Since the early 2010s, Instagram has been growing in popularity as a social media platform (Ebrand, 2022; OFS, 2020). Instagram has become a truly interactive platform with a vast potential for organizations such as university libraries. The Helsinki University Library is the largest multidisciplinary research library in Finland, and it provides services to the University of Helsinki community as well as to the wider public. The library employs organic Instagram marketing strategies for promoting its services and collections actively, not only for current university students, but also for aspiring future ones as well. In this presentation, I will identify our library\u2019s experiences on how to put a social-media strategy into practice and use Instagram as an effective tool in everyday library work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Helsinki University Library has been publishing library-related content on its own Instagram account (@helunilib) since 2014. In 2018, the library started to employ Instagram Stories more in its communications. Instagram has evolved from a photo-sharing application into an interactive multimedia platform, which has driven the library to rethink its posting strategies. In 2019, the library updated its social media concepts and strategy. Besides Instagram, the library also posts regularly on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. For the library\u2019s Instagram, the target groups are primarily students and other library patrons and secondarily other visitors, such as tourists and library enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the Covid-19 pandemic, students in Finland were spending more time at home on their devices, which motivated the library to reach out to its customers online even more than before (Helsinki University Library Annual Report, 2021). Between the years 2020 and 2023, the number of followers of the Helsinki University Library Instagram account had increased by 567. In January 2023, the library had almost 1850 followers on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Collaborations with other users has been an important practice for maximizing the library\u2019s impact. To achieve this, the library has benefitted from interactive practices, such as Instagram Story takeovers, tagging relevant users and using question stickers in Stories. Many student organizations at the University of Helsinki have their own account on Instagram, which makes Instagram a valuable platform for reaching students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the beginning of the academic year, the library took over the University of Helsinki account and answered students\u2019 questions on Instagram. These takeovers have helped the library to gain more followers and to reach individuals who would not necessarily follow other library channels. Having more friends and being active boosts the algorithm and thus grows the account\u2019s visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The library increased its student-engagement by using Instagram\u2019s interactive features. One of the challenges has been posting regularly and keeping up with the changing trends and features. Recently, the library has experimented with reels and audio-based trends and even making videos on TikTok. As social media constantly changes, so too does students\u2019 online behavior, in which case users might switch from one platform to another. The library\u2019s task is to serve its customers and provide information using those channels that make sense for their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Minna Suikka<\/strong>\n
University of Helsinki, Finland<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n