Search

Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion

Open Search
Search results

"repurposing"

Save Time and Reach Your Whole Audience With an Incredible Trick! (Includes Guide and an Example You Can Steal)

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Last week, we went over the Marketing Rule of 7 and how consistent messaging delivered many times over multiple channels will lead to promotional success.

But that does NOT mean you must create 500 versions of every promotion you do. PHEW!

So, let’s talk about the easiest way to make the Marketing Rule of 7 happen within the constraints of working in a library. We do that by repurposing our content.

Repurposing content

Repurposing content is the practice of reusing elements of existing content to expand that content’s reach.

Repurposing content makes it easy to fulfill the Marketing Rule of 7 because you don’t need to write every post, shoot every video, and design every infographic from scratch.

Instead, you can use a piece of new content as the basis for lots of other content.

Why repurpose your content?

Your community is diverse. Their preferred methods of receiving information are diverse.

Some of them are visiting your website every day for updates. Some are seeing your social media posts. Some are waiting for your next email to hit their inbox. And some are fans of your Reels, TikTok, or YouTube videos.

Re-purposing content helps you reach more people on the channels they prefer efficiently, so you can go do all the other things you need to do in a day!

I repurpose this blog every week. (Did you notice?!) Here’s how I do it.

I pull out a few lines, usually from the first one-third of the post. I may use the lines exactly as they are in the post. Or I might rearrange them, adding more humor or emojis… things I wouldn’t necessarily do in my blog post.

Then I take those lines and I post them across my social media channels and in my emails.

I also take parts of a post and use them in other posts, especially if these are key points I really want you to remember. For example, I strongly believe books are your library’s brand. And I say so… often!

Sometimes, I take parts of my blogs and use them in presentations.  I also turn them into an infographic or a 60-second video.

How will this work at your library?

Let’s say you’ve created an infographic to communicate the value of your library in the past year. We know infographics are a great way to present those statistics and give a whole picture of your library’s contribution.

But infographics take time to build. And some people will still need those stats broken down for them, piece by piece, in order to comprehend their meaning.

So you can take each of the points on that infographic and create separate social media posts. This really helps your audience digest the information.

Those separate pieces of breakout information can also serve as a springboard for your library to write blog posts or longer social media posts specifically diving into those key stats and what they mean for your community.

Choose three of the facts on the infographic. Pick a staff member who loves being on camera and ask them to create a 60-second Reel or TikTok video using trending audio and creative elements to explain this serious subject: the value proposition of your library.

Need more help figuring out how to make this work at your library? I created a 4-step guide for you!

Easy 4-step guide to repurposing content

Let’s say your library is publishing a promotional blog post about Book Club Kits. It might look like this.

Get Convenient, Easy Help Leading Your Next Book Club

Are you someone who enjoys discussing books, sharing insights, and hearing different perspectives on a story? Or maybe you’ve been thinking about starting a book club but don’t know where to begin. Well, look no further! Our Book Club Kits are designed to bring people together through the power of literature, and here’s why you should definitely consider checking one out:

  1. Diverse Selection: Our Book Club Kits include a wide range of titles covering various genres, themes, and authors. Whether you prefer classics, contemporary fiction, non-fiction, or even a mix of everything, we have something for everyone. From thought-provoking novels to inspiring memoirs, our collection is carefully curated to spark engaging discussions.
  2. Convenience: Starting and maintaining a book club can be challenging, especially when it comes to sourcing multiple copies of the same book. With our Book Club Kits, we’ve taken care of that for you! Each kit includes multiple copies of the featured book, making it easy for your group to access and read the same title simultaneously.
  3. Discussion Guides: To facilitate meaningful conversations, our kits come with discussion guides. These guides provide questions, prompts, and talking points to help guide your book club discussions, ensuring that everyone gets a chance to share their thoughts and insights.
  4. Cost-Effective: Participating in a book club can sometimes become costly when you have to purchase multiple copies of a book. With our Book Club Kits, you can enjoy reading and discussing a wide variety of books without breaking the bank. It’s a budget-friendly way to explore new literary horizons.
  5. Community Building: Book clubs provide an excellent opportunity to meet new people, make friends, and engage in lively conversations. By checking out one of our Book Club Kits, you can be a part of a vibrant community of readers right here in your own neighborhood.
  6. Flexibility: Whether you prefer in-person meetings or virtual gatherings, our Book Club Kits are designed to accommodate your preferred format. You can use them to start a club with friends, family, or even coworkers, making it easy to connect with others over a shared love of reading.

You can use that post as a base for repurposing.

Step one: Write a two-line version of your blog post.

This is going to be the mini-version of your post… the elevator pitch, so to speak.

For this example, I would say:

Book Club Kits from the library make it easy, convenient, and cost-effective to start a book club. The library provides free book copies and discussion guides that allow everyone to participate and build community.

