Social Media and Society 2013
Online Community Building
in an Academic Context:
A University Library Case Study
Scott Young
@hei_scott
Doralyn Rossmann
@doralyn
Research Structure
Planning & Building
Analyzing & Understanding
Establishing Value
“If [social site] can help cultivate a brand that expands beyond books, students may discover that the library is more relevant and approachable than previously perceived, and a valued part of their personal networks.”
(Phillips, 2011)
Social Media Plan
Realize mission of the university
Build and engage community
MSU Library Social Media Guide
-
Audience Focus
-
Goal
-
Values
-
Tone and Tenor
-
Activity Focus
-
Posting Frequency
-
Posting Categories
-
Posting Personnel
-
Assessment
“Be Interesting, Be Interested.”
(Glazer, 2012)
How is our community formed?
Community Analysis
Quantitative
Action-Object Mapping
User Type Data
Interaction Analysis
Qualitative
Focus Groups
Action-Object Mapping
Group 1
Automated Tweet Content
Low responsiveness
No dedicated personnel
No programmatic approach
Group 1 Median Interaction Rate
12.5%
Group 2
Original and unique content
High responsiveness
Dedicated personnel
Programmatic approach
Group 2 Median Interaction Rate
46.8%
Interaction Rate Increase
Group 1 → Group 2
275%
Quantitative Data
+
Qualitative Data
“On Facebook I think of it much more as a community, because it’s more interactive and personal that way. Twitter for me is more receiving information. It doesn’t feel community-based, more networked-based.”
- Student Focus Group
“. . . a Twitter account that was more than just updating you on events, but that was more inviting you in and creating that community.”
- Student focus group feedback
Social Media at the MSU Library
Group 1 → Group 2
New Content
New Interactions
New Connections
New Community
New value for the library?
Future Directions
“Social Network Sites have the potential to serve as a medium for meaningful support . . . in students’ lives”
(Gray, Vitak, Easton & Ellison, 2013)
“Institutional Involvement is related to degree completion, because a student who is committed to the institution is likely to persist in that environment.”
(Brown & Burdsal, 2012)
Social Media = Community
Community = Student Success
Emerging hypothesis:
Social Media = Student Success
Thanks!
Scott Young
@hei_scott
Doralyn Rossmann
@doralyn
Social Media and Society 2013 — Online Communities
By Scott W. H. Young
