Public libraries on TikTok and Instagram : Marketing to young people

The aim of this thesis is to give insight into how librarians use Instagram and TikTok when marketing to young people. The data was collected by conducting a total of eight semi-structured interviews, four about TikTok and four about Instagram. The theoretical framework used is the 4Ps of marketing, also known as marketing mix. This theory was used in combination with a thematic analysis method. This thesis seeks to answer the questions: How can the librarians’ use of TikTok or Instagram be understood from the 4Ps of marketing? Why do librarians use TikTok or Instagram? And What pros and cons are there to using TikTok or Instagram as marketing tools? This study finds that librarians in public libraries use TikTok and Instagram to bring awareness to the library itself, use their platforms for reading promotion by posting book recommendations, and market relevant events and activities put on by the libraries. The marketing on TikTok and Instagram takes a lot of time, and effort, for the librarians and there are also a lot of technical difficulties that make it harder. GDPR is also an obstacle for the librarians, and there are a lot of differences in the rules between the libraries. Aesthetics is important for all the content, regardless of platform. It is hard for the librarians to know if they reach out to the correct group because young people do not interact with the libraries’ posts