these tools or they have tried them and were not impressed. This leads them to still use the destination web 100% of the time.
Although I am still formulating my opinion on whether or not the destination web era is on its way to becoming over, as of now I see it remaining relevant and widely used.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tweet-a-dee-doo
One of the main purposes of libraries is to act as a community center. Whether it is a public library serving local residents as users or a corporate library that must serve the information needs of the entire organization, the library needs to reach out to its community if it wants to act as its hub. From reading about microblogging, I realized just how relevant Twitter is to that mission of the library. Twitter is a tool that can be used to alert potential users of the library's happenings and to also interact with those users outside of the library building or website.
When I think of a library using Twitter, I imagine enthusiastic, creative and informative Tweets to be regularly posted (at least twice a week in my opinion). Some of these tweets may involve library announcements such as new holiday hours or a change to a policy. They can also announce special events, new displays and additions to the collection. These Tweets strike me as no-brainers. They are the type of announcements that one would expect on a bulletin board within the library.
However, in order to fully utilize the power of Twitter, libraries must find ways to incorporate the personality and enthusiasm of the library and pump that into their tweets! An example of this type of tweet is, "Did you know one of our very own library assistants survived Hurricane Katrina? In honor of remembering this tragic segment of American history, she has handpicked some resources on natural disasters for the library's front window. Check them out!" Any way that a library can express the individuality of their organization will help them accumulate followers.
I also envision tweeting libraries to network with other people besides users. They should be following other local libraries and looking for ways to collaborate with them. Also, they should follow organizations that support libraries and use Twitter as a way to stay informed on professional development opportunities.
They are many other ways libraries can use Twitter to their advantage such as by using it to offer reference services and distribute a short newsletter. However, the most crucial part of any library's Twittering is for them to remain dedicated to updating it, interact with other people and promote their Twitter page as much as possible!
When I think of a library using Twitter, I imagine enthusiastic, creative and informative Tweets to be regularly posted (at least twice a week in my opinion). Some of these tweets may involve library announcements such as new holiday hours or a change to a policy. They can also announce special events, new displays and additions to the collection. These Tweets strike me as no-brainers. They are the type of announcements that one would expect on a bulletin board within the library.
However, in order to fully utilize the power of Twitter, libraries must find ways to incorporate the personality and enthusiasm of the library and pump that into their tweets! An example of this type of tweet is, "Did you know one of our very own library assistants survived Hurricane Katrina? In honor of remembering this tragic segment of American history, she has handpicked some resources on natural disasters for the library's front window. Check them out!" Any way that a library can express the individuality of their organization will help them accumulate followers.
I also envision tweeting libraries to network with other people besides users. They should be following other local libraries and looking for ways to collaborate with them. Also, they should follow organizations that support libraries and use Twitter as a way to stay informed on professional development opportunities.
They are many other ways libraries can use Twitter to their advantage such as by using it to offer reference services and distribute a short newsletter. However, the most crucial part of any library's Twittering is for them to remain dedicated to updating it, interact with other people and promote their Twitter page as much as possible!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A Grab Bag of Blogs
The class exercise of subscribing to specific blogs allowed me to understand that blogs covering librarianship can be very different! Each one had its own personality, approach, writing style and area of focus. I especially liked reading the "About" section for each blog before actually reading the posts. This allowed me to anticipate the angle the blogger would take. For instance, after reading that the author of the Distant Librarian blog is a webmaster for the University of Calgary library, I expected to read about ways of improving one's library website. To some degree I was right but this blogger does branch out to other topics related to librarianship. His typical post is a short paragraph along with about three links to more information.
On the other hand, reading that the author of the Librarian's Commute clearly states that the objective of her blog is not to post news on the latest tech tools made me expect something else. I soon realized that she orients her blog toward reflecting on libraries and this blog seems a bit personal because I learned about her observations from her own library. The average length of her posts tend to be 3-4 paragraphs accompanied by photo of her local surroundings.
