Twitter

General


  • 280 characters per tweet is the limit, because tweets are short messages that are distributed in real time (Twitter lives from this communication)
  • test out what is well received by the followers = look in the statistics what works and what does not
  • see how other libraries do it, get inspired by it
  • overlook events and trends  and participate when it fits for example #worldbookday, #libraryday etc.
  • videos can’t be longer than 2, min. 20 sec.
  • it's a good idea to analyze the tweet activity dashboard offered by Twitter = a tool to help you learn how your Tweets resonate with your audience (retweets, replies, likes, followers, clicks, profile visits, etc.)

DOs

  • short and concisive tweets
  • “chatty tone”, humor
  • use images, GIFs or videos whenever possible and only in good resolution/quality
  • limit Tweet to a single, specific message
  • for more detailed messages: link to a website or possibly other social media channel or start a tweet thread (series of connected tweets)
  • ask followers to retweet tweets, make comments, share the profile to reach more people
  • short videos (15-30 seconds) are often watched, subtitles  should be provided and the logo of the library should be displayed
  • retweet positive feedback from followers
  • respond to mentions, e.g. help questions or negative feedback 
  • surveys and polls also make it possible to interact with the target group, followers can cast their vote here and have a say in decision-making 
  • hashtags, i.e. keywords such as #library increase the range of the profile, Twitter users can search for it specifically, you can also create and use your own hashtags, which are relevant for the library
  • spread news such as: changed opening hours, book sales, planned events, new acquisitions and much more
  • the profile picture should be relevant and recognizable
  • the header can contain the logo or even the opening hours of the library
  • a tweet can be pinned to the top of the Twitter profile, for example a Q&A thread or current news
  • in the bio (the profile description) the library should introduce itself briefly
  • the name of the library should be used as the username
  • the location and possible contact persons are an important part of the profile

DONTs

  • more than 1-2 hashtags per tweet
  • multiple ideas or flood of information in a single tweet
  • do not solve complex problems and requests from followers in public (rather take it to the direct messages)
  • videos should not be shorter than 15 seconds, but also not longer than a minute