A Library will never go viral - Beth Wolf Blog Post #2

 While I don't think this is really necessary, I am going to start this post by saying obviously, this is entirely my opinion. 

The first hurdle that a library has to jump in going viral on social media is choosing the right platform. While most libraries have Facebook pages these days, with Facebook becoming increasingly popular among the older crowd, it is probably less likely that something they will post on that platform will go viral, especially since the younger crowd is usually the type to share items more readily. The second hurdle would be to match the culture that is expected of the platform. On Facebook, the community vibe dictates that I would expect that the library would post more about their events and goings on in the library than something that would grab attention. The third hurdle is what actually shows up on everyone's feed, the algorithm. On Facebook, the algorithm today seems to favor items that you already interact with. So unless someone is seeking out the events that are being held at the library, or a person shares the post and someone else they follow closely shares it, it is unlikely to get much traction beyond the people that normally see their posts.

A screenshot of my local library's most recent Facebook post about new books they got in.

As Instagram and TikTok become more popular among younger folks and libraries become more open to these platforms, it does become more likely that they might be able to pass the first hurdle of choosing the right platform with the right audience. Hopefully, the social media managers of the accounts at the libraries understand the second hurdle, the culture on these platforms, and conform to it instead of just trying to post the same content from Facebook on these other platforms. In contrast, Instagram and TikTok have a more informal, playful vibe. You can see how one of my other local libraries leaned into this when they posted this photo below that I screenshotted from their Instagram @pittsfordcommunitylibrary.

As far as the third hurdle on Instagram and TikTok, the algorithms are a little harder to decipher. On Instagram, the home feed can be a whole bunch of different things that Instagram thinks you might like, which might bring up libraries if you interact with book content on Instagram. There is also a more focused "following" feed, that if people are only checking that and don't realize the libraries in their area have an Instagram page, they may not be seeing the content from their local libraries at all. As you can see from the post above, there are 31 libraries in the Monroe County Library System that would be close to me. That would be a huge increase in how many pages I follow if I were to follow all 31 of them (that is if all 31 have Instagram pages; I did not bother checking the data on that)!

TikTok's feed, known as the For You Page, is also very hard to understand how it works. Unless users are interacting with other library content or book content regularly, it is unlikely that they might see libraries post on the platform. In addition, the algorithm does seem to favor people getting emotional or content that is already somewhat popular. The only way I have seen people dramatically change their For You Page algorithm is to start actively telling TikTok "I'm not interested" when content comes up that they don't like. Otherwise, it can be influenced by current events, videos that other people send you (regardless of if you actually do like it or not), and the videos that you interact with or let play.

But let's go back to my original opinion, I don't think that a library will ever go viral on social media. Sure, they may post something that is funny or timely. But I think that since librarians still have to maintain a modicum of professionalism, and because of these hurdles mentioned, they will never be able to go viral on social media.