Are they even following us?. Using market research data to understand students’ social media preferences
| Published date | 11 November 2019 |
| Date | 11 November 2019 |
| Pages | 503-517 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-06-2019-0031 |
| Author | Mark Aaron Polger,Dan Sich |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Hr in libraries,Library strategy,Library promotion |
Are they even following us?
Using market research data to understand
students’social media preferences
Mark Aaron Polger
Library Department, College of Staten Island,
City University of New York, New York, USA, and
Dan Sich
Western Libraries, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is the exploration of students’preferred social media (SM) tools for
receiving information about their academic library. The authors administered a questionnaire at their
prospective institutions: the College of Staten Island (CSI), City University of New York, USA and the
University of Western Ontario (UWO) in London, Ontario, Canada. The authors examine students’
preferences for various SM tools, and analyzed the types of information students expect from the library’sSM
accounts. The authors argue that the library’s SM postings should be curated based on market research that
provides a better understanding of the target audience.
Design/methodology/approach –The authors explore the SM preferences of students at their prospective
institutions. The authors examine the SM channels students visit and the types of SM content they wish to
seek out. The authors ran the authors’study from September 1 through December 31, 2016. The authors used
convenience sampling and a printed questionnaire to collect data from students in information literacy
instruction sessions (n¼633 at CSI, n¼602 at UWO).
Findings –The authors found that more students (at both institutions) used Facebook and YouTube, as
compared withother SM platforms. If they viewed their library’sSM accounts, students from both institutions
preferred to readabout news and current events, followedby announcements about new libraryservices.
Practical implications –The authors illustrate that conducting market research helps SM managers
understand their target audience. Market research is the key to successful SM management. It also helps in
the development of a marketing plan and provides insights on students’preferences regarding SM content.
Originality/value –This study compares students’SM preferences across two academic institutions from
two countries, the USA and Canada. The authors wished to investigate the similarities and differences among
these students’preferences.
Keywords USA, Canada, Academic libraries, Marketing, Social media, Students
Paper type Case study
Introduction
Web 2.0 may have begun in the early 2000s with blogs and wikis, but over the last 15 years,
social media (SM) tools (websites and applications) have lead the landscape in providing a
means for two-way communication between the content producer and the consumer. Where
once websites were a one-way communication medium, Web 2.0 tools have provided a
means for users to interact and engage with each other. Web 2.0 enables online collaboration
in ways that could not have been imagined. SM websites such as Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and others would be “empty”without exchanges between content contributions
and other SM users.
According to an early 2018 study by Pew Research, 70 percent of Americans use SM.
YouTube is used by 73 percent of these users; use was most common among adults aged
18–24 (94 percent), 25–29 (88 percent) and 30–49 (85 percent). Facebook is also popular,
being used by 68 percent of US SM users; adults aged 18–24 (80 percent), 25–29 (82 percent) Library Management
Vol. 40 No. 8/9, 2019
pp. 503-517
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/LM-06-2019-0031
Received 4 June 2019
Revised 16 July 2019
Accepted 21 August 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
Dan Sich wishes to thank his colleagues at Western Libraries for their assistance in running
the questionnaire.
503
Students’
social media
preferences
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