In the Library with the Lead Pipe is entirely different from the other blogs because it is orchestrated by a team of librarians from different types of libraries. This blog has various guest posters contribute to their blog, which keeps the opinions fresh and also makes it much less predictable than the postings of all the other blogs. A reader may never know what to expect when riffling through this blog's archive. The length of the posts in this blog are substantially longer than those in the other blogs. In the Library with the Lead Pipe strives to go into depth on each topic of choice and thoroughly explores them. There are some links embedded in the posts as well.
Librarian by Day is different from the others because the author focuses on technology but not necessarily on how to use the most complicated tools. Instead she explores where libraries belong in the digital age and is primarily fixated on fun, hip tools that keep the Next Generation in the know. Librarian by Day chooses to concentrate on the fun capabilities of new technology for libraries rather than the fundamentals of how to make your library website the most technologically advanced.
After surveying these five blogs, I immediately knew which one was my favorite. I found the Librarian's Commute to be the most appealing because it includes lots of stories. Through these stories I believe I was able to envision that library, her daily duties, the type of patrons she serves and her thoughts behind most of these things. I was delighted to read some of her insights on information seeking behavior because I definitely could relate. This blog was also the most appealing because it urged me to invest some extra thought into the direction I believe libraries need to go in order to remain relevant.
As for the rest of the blogs, I realized other attributes that I find appealing are when a blog is not too tech-y. I do want/need to learn more about technological tools that can be used to better my library. However, I am not a fanatic about technology so some of the blogs lost me with their relentless enthusiasm and extra detail on this topic. Another attribute is that it is important that I can detect a strong level of passion in the blogger's writing. Now this can be tricky because too much exuberance is off putting (and annoying!) but just enough to convince me that the writer genuinely cares about what they are discussing keeps me engaged and interested. Lastly, a blog should have a clear proclamation of its goal. I appreciate knowing that the blogger has a steadfast objective in mind and has invested some planning into their creation. If I find the objective to be worthwhile, I am more likely to return to the blog repeatedly.
When afforded the freedom to choose an additional three blogs to add to my RSS feeder, I was pleased to select the Librarian in Black. This blog is written with great gusto and knowledge on why libraries still matter and how to keep them relevant. There are wonderful graphics and many of the posts contain excellent PowerPoint presentations that the blogger has given for various conferences and organizations. Her posts are always current and fun!
The next blog I added to my subscriptions was Gargoyles Loose in the Library. This is a school library blog that offers posts about news related to reading, book reviews and local happenings within the library. There are also many pictures and videos to enhance the posts.
Lastly, I added Tame the Web to my blog subscriptions. This one is about the practical application of technology in libraries worldwide. The blogger includes news alerts about what libraries are doing to use technology to their advantage.
From what I can gather about all three of these blogs, in order to be successful they must constantly be maintained. It is obvious that there is a lot of hard work invested in each one and that it pays off. From website design, personalized graphics, thorough research and creative thought, these blogs continue to flourish and gain more followers. I also believe they are successful because each blogger is accessible through other Web 2.0 social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter.
On the other hand, reading that the author of the Librarian's Commute clearly states that the objective of her blog is not to post news on the latest tech tools made me expect something else. I soon realized that she orients her blog toward reflecting on libraries and this blog seems a bit personal because I learned about her observations from her own library. The average length of her posts tend to be 3-4 paragraphs accompanied by photo of her local surroundings.
In the Library with the Lead Pipe is entirely different from the other blogs because it is orchestrated by a team of librarians from different types of libraries. This blog has various guest posters contribute to their blog, which keeps the opinions fresh and also makes it much less predictable than the postings of all the other blogs. A reader may never know what to expect when riffling through this blog's archive. The length of the posts in this blog are substantially longer than those in the other blogs. In the Library with the Lead Pipe strives to go into depth on each topic of choice and thoroughly explores them. There are some links embedded in the posts as well.
Librarian by Day is different from the others because the author focuses on technology but not necessarily on how to use the most complicated tools. Instead she explores where libraries belong in the digital age and is primarily fixated on fun, hip tools that keep the Next Generation in the know. Librarian by Day chooses to concentrate on the fun capabilities of new technology for libraries rather than the fundamentals of how to make your library website the most technologically advanced.