Step two: Promote in your emails.

Add your two-line version of the blog post to your newsletter and any other email you send over the course of the next month, with a link to the full post.

Step three: Share on your social channels.

Post your two-line version of the blog and include a link to the full post in the comments of your social media post. (Here’s why you want to put it in the comments instead of the post.)  

Keep the momentum going on different social media channels by creating more two-line versions of your blog. For example, during week one, post this to Instagram and Facebook:

Book Club Kits from the library make it easy, convenient, and cost-effective to start a book club. The library provides free book copies and discussion guides that allow everyone to participate and build community.

In week two, post a new two-line version on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn:

Book Club Kits from the library bring people together through the power of literature. The curated kits are convenient and flexible to help any book club leader.

On week three, you put another two lines on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X:

Meet new people, make friends, and engage in lively conversations about books without breaking the bank. Check out the free library’s Book Club Kits.

And so on. Mix it up to make it sound like new content while driving home the key points you wish to make.

Step four: Use the promotional message on print promotions.

Create a bookmark, flier, and sign, with your favorite two-line pitch from your blog post. Include a QR code linking to the blog post.

Place the bookmarks and fliers in every hold or checkout. Place your sign on a display of books that have been assembled into book club kits.

Re-purposing all content

You can do this with any piece of content, from podcasts to press releases. Break the content down into pieces and spread them across all your available platforms.

In this way, you can make sure everyone in your community sees your message. You also can make sure the work you are doing right now will have maximum impact.

The added benefit to re-purposing: more data.

It won’t take long for you to learn where your audience is getting news about the library. If you notice that engagement is high on one marketing channel, you will know which channel to start with when you are promoting your library.

P.S. Want more advice?

Libraries Have a Huge Competitive Advantage: Customer Service! Here Are 3 Promotional Tips To Drive Home That Message

Upcoming Appearances

Will I see you soon?

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

0

The Magic of a Consistent Message: How to FINALLY Break Through the Noise and Promote Your Library

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

A few weeks ago, I walked through my neighborhood listening to the Library Marketing for Library Marketers podcast. Katie Rothley was interviewing a woman named Sarah Tolle, who manages content for a large Canadian agency. And Sarah said something that literally stopped me in my tracks.

“People take comfort in hearing the same story repeatedly. They like knowing that they know the story and that they understand you. And they anticipate the ending. “

-Sarah Tolle, content director for Black and White Zebra.

I was standing there on the sidewalk, staring at a squirrel gathering nuts from the front yard of an indiscriminate house, and I thought, HOLY SMOKES, this woman is dropping some truth bombs.  

Sarah was talking about the value of a consistent message. The timing of this episode could not have been more perfect. In my day job, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how library marketers can get the most bang for their buck.

Many of the libraries I work with are struggling to figure out how to do three big things:

  • Drive more visitors to their buildings
  • Get higher attendance at their programs
  • Get their cardholders to use their cards more often.

They’re working alone or with a small team, with very little money, and very little time. It’s an impossible formula.

Except, as Audrey Hepburn once said, “Nothing is impossible. Even the word itself says, ‘I’m possible.'”

And the secret to success may be found in the form of a marketing axiom that’s nearly 100 years old.

The Marketing Rule of 7

The Marketing Rule of 7 was developed by the movie industry in the 1930s. Studio bosses discovered that a certain amount of advertising and promotion was required to compel someone to see a movie.

It takes time and consistent marketing to make people aware of your library. One message, delivered on one platform, one time, is not going to be enough. We must work to make sure people are familiar with our library.

Now, I know what you are thinking. The Marketing Rule of 7 makes sense. But it’s also in complete contradiction to another marketing fact that is entirely a product of the digital age.

The Reality of Content Shock

Marketing expert Mark Shaffer, author of more than 12 books on marketing, defines Content Shock as “the phenomenon when exponentially increasing amounts of content intersect with our limited human capacity to consume it.”

In other words, there’s too much stuff to read and not enough time to read it. (Are we talking about my inbox or my TBR?  Or both?)

So how do we square both marketing truths? And how do we figure out a way forward so we can reach the goals of our library marketing?

First, the number 7 in the Marketing Rule of 7 is an arbitrary number. It could take somebody more than seven times the exposure before they become a loyal library user. Or maybe it will only take five times. Or two times.

Don’t focus so much on the number. Focus on the consistent message.

Because when your audience is overloaded with content, sharing one, consistent message, repeatedly, will break through.

Political candidates know this is true. When they’re trying to get elected or whip up support for a bill, they come up with a main message. They repeat it everywhere: on fliers, social media, in interviews with the press, in speeches, etc. They do this because they know they must repeat the message to make sure their constituents hear and understand it.  

