Tagging, Linking and Commenting as Marketing Tools
Posted on November 18, 2005
Filed Under Library 2.0, Web 2.0 |
Jenny Levine is so cool. She just gave me a nifty idea that I’m going to share with you.
Short version - she added a tag to a flickr image of mine, and left a comment.
Long version:
- I wrote this blog post
- I created a flickr image to go with the post
- Jenny added a tag to the flickr image - she’s set up as a “friend” (good call, too, Jenny!)
- She left a comment with the flickr image that mentioned my original blog post, link included
Point? That’s one awesome way to market my blog and my blog post. Now, people searching Flickr for library 2.0 or web 2.0 will not only find my image - my original post is now accessible to them, as well, via the link. It’s even accessible via Technorati, because Technorati searches Flickr tags.
Implications for libraries? This type of simple marketing is something libraries can do now:
- Take photos of your teen gaming events, dump those images into Flickr, and comment/link back to your events page describing similar future events.
- Set up a Blogger blog, start posting new events, services, and resources, and link back to those things… now you’re searchable in Google, Blogspot, etc.
- Set up a social bookmarking tool like del.icio.us, and link back to your library’s awesome topic-driven subject guide - now you’ve made yourself accessible in del.icio.us - and, according to their about page - “Everything on del.icio.us is someone’s favorite” - the implication being the these links are “trusted sources.”
[Now, take a step back from all the geekery involved for a sec] When a library REALLY wants to market themselves - what do they have to do? Print more bookmarks? Make a dandy book display? No - they have to leave the library and visit others… they have to present at community group meetings, schools, teacher in-services, faculty senate meetings, etc. They have to, in essence, make themselves known.
[Now back to the geekery] In our current changing digital environment, the stuff I discussed above is a way to leave the library and make oneself known in the larger digital world. It’s a way to grab someone, in their environment, and introduce them to the library and the amazing services and resources we have.
Think about it.
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3 Responses to “Tagging, Linking and Commenting as Marketing Tools”
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This is such a good idea, I had to blog about it myself.
Boy are we ever on the same page with this! It’s been in the works for months, but I’ve just begun teaching a string of workshops up and down the west coast called “Keep Up! Practical emerging technologies for you and your library” through OCLC Western.
Just as you discuss, you can see that for the workshop there is a collection of assorted “cool tools” and resources. Check it out:
A flickr workshop photo group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/keepuplibs/
A workshop blog (that students are encouraged to add posts to):
http://keepuplibs.blogspot.com/
A workshop wiki:
http://keepup.jot.com/WikiHome
A del.icio.us feed:
http://del.icio.us/libraryman/keepup/
A web site that includes resources from/for class:
http://www.oclc.org/western/support/keepUp/
Also, though I did it myself, the things you discuss about a flickr image are demonstrated on this pictures Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/keepuplibs/pool/
Don’t mean this to be an ad, as all but one of the workshops are already filled to capacity, but hopefully they are useful further examples of what you are talking about here.
-Michael Porter
http://www.libraryman.com/blog
This is a great idea.