After surveying these five blogs, I immediately knew which one was my favorite. I found the Librarian's Commute to be the most appealing because it includes lots of stories. Through these stories I believe I was able to envision that library, her daily duties, the type of patrons she serves and her thoughts behind most of these things. I was delighted to read some of her insights on information seeking behavior because I definitely could relate. This blog was also the most appealing because it urged me to invest some extra thought into the direction I believe libraries need to go in order to remain relevant.
As for the rest of the blogs, I realized other attributes that I find appealing are when a blog is not too tech-y. I do want/need to learn more about technological tools that can be used to better my library. However, I am not a fanatic about technology so some of the blogs lost me with their relentless enthusiasm and extra detail on this topic. Another attribute is that it is important that I can detect a strong level of passion in the blogger's writing. Now this can be tricky because too much exuberance is off putting (and annoying!) but just enough to convince me that the writer genuinely cares about what they are discussing keeps me engaged and interested. Lastly, a blog should have a clear proclamation of its goal. I appreciate knowing that the blogger has a steadfast objective in mind and has invested some planning into their creation. If I find the objective to be worthwhile, I am more likely to return to the blog repeatedly.
When afforded the freedom to choose an additional three blogs to add to my RSS feeder, I was pleased to select the Librarian in Black. This blog is written with great gusto and knowledge on why libraries still matter and how to keep them relevant. There are wonderful graphics and many of the posts contain excellent PowerPoint presentations that the blogger has given for various conferences and organizations. Her posts are always current and fun!
The next blog I added to my subscriptions was Gargoyles Loose in the Library. This is a school library blog that offers posts about news related to reading, book reviews and local happenings within the library. There are also many pictures and videos to enhance the posts.
Lastly, I added Tame the Web to my blog subscriptions. This one is about the practical application of technology in libraries worldwide. The blogger includes news alerts about what libraries are doing to use technology to their advantage.
From what I can gather about all three of these blogs, in order to be successful they must constantly be maintained. It is obvious that there is a lot of hard work invested in each one and that it pays off. From website design, personalized graphics, thorough research and creative thought, these blogs continue to flourish and gain more followers. I also believe they are successful because each blogger is accessible through other Web 2.0 social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter.
Friday, February 11, 2011
WARNING: Bloggers beware
From my reads on social networking, one lesson that has been consistently mentioned is, "INVEST TIME!" Web 2.0 tools are fascinating and present almost endless possibilities. However, they are hinged on engagement from the creators and from the users. A strategy must be developed in order to draw readers to the blog but also to keep them coming back. Such a feat cannot be achieved by merely creating a weekly post about library news. It is crucial to any blog's success that the creator is prepared to spend time, thought, blood, sweat and tears in order to make it worthwhile to readers. The strategy must also establish what the intent of the blog is going to be. What is the library hoping to achieve through this blog? The objective of most blogs is to disseminate information and draw users to the library. However, do they need and value feedback from users? The library should be prepared to foster a relationship with its users through the blog. This may demand time but in the end it can be quite fruitful.
Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/herroyalmajesty/5068089039/
Blog-o-mania!
I think blogging really forces you to pause and reflect on what it is you're writing about. Unlike a regular writing assignment that only gets read by a professor, blogging each week on our course's topics requires me to be a little more honest. This may sound horrible, I know, but the fact that anyone online may be reading this forces me to not just regurgitate what I believe the professor wants to hear. I have to take better stock of my own thoughts and perceptions. I can honestly say that blogging makes me take a whole new approach to how I communicate what I'm learning.
Also, since I am required to blog, I have developed a need to study the craft of blogging. Before beginning this course, I would simply read blogs that kept me informed on topics of interest to me. Now, I am observing the bloggers' tactics. Does the blogger tell stories? Do they write with passion? Are there many related links embedded into the content? Also, are there comments present from other readers and does the blogger respond to those comments? These are all elements of a blog that went unnoticed to me before. Just by now being aware and able to critically study them, I know that I am already learning a lot from this course.
