Building online relationships: Relationship marketing and social presence as foundations for a university library blog.

摘要

The vast resources of university libraries may be daunting to students who lack knowledge or skills in library research strategies, causing them to turn to easily accessed Internet search engines, such as Google or Yahoo. This study examined the use of a weblog or blog, as a public relations tool librarians can use to convince students that library resources are accessible and more credible than those found through Web searches. The goal of the blog was to build a relationship with students by providing information of interest that would encourage repeat visits. Two perspectives---relationship marketing and social presence---provided the foundation for the communication on the blogs. If libraries were seen as service entities that build relationships by providing technical support and information on library services, such as book checkout, library cards, and interlibrary loans, then relationship marketing would be the most appropriate kind of communication. However, research shows that many students find the library overwhelming. Projecting a warm, friendly, and welcoming personality by using the components of social presence may convince students that the library is not a forbidding place, but is helpful and sociable. It is possible that those who have been discouraged by difficult experiences in finding resources would appreciate the relaxed, lighthearted communication of the social presence perspective. This study tested 532 participants from four universities on two blog conditions (relationship marketing and social presence). Structural equation modeling results testing both blog conditions demonstrate that student perceptions of relationship marketing, social presence, and credibility predicted a strong potential for building a relationship. Frequent library use and familiarity with blogs did not appreciably affect the outcome of the relationship. Findings suggest that a blog written by a helpful, caring librarian that includes aspects of (a) relationship marketing such as technical support and advice, (b) social presence such as personal examples and humor, and (c) credibility such as expertise, trustworthiness and goodwill will interest students and enhance the possibility that they will return to the library blog next time they need an information resource.