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

15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

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

Get to know your audience with Surveys (Google Forms)

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15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

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)

GOOGLE FORMS DEMO

15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

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.

Create beautiful graphics with Canva

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CANVA DEMO

15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

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

Create graphics with cover art

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15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

STEPS

• 1. Choose a title that speaks to a specific audience
• 2. Size for context
• 3. Set a matching background
• 4. Add text

COVER ART DEMO

Use free images

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15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

FREE IMAGE SOURCES

• Google Images (with license search)
• Flickr (with license search)
• Bing (with license search)
• pixabay.com
• freeimages.com
• NASA Images
• freestockphotos.biz

FREE IMAGES DEMO

Name things from a patron's perspective

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15 Free Ideas For Library Marketing

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

• 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

Kathleen O’Dell

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

Staff Newsletter

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15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

• 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!

Calendar of Events

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15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

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

Social Media

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FACEBOOK

LIBRARY SNAPSHOT DAY - FACEBOOK

Title of Presentation| Author

• Twitter links from Facebook – twitter.com/springfieldlib
• YouTube.com SpringfieldGreene
• Pinterest boards
• Instagram

PINTEREST

Flood Community Calendars

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15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

• Media outlet calendars
• Chamber, Convention bureau
• Neighborhood newsletters
• Nonprofits, community

partners

• Schools, colleges

Hook the Media

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15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

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”

Email Newsletter

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15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

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

Targeted Email Blasts

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15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

• 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.

We’re rooted in community, tap those roots!

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15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

• 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
• rientations, parent nights
• Civic clubs need speakers

Other ideas inside the library

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Title of Presentation| Author

• TV screen slides in branches
• At one program, promote the next
• Always put calendars, brochures in meeting rooms

Other ideas outside the library

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15 Free Ideas for Library Marketing

• 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

Questions? Contact us at jared@nicheacademy.com

• r

kathleeno@thelibrary.org