Why do we think libraries suck at marketing?
The person who is drawn to librarianship is not necessarily the kind that likes to do that. Seems obvious that libraries are good. Not enough money to spend on marketing. There’s not a single class offered at Emporia on marketing. Hard to do as a solitary librarian.
What can we do about it?
We just need to be out and about, talking about what we do. If you understand the basics and concepts, you can behave like a small business owner – do your own. You can still succeed. Should be a requirement to go outside of library school and get outside training. Some small things that we could do and we’re not, e.g. logos on all we hand out, bags, etc. Need actual practice of working as a marketer before trying to apply to libraries. Can be small things – wearing your name tag. Bringing books to your book club. Collaborate with others to help you market. You can sell the library to one person who has a specific skill who can help. Constantly talk to everyone about the goodness of libraries.
Are we trying to incorporate too much into marketing? In other words, should we focus on specific services or activities? Do we need to redefine marketing?
Trying to do too broad a swath. Do we know who our market is?
Choose our audience to market to. It’s too big. It’s very different based on kind of library and location.
What do we do best? We know what we do worse??
What do we know about our competition? What are they doing well? What are they doing poorly? Model and learn from other libraries. It’s not necessarily just other libraries. It’s bookstores and Amazon and Google.
Give to a community organization and get marketing services in return. Promote small businesses in the library – get them to do something for you. Collect business cards of everyone in the community and put them in a “Local Business” book in the library.
How do you reach with the folks who aren’t coming to the library? What do they need?
How about using a cost/benefit analysis?
How about a grassroots initiative?
Be more of a detective.
Think of your strategic plan. Do you know where you’re going? Is this where we’re supposed to be going?
Comparison to product life cycle. Our products need to be renewed and remarketed. Go through everything and revalue it – not necessarily dollar value.
Need to evaluate what you doing it and why?
We’re afraid we’re going to fail because we’re spending tax dollars. Share failures as well as successes. Douglas County failed in the beginning with audio books.
We fail in our library when we have a new customer. Needs to be a type of orientation, but putting together packets has not been effective. Need to actually spend one on one time with them. Perhaps this is a missed opportunity.
How many of us go out in the community for a service and get recontacted? Are we recontacting our patrons? Do a customer service survey after visiting libraries. Get the data and use it to figure your next direction.
Discussion on whether users are patrons or customers or members. Needs to be a consensus on this and then have the same “elevator speech.”
If you were going to have a workshop, what would you want to see?
How to analyze the demographics? Build a persona! Now how do I serve that persona. Libraries already have a lot of that data in the circ stats. Use this data to get some information.
DCL changed their homework help service. Have the kids do the trials. The kids were excited. Ask your population what they want.
We’re trained to do the analysis, but don’t have the time to follow through. Therefore project management has to be built in.
Framing your campaign. Offsetting our personal view from those desires of our population.
What about a more grassroots approach to marketing? Starting some viral-to-viral marketing. You can reach so many aspects of your community just through your library staff.
What ideas do you have that have worked?
1. Accept up to year old magazines, and took to the jury room – courtesy of DCL. Took once a month and the cost of the sticker. Not political or sexual nature.
2. Embed a librarian in bookclubs.
3. Regular emails to key constituents that include useful information.
Shelley W
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