OCLC Social Media Marketing
Going into the summer of my junior year at Miami University, I worked as the Social Media Marketing Intern at OCLC in Dublin, Ohio. OCLC is a global nonprofit library organization dedicated to advancing access to information and knowledge worldwide. Its mission centers on supporting libraries through shared technology services, research, and community-driven solutions that help institutions better serve their users. OCLC works with libraries across more than 100 countries, providing tools that improve discovery, resource sharing, and digital access to information.
One of my primary projects during the internship focused on OCLC’s recent acquisition, cloudLibrary. cloudLibrary is a digital content platform that allows libraries to offer ebooks and audiobooks directly to their patrons through a user-friendly app experience. Designed to strengthen the relationship between libraries and their communities, CloudLibrary emphasizes accessibility, simplicity, and seamless digital borrowing—making it an important extension of OCLC’s mission in an increasingly digital landscape.
The goal of my project was to determine whether cloudLibrary would benefit from having its own dedicated social media presence separate from OCLC’s parent brand. To evaluate this, I conducted in-depth research using marketing technology tools, market trend analysis, and competitor benchmarking to assess audience behavior, content opportunities, and platform potential. Through this research, I identified a clear opportunity for cloudLibrary to connect directly with readers, libraries, and digital content users in a more targeted and engaging way than would be possible under OCLC’s broader corporate channels.
I presented my findings and recommendations to the Social Media Marketing team, outlining both the strategic value and long-term benefits of establishing an independent social presence for cloudLibrary. OCLC ultimately implemented these recommendations and has since launched and grown CloudLibrary’s social media channels. The adoption of this strategy, and the app’s continued growth, demonstrates the impact of data-driven research, thoughtful brand positioning, and audience-focused social media strategy in a real-world corporate setting.
Read below for key metrics highlighting cloudLibrary’s social media growth.
View my summer-long project on CloudLibrary's social efforts by clicking the button below.