Social Media Insights: January – April 2023

The Department of Library Services (DLS) has been hard at work implementing a new social media strategy that is aimed at connecting with students on a more personal level and informing them about the library's services through fun and engaging content. 

In January, the library shared a "Back to School" Instanovel, reminding students of the upcoming start of the semester and encouraging them to take advantage of the DLS products and services available to them. This was followed in February by a celebration of the University of Pretoria's 115th anniversary. We created a staff reel showcasing various DLS staff members and their jubilant dancing and laughter. Additionally, in honour of Valentine's Day, the library shared a romance Instanovel titled "If Love Could Last." In March, the DLS celebrated South African Library Week by hosting a competition that invited students to share their stories of how the library has impacted their lives, with prizes for the best submissions. The competition received an overwhelming response and the winners were announced and rewarded accordingly. Finally, in April, the library hosted a successful poetry event, which was promoted through Instagram reels and videos. This event allowed students to express their love for poetry and featured a variety of talented poets from the UP community. 

Instanovels for January and February.

Throughout the first four months of 2023, the library team has also shared several #UPIsLit one-minute book reviews. These included reviews of novels such as "Africa: A Season for Hope," reviewed by Fezile Nkosi, “The Alchemist”, reviewed by Lesedi Magane, "The Institute for Creative Dying", written and reviewed by one of the library's staff members, Jarred Thompson and finally, “Case Study Research: Design and Methods”, reviewed by Sixolile Dlungwane. 

#UPIsLit book review videos.

The library's weekly social media posts, such as #ResearchTipOfTheWeek and #SpecialCollections, have continued to be popular among students and a couple of new series such as #LibraryMemes and #FunFactFriday have been introduced to appeal to the student community even more.

Various examples of the #ResearchTipOfTheWeek, #SpecialCollections, LibraryMemes and #FunFactFriday.

This year, the library has taken a bold step towards revolutionizing the way students engage with their services by introducing Instagram Reels. These entertaining, short-form videos provide an innovative platform for showcasing the library's diverse units in a fun and engaging way while educating students about the library’s numerous 

resources. Instagram Reels that have been made so far include the Mamelodi library tour, the Maker Space unit tour, the Research Commons tour, and even an explanation of the self-checkout machines. Students can now learn how to book academic training events, get book recommendations, and explore different units within the library, all while being thoroughly entertained by short-form video content.

Our students have been captivated by the library's Reels, with the Maker Space tour alone reaching over 6000 views - a testament to their success. 

The very successful Maker Space Tour Instagram Reel.

Overall, the Department of Library Services has been working diligently to engage with students and inform them about the services available from the DLS. With the new and exciting social media strategy, success is almost guaranteed and the marketing department at the DLS is committed to making the library an even more integral part of the university community.