GAIL WECHSLER
GLL’S MARKETING MAVEN: JANUARY 2018
LIBRARY DIRECTOR
LAW LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF ST. LOUIS
1. What motivated you to market your library using social media?
My library did not have any presence on Facebook or Twitter prior to my coming on board as Library Director in mid-June 2017. I felt that one of my first tasks needed to be changing this and opening up the library to more people through social media. This included using social media to showcase our enhanced website and to publicize our monthly CLEs and our monthly e-newsletter.
2. How has the project been received so far, and how will you evaluate its success?
This effort has been well-received so far. We can measure success through our 103 (and growing) Facebook likes and our 41 (and growing) Twitter followers. On Facebook, the library’s posts have been shared regularly by other St. Louis area libraries, including St. Louis Public Library and Saint Louis University Law Library. On Twitter, the Saint Louis County Law Library has been promoting us. I also started experimenting with Facebook ads. For a small fee, this has enabled us to reach a broader audience for our CLE programs. We have been getting respectable turnouts for lunchtime CLE programs, which are not free for non-members. The use of Facebook ads has helped, reaching new people who sign up for our programs (and some who sign up to become members). We will continue to measure success based on the number of followers we attract as well as by measuring traffic to our website and attendance at our CLEs.
3. What “if only I knew!” advice would you give others wanting to replicate the project?
I probably would have checked with Google Analytics sooner to measure traffic to our website, as I have learned from that resource and have started noticing trends. In addition, don’t be afraid to try Facebook ads, at least on a small scale. They work and they can help you get more people through the door.
4. What are you currently reading?
“Here I Am” by Jonathan Safran Foer. I usually read historical novels or non-fiction, but I love Foer’s storytelling and writing style.
5. Do you have a favorite quote?
I am very passionate about my work as well as about my volunteer activities and outside interests. So I love this famous quote from Mark Twain: “Work like you don’t need the money. Dance like no one is watching. And love like you have never been hurt."