Social media advocacy: Pinterest as a marketing tool for special collections libraries

Abstract

<p>Cultural heritage institutions have taken significant advantage of the ubiquity of social media in the effort to drive audiences to their websites and to their physical collections. The sheer number of ways to engage people on the social web is overwhelming (and, to some, exasperating, especially with the trend of paid advertisements showing up in feeds), but its effectiveness as a trumpet call should not be overlooked. Some social media sites, such as Pinterest, allow people to pick and choose what they like, and to shape their own collection according to personal preferences. This paper examines social media advocacy and how Pinterest can be used as a marketing tool for special collections libraries.</p>