suddenly i'm marketing the library!
DESCRIPTION
Prepared for SLA's First Five Years webinar series, this presentation covers why marketing is important, tips to do it successfully, real life examples and further resources.TRANSCRIPT
Suddenly...I'm Marketing the Library!
SLA First Five Years CouncilFebruary 20, 2014
Ingrid RedmanWeb Manager
• Introduction Why bother? What do we mean by marketing?
• Top Ten Tips for Marketing Success• Library Marketing in Action• Marketing Resources
Overview
Importance of Marketing
How do we transform people’s perceptions ?
Importance of Marketing
Library no longer information gatekeeper
Source: www.go-gulf.com
What do we mean by marketing?
What do we mean by marketing?
Strategic process in which you communicate with your audience about who you are, what you do, and what’s it worth to them.
(adapted from Ned Potter)
Simply put:
Communicating Value
What do we mean by marketing?
The Marketing Cycle
From the Library Marketing Toolkit by Ned Potter
Top Ten Tips for Marketing Success
1) Know Your Audience
• What do they want? Need?
• Ask. Don’t assume.
• Segment audience.
2) Emphasize Benefits, not Features
Features
• Workshops• Databases• Course reserves
Benefits
• Better grades• Save time• Convenience
3) Market one idea at a time
Avoid Jargon: Library Terms that Users Understand http://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qq499w7
4) Harness the Power of Word of Mouth
• Identify “Influencers”
• Keep message short & shareable
• Give them tools to spread the word
5) Use Social Media Wisely
• You don’t have to use them all!• It’s a conversation, not a broadcast• Be human
5) Use Social Media Wisely…
• Use photos, follow trends• Highlight local features/unique collections• Include a call to action• Monitor mentions
6) Use Multiple Channels, Multiple Times
Even when using all channels, most people when only see your message once or twice.
7) Pay Attention to Design
Get Inspired: adsoftheworld.com
8) Be Consistent
• Every sign is a reflection of your brand
• Choose 2 fonts (serif and sans serif)
• Choose 2-3 colors• Create a style guide
8) Be Consistent…
Create a publications wall
9) Make it Personal
10) Rally up a team
Everyone is responsible for marketing
• Keep staff updated• Ask for feedback• Collaborate with other departments• Build on staff strengths
Library Marketingin Action
Custom Fortune Cookies
“Put not all your faith in Google” Sewanee Library, University of the South
U. Of Wisconsin Quick and Dirty Library Promotions That Really Work, Journal of Library Innovation Vol 1 Issue 2, 2010
Postcards during Finals
Cofrin Library, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Library Snapshot Day
Collect stories and statistics to show library’s value
University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillALA Snapshot Day Primer: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/statelocalefforts/snapshotday
SUCCESs Model
by Chip and Dan Heath heathbrothers.com
Marketing Resources
Websites & Blogs
• Library Marketing Toolkit www.librarymarketingtoolkit.comby Ned Potter, academic librarian, University of York (UK)
• The “M” Word themwordblog.blogspot.com by Kathy Dempsey, Consultant, Founder Libraries Are Essential and Nancy Dowd, Project Lead LibraryAware at NoveList
• Market Matters for Librarians alisonwallbutton.wordpress.com by Alison Wallbutton, Health Librarian, Massey University (New Zealand)
• Marketing the Library www.olc.org/marketing/index.htmlby Ohio Library Council
• The Bubble Room lj.libraryjournal.com/category/opinion/bubble-room/ by Alison Circle, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Professional Organizations
• Public Relations and Marketing Section of Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) (a division of ALA)
• Management and Marketing Section of International Federation of Library Associations (International Marketing Award)
• Publicity and Public Relations Group of Charted Institute of Library and Informational Professionals (UK’s ALA)
• American Marketing Association
Books
Marketing for Libraries:
• The Accidental Library Marketer Kathy Dempsey 2009
• Marketing Today's Academic Library: A Bold New Approach to Communicating with Students Brian Mathews 2009
• Bite-Sized Marketing: Realistic Solutions for the Overworked Librarian Nancy Dowd, Mary Evangeliste, and Jonathan Silberman 2010
• The Library Marketing Toolkit Ned Potter 2012
• Marketing Your Library: Tips and Tools That Work Carol Smallwood, Vera Gubnitskaia, Kerol Harrod 2012
• Breakthrough Branding: Positioning Your Library to Survive and Thrive Suzanne Walters and Kent Jackson 2013
• The Librarian's Nitty-Gritty Guide to Social Media Laura Solomon 2013
• Marketing Your Library’s Electronic Resources: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians Marie R. Kennedy and Cheryl LaGuardia 2013
• Marketing Concepts for Libraries and Information Services, Third Edition Eileen Elliott de Sáez 2014
Marketing in General:
• Made to Stick Chip Heath and Dan Heath 2007
• The Non-designer’s Design Book: Design and Typographic Principles for the Novice Robin Williams 2008
• All Marketers Are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works--and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All Seth Godin 2012
• How To Get People To Do Stuff Dr. Susan Weinschenk 2013
Books
Image Sources
Stock Photos• www.morguefile.com• stock.xchng www.sxc.hu• compfight.com• Google advanced image search ("labeled for reuse”)• www.istockphoto.com ($)
ImageCodr Look up any Flickr photo and see exactly what the usage rights are www.imagecodr.org/get.php
Online tools
• Photo Editing• GIMP opensource alternative to Photoshop• pixlr.com easy web based editing
• Dynamic Slideshows:• Prezi zooming presentation tool • Animoto turn photos, music and video clips into video • photopeach.com, visualslideshow.com, wowslider.com
• Photo Collages:• picmonkey.com & photovisi.com
• Generators: • Memes imgflip.com & memegenerator.net• Typography Flickr Words & letterplayground.com • Custom images photofunia.com
• Issuu turns pdfs into attractive online publications
Additional Resources
Marketing Library Services http://www.infotoday.com/mls/ Newsletter published by Information Today ($)
ROI Calculator http://nnlm.gov/mcr/evaluation/roi.html
ALA Research & Statistics
Free Materials from Vendors
Where to Find Library Marketing Info slideshare by Kathy Dempsey www.slideshare.net/KathyDempsey/where-to-find-library-marketing-info