Image from: http://jennyartichoke.wordpress.com/category/sixties/
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Betsey Johnson brand in cyberspace
Photo from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704648604575620931506617098.html
After studying the branding power that social media presents to businesses, I wanted to explore what people in cyberspace are saying about the Betsey Johnson clothing line. I perceive this designer as one that thrives on innovative and creativity. Therefore, I assumed that the label has catapulted themselves into the world of social media and that they possess a strong presence for consumers to interact with.
Image from: http://ecandy-ecandy.blogspot.com/
In my hunt for Betsey Johnson’s social media voice, I first set out to find blogs discussing the company. I used the social media-monitoring tool BlogSearch. Through this tool I was able to uncover the blog, "Discovering More About Betsey Johnson Swimwear". It discusses the history and inspiration for the clothing company. It also states that Betsey Johnson swimwear is flattering to many different body types but not necessarily "suited" (like my pun?) for women that are shy. This blog seemed to exquisitely capture the attitude behind the brand as well as give honest advice regarding for whom this swimwear is best.
Photo from: www.designerplanet.com
The second blog I stumbled upon is titled, "High Maintenance Woman". This blog critiques a variety of jewelry designed by Betsey Johnson. It is full of compliments and critiques, giving the reader a fully honest description.
Photo from: www.addwishlist.blogspot.com
The third article related to Betsey Johnson belongs to a blog dedicated to shopping, stores and boutiques in the Seattle area (NW Source). This blog announced an event that Betsey Johnson would be hosting. At this event, people could meet the designer, hear her give a speech about surviving breast cancer and buy merchandise with a portion of the proceeds going toward breast cancer research. The blog expressed the clothing line's ability to spread awareness for a cause. It also described the designer's personal connection with breast cancer.
Photo from: www.thesalerack.net
The second tool that I used to monitor Betsey Johnson's social media activity was Tweetscan.com. Through this tool I detected four current Tweets about Betsey Johnson. Two of the Tweets were from consumers expressing their love of the brand. The third tweet contained a link to a Wall Street Journal article titled, "Betsey Johnson Faces a Makeover". This article states that the new CEO of the company is determined to revamp the brand by opening more boutiques nationwide and increasing its e-commerce revenue. In the article, the designer Betsey Johnson claims that she will still remain onboard as the head designer and that she will not sell out her brand. However, the author of the article speculates that the brand will mellow out and become more commercial as a result of this new CEO. The fourth tweet detected by Tweetscan was a coupon for an online store that sells Betsey Johnson products.
Photo from: www.online.wsj.com
The last tool I used was Social Mention. This tool provided a great deal of information regarding what consumers are saying about Betsey Johnson via Social Media. After searching for the brand's name, I found statistics on the type of information posted about it. For example: 9:1 sentiment, which means most of it is positive; 9% strength, which indicates the likelihood of the brand being mentioned in social media; 38% passion, meaning those individuals mentioning the brand are doing so passionately; and 25% reach, which means the range of influence.
After reviewing the information found through SocialMention.com, I realized that the majority of what is being said about the brand is positive, but Betsey Johnson does not seem to have a strong presence within the world of social media.
In order to see how popular the official Betsey Johnson website is, looked it up on Delicious and found that there have been 309 bookmarks since November 2005. I also searched for the brand's name in Wikipedia. There I found an entry for the designer. Although mostly biographical, it did contain information about her successes and failures with the clothing line.
The brand has made an effort to proactively interact with their customers through social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. Through their Twitter page they are able to announce sales, new products, articles covering the label, upcoming fashion shows and events. Currently they have 65,229 followers on Twitter.
Through their Facebook page I viewed a plethora of status updates about new products, upcoming fashion shows and contests for winning prizes. Currently there are 129,334 Facebook users that have "liked" theBetsey Johnson page. On their Facebook the brand has a Discussion Page. Here the designer provides the opportunity for consumers to ask her any questions and she promises to answer them. Some of the questions I observed were related to the jewelry line, employment at the brand's boutiques and the designer’s inspiration. For the most part, the designer was able to respond to each individual question with enthusiasm and gratitude. However, on the brand's Facebook wall one consumer posted that they were disappointed in how easily Betsey Johnson purses break. There was no response from the brand. I believe this would have been an excellent opportunity for the company to acknowledge the complaint. By ignoring it, they allowed the comment to damage their reputation.
