15 FREE (OR VERY CHEAP) IDEAS FOR BEAUTIFUL LIBRARY MARKETING THAT - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

15 FREE (OR VERY CHEAP) IDEAS FOR BEAUTIFUL LIBRARY MARKETING THAT YOU CAN USE TODAY Presented by Kathleen O’Dell and Jared Oates

Jared Oates • 5 kids 1 wife • Software Engineer • Director of Product Strategy SirsiDynix • Niche Academy COO 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

THE FIRST 5 IDEAS • Get to know your audience with surveys (Google Forms) • Create graphics with Canva • Create graphics with cover art • Use free images • Name things from a patron’s perspective 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

1 Get to know your audience with Surveys (Google Forms)

WHO DO YOU WANT TO REACH? • Job Seekers? • Home schoolers? • Entrepreneurs? • Retirees? • Commuters? 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU HAVE? • Job Seekers - Skill enhancement, Job search tools… • Home Schoolers - Curriculum support, kid- friendly research tools… • Entrepreneurs - Market research tools, business plan templates… • Retirees - Genealogy resources, eBooks • Commuters - Audiobooks, online language learning… 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

CREATE A TARGETED SURVEY • Which of the following would be most useful to you… ? • Which of the following does your library have… ? • Are you interested in… ? • Keep it short (5-10 questions max) 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

GOOGLE FORMS DEMO

THE ASK • “Can I send you a 2 minute survey that will help the library serve ___________ better?” • Group specific survey makes it feel personal — “Oh, this is for me not just for the library.” • You can gather great marketing data • Even if they never take the survey, you now have an email address. 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

2 Create beautiful graphics with Canva

CANVA DEMO

TRIGGERS POSITIVE EMOTION 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

EASY TO UNDERSTAND 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

JUST ONE IMAGE 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

PROMPTS ACTION 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

3 Create graphics with cover art

STEPS 1. Choose a title that speaks to a specific audience 2. Size for context 3. Set a matching background 4. Add text 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

COVER ART DEMO

4 Use free images

FREE IMAGE SOURCES • Google Images (with license search) • Flickr (with license search) • Bing (with license search) • pixabay.com • freeimages.com • NASA Images • freestockphotos.biz 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

FREE IMAGES DEMO

5 Name things from a patron's perspective

SOME EXAMPLES • “Databases” (Family History Tools, Audiobooks, Streaming Media, Online Courses, Tech Skills Training, Market Research Tools…) • “Storytime" (Classes for Children, Early Literacy Classes…) • “Program” (Class, Seminar, Workshop…) • Focus on benefits and perceived value 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

Bonus Recommendation: Transforming Our Image, Building Our Brand: The Education Advantage Valerie J. Gross 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

More Do-able Ideas for Marketing Your Library Beyond the Website: How to get the attention your library craves! 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

Kathleen O’Dell • 2 daughters, 1 husband (No, we don’t always dress alike…) • Newspaper reporter 33 years (USA Today; Texas, Missouri papers) • Coordinate library p.r./marketing as Community Relations Director • Springfield-Greene County Libraries 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

GET THE BASICS FIRST • Staff newsletter • Regular calendar of events • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram • Flood community calendars • Hook the Media 15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

6 Staff Newsletter

• All members of staff are best ambassadors. Send it to all staff, retirees, Trustees • Make it fun, colorful, celebrate stories of library advocacy • News they “need to know” • Teach WoMM & practice it! 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

7 Calendar of Events

Send to all media and programs partners Create weekly news release packet from calendar items, email or snail mail. • Include “photo/video idea” • Include Facebook/Twitter & website 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

8 Social Media

FACEBOOK

LIBRARY SNAPSHOT DAY - FACEBOOK

• Twitter links from Facebook – twitter.com/springfieldlib • YouTube.com SpringfieldGreene • Pinterest boards • Instagram Title of Presentation | Author

PINTEREST

9 Flood Community Calendars

• Media outlet calendars • Chamber, Convention bureau • Neighborhood newsletters • Nonprofits, community partners • Schools, colleges 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

10 Hook the Media

Who opens the “mail”? Make a quick phone call • What are you looking for? • When do you need it? • What DON’T you want? Be Factual, Be Brief “Photo/Video idea” on release Include a photo 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

• Seize on “slow” weekends: “Here’s a quick story for the weekend…” • Pitch story to “beat” reporter • Send a follow-up email, any new info. • Respond immediately • Learn what gets their attention • Pitch what’s “news” 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

11 Email Newsletter

The Library Newsletter • Started in December 2012 • MailChimp platform • Today has 7,000+ subscribers • “Opens” 26.5% avg., industry avg. is 22.8% • More photos, short copy, lots of links 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

12 Targeted Email Blasts

• Short-term solution for MailChimp targeted pages • Collect emails at “topic” programs, permission to send targeted emails • Web staff creates email blast lists • Cull weekly press releases for topic- specific ones, combine in email and send weekly. 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

13 We’re rooted in community, tap those roots!

• Guest speakers love to share • Staff members can share • Civic expos – get a booth, or circulate • Have programs offsite • Staff a table at school, college orientations, parent nights • Civic clubs need speakers 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

14 Other ideas inside the library

• TV screen slides in branches • At one program, promote the next • Always put calendars, brochures in meeting rooms Title of Presentation | Author

15 Other ideas outside the library

• Digital billboards • Post your event on Craigslist • Sidewalk chalk • Rolling billboards on vans, trucks • Go in costume! 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

Bonus Recommendations Building a Buzz — Libraries and Word of Mouth Marketing by Peggy Barber and Linda Wallace Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Bite-Sized Marketing: Realistic Solutions for the Overworked Librarian by Mary Evangeliste and Nancy B. Dowd 15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

Questions? Contact us at jared@nicheacademy.com or kathleeno@thelibrary.org