The Library Social Media team is comprised of staff across multiple sites who monitor and produce content for the library's social media accounts. 

The team can be contacted at lib-socialmedia@ncl.ac.uk.

*Please bear in mind that their social media work is in addition to their primary duties, so the sooner you contact the team, the sooner they can help.

Introduction

This page outlines best practices for the libraryncl social media accounts to ensure consistency and quality regardless of who is posting. We recommend familiarising yourself with Newcastle University's Brand Guidelines and Social Media Channel Guide before posting on any account at Newcastle University Library.

Staff across all library sites manage these accounts. We do not have an assigned day for social media to our timetabling. This may seem like a 'free for all'; however, it does mean that there is not one distinctive voice per day but rather an overlap of styles, creating the libraryncl 'character'. 

Tone of Voice

"The Robinson Library sassed me and comforted me. Get yourself a library that can do both."

The libraryncl voice is engaging, authentic and trustworthy. We strive to be friendly and aim to appear as an approachable and enthusiastic source of information for all our users. Generally, our tone is conversational, steering clear of jargon and an extension of how we act in real life on the various service points.

We should let empathy inform our tone, which can vary depending on the situation. Humour can be used but not to the detriment of anyone. If you have to ask yourself, 'should I post this?' you should probably not. Do not be mean.

General Points

• Market the benefits of the library to people, offering something of value, so they want to follow us.
• Brevity = Clarity.
• Post high-quality visual content.
• Remember, what is posted is public. Whilst it can be deleted, it can take very little time for someone to take a screenshot.
• Catch mistakes early. If we get called out on something, acknowledge it.
• We want to be seen as speaking for the library, not as individuals. Do not attach names or initials to posts unless it is a Direct Message.
• You need to be logged in at least once a day to check for mentions etc 
• Spelling and grammar needs to be correct - we are a library, after all.
• If sharing links, make sure they work.
• If you are reposting anything, check who you are reposting.
• Avoid library jargon.
• Address positive and negative feedback, recording any comments/questions on RefAnalytics. If you cannot answer something, say so but endeavour to find the answer.
• Try to turn negatives into positives but do feed the trolls. If you can not answer a query then and there, offer to directly message the person or email them so the discussion can take place privately.
• If using gifs, make sure you know the context of the gif and that it is not overly branded.
• Do not share passwords and if you are using a public computer, remember to log out afterwards.
• DO NOT USE ALL CAPS

Twitter

• Content is roughly a third of our content, a third like-minded tweets and a third miscellaneous.
• As no one deals with a specific day, if you see a comment or question, double-check that it has not already been dealt with.
• Tweet important information more than once. You can always rephrase the information.
• Think about whether you want to 'retweet' or 'quote' tweets. By quoting the tweet, you can add additional information to it.
• Hashtags and emojis can be used if applicable, but make sure you know what they mean and do not go overboard.
• If your message is long, you can create a Twitter thread that will automatically connect Tweets.
• Twitter is perhaps the most conversational channel; however, names still get capital letters, and words need to be spelt correctly.
• Computer queries get referred to @NU_ITService, café & heating queries to @NUEstates (Newcastle University's Estates & Facilities)
• Using Query Spy on Library Help, we can see what queries are popular and retweet answers to these using the following format: #LibraryHelp + 'Question' + shortened URL answer + picture (if available)

Instagram

• Original content only, unless reposting.
• Always ask before reposting and credit source.
• Quality over quantity. One high-quality post or story is likely to get more engagement than a handful of lesser quality posts.
• Remember that it is alright not to use a filter.
• Content does not need to be in a square format.
• Use the caption to pass on helpful information, adding value to the image.
• Do not put hashtags in the caption. Instead, add them in a separate comment below.
• Add location.
• Links only work in the bio. If you want to include one, change the link and include in the caption 'Check link in our bio'.
• If sharing posts to Twitter, copy the caption and URL of the post and then add the image separately. If you share directly to Twitter, it only appears as a link.
• You can like and reply to specific comments.
• Add up to ten images or videos to one post.

Advice on Content Creation

• Content needs to be of as high quality as it can be.
• If posting images and Gifs, use the Alt-Text to describe what people can see. There is an Alt-Text feature easily accessible on Twitter and Instagram when you post within the platform.
• If posting a reel, reusing an existing template can save time.
• When you take a photo, take it out of an 'app' to check the quality before posting. No amount of filters will make a bad image good.
• If people are the subject of the photo, get their permission.
• If using a photo from T: do not alter the original image, save an alternative copy.
• If posting videos, be mindful of the framing and whether you have, or want, sound.
• Text-based images are good if limited by word count. Don't include the http:// prefix and consider the layout of the text.
• Resize images from corners