From the observation of all of these tools, I was able to deduce that Betsey Johnson does have a presence within social media and that the company has exerted effort and resources to create a place for the brand to interact with consumers. However, there is a lot more they could be doing such as responding to consumer complaints on their Facebook page or creating their own blogs and responding to comments there as well. By simply posting announcements on social media outlets, they are not facilitating the development of relationships between the brand and its fans. Instead, they are throwing information at the consumer and not responding to any of their feedback. I acknowledge that their Facebook Discussion page is a great way to engage with consumers but it seems senseless to respond to customers’ questions through that page and not when they make any type of comment on the main Facebook wall.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Libraries---Seize the Social Media Day!
The number one way I believe libraries should manage their brand online is by advocating their services through social media. With more and more people using the internet to meet their information needs, it is common for the average user to become unaware of the many valuable services libraries offer. Twittering, blogging or updating a Facebook status about the free Wifi available in public libraries or the guest speaker on job search techniques are ways that the average person may be made aware of how library services are relevant to their needs.
So, in order for the message to reach potential users, libraries must find ways to use the proper social media channels. However, this goes beyond simply creating a Facebook account and adding friends. Libraries must carefully plan a social media strategy that will improve the status of their brand but also be manageable for the library over time. Managing one's online reputation requires continued maintenance and interaction with users. The strategy must involve encouraging the input of users but that is pointless if there is no representative from the library to keep the interaction flowing. If a library is blogging about all the great guest speakers they have lined up for next month and a user comments that they wish to see a speaker on body image issues, it is only appropriate that a library representative acknowledge that request. Even if all they say is that the library will look into covering that topic, at least they are showing the user that their opinion is valuable to the library.
So, in order for the message to reach potential users, libraries must find ways to use the proper social media channels. However, this goes beyond simply creating a Facebook account and adding friends. Libraries must carefully plan a social media strategy that will improve the status of their brand but also be manageable for the library over time. Managing one's online reputation requires continued maintenance and interaction with users. The strategy must involve encouraging the input of users but that is pointless if there is no representative from the library to keep the interaction flowing. If a library is blogging about all the great guest speakers they have lined up for next month and a user comments that they wish to see a speaker on body image issues, it is only appropriate that a library representative acknowledge that request. Even if all they say is that the library will look into covering that topic, at least they are showing the user that their opinion is valuable to the library.
Negative Reviews from Users
Thanks to social media, consumers now have the power to dictate how a brand is perceived. Through online forums such as blogs and reviewer websites, honest opinions are given valuable attention from would-be customers. I know from personal experience that user reviews generated on sites such as Yelp.com, Amazon.com and MakeupTalk.com can provide insight that advertisements have never offered. Before buying a product, I am able to do some research and learn the pros and cons to each brand and version of the product that is on the market. It is almost like having a best friend that just bought the item and wants to offer their opinion on it. But, sometimes these reviews come from people that are impossible to please or may have had a negative experience that is not typical of a company or product line. This can have a devastating impact on the reputation of a brand.
A proactive company can combat this dilemma by making their presence known within such forums. By the brand expressing helpful feedback and genuine concern, potential viewers may formulate a better opinion of the brand. One important way this can be achieved is by a representative of the company correcting inaccurate information. I will try to give an example- I visit a lot of beauty product forums and blogs. All too often I see a negative review about how a product didn't work but actually the customer was using the product incorrectly. If there was a friendly and informative response from someone in the company, that customer and others reading the review could walk away better informed about the product.
A proactive company can combat this dilemma by making their presence known within such forums. By the brand expressing helpful feedback and genuine concern, potential viewers may formulate a better opinion of the brand. One important way this can be achieved is by a representative of the company correcting inaccurate information. I will try to give an example- I visit a lot of beauty product forums and blogs. All too often I see a negative review about how a product didn't work but actually the customer was using the product incorrectly. If there was a friendly and informative response from someone in the company, that customer and others reading the review could walk away better informed about the product.
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