How to Create a Consistent Message

Let’s say you work for a high school library and your goal is to get more kids to check out books to read for pleasure (because, let’s be honest, most kids do not find reading Catcher in the Rye all that pleasurable).

First, write a few lines that succinctly encapsulate the message you want to get across.

Read something for once just for fun! The library is filled with books that won’t give you class credit but will take you on an adventure you’ll never forget.

Now, use those two lines across your promotions: on bookmarks, posters, displays, and in morning announcements. Repeat it to kids who wander into the library looking for something to read. Do it all year long. By the end of the year (and probably sooner), the message will have sunk into the kids. That’s consistent messaging.

Next week: I’ll give you a four-step plan for repurposing any piece of content you create across multiple channels without losing your consistent, core message. (Yes, it can be done!)

More advice

How to Properly (and Legally!) Share Creative Content on Your Library’s Social Media Channels

Upcoming Appearances

Will I see you soon?

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

0

Small but Mighty: The 6-Step Plan To Promote Your Library When You Have a Tiny Staff

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

The house I grew up in was surrounded by cornfields.

The nearest town was four miles away. It featured a grain elevator, a tiny country store, a barber shop, and a post office. A traffic light was installed after a tractor damaged the bridge from the town to the surrounding area.

Photo of the old bridge, courtesy BridgeHunter

I’m a product of small-town America. So small towns fascinate me. So do small libraries.

According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ annual Public Library Survey,  57 percent of libraries in the United States have five or fewer staff members. 27 percent have one or fewer full-time employees!

If you are working in a small library, you are doing everything, from working with readers to cleaning the bathrooms. Promoting your library is likely just one more thing on your to-do list, something you’ll get to if you get time.

But of course, we want people in our community to use our library. We need them to use it. So how do you market your library when you are pressed for time or staff resources?

Marketing is really not a job for one person. But that’s the reality for so many of my readers.

So here are the very focused, strategic steps you should take to consistently and effectively promote your library if you are working alone or with a tiny staff.

Set one, SMART goal.

You will need to be hyper-focused in your promotional efforts. Pick one thing you want to work on. Then set a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound goal for that work.

The village of Wayne, Ohio has a population of about 900 people. It is very much like the small town I grew up in, with one notable exception: it has a library!

Driving through town a few weeks ago, I noticed the library has purchased an outdoor locker so patrons can pick up holds when the library isn’t open. They want people to use the locker, of course. So, they’ll want to promote it.

I don’t know anyone on the 7-person staff of the Wayne Library. But, if I were working with them, I would encourage them to set a SMART goal like this:

We will get 30 people a month to request their holds pickup via the outdoor locker. We’ll do this by promoting the locker on our website and by specifically asking patrons if they’d prefer to pick up their holds via the locker when we place holds for them. This goal is important because it will prove the value of this investment and will increase circulation. We’ll track and record the total the number of locker users at the end of each month.

You can see this goal contains specific numbers. It sets the context for why this promotion is important. And it lays out how the staff will measure success.

A SMART goal will help you organize your promotions and keep you accountable. It will give you a sense of direction for your work.

Focus on tactics that work best to reach small communities.

Make a list of all the ways you can promote your library: your website, email lists, social media, in-person interactions, print, partners, signs… etc. Then take a highlighter and pick the 2-3 things that work best for your community. Those are the tactics you should use to reach your SMART goal.

Every library community is different. And small libraries often find promotional success in places that are different from their larger counterparts.

For example, if your library is located by a major road, use outdoor signage to attract the attention of passing motorists. If your school is a significant community hub, ask teachers to send home promotional bookmarks and fliers in kids’ backpacks. If your town has a little restaurant where residents come for breakfast every Saturday, ask the restaurant owners to give out a promotional print piece like a bookmark or flier with the check.

Wayne Public Library uses its website to promote its lockers.

Live and die by an editorial calendar.

An editorial calendar will help you decide what, where, and when to publish. After those decisions are made, the editorial calendar will help you assign tasks and keep up to date on deadlines.

First, you’ll create your calendar. Then you’ll decide how to populate it with content that will ensure you reach your promotional goals.

Repurpose content.

When your staff is small, you’ll need to work smarter, not harder. A smart way to maximize your time and efforts is by repurposing content.

Repurposing content is the act of finding new ways to recycle your existing content. It’s basically taking one piece of content, say an email newsletter, and re-formatting it for different mediums like social media, a blog post, and an email

You can do this with any piece of content, from your website graphics to your annual report. Break the content down into pieces and spread them across all your available platforms. In this way, you can make sure everyone in your community sees your message. You also can make sure the work you are doing right now will have maximum impact.

Here’s an example of how to do it.

Schedule ahead as much as you can.

Technology can be your best friend if you are working on promotion all by yourself. Schedule your emails, blog posts, and social media posts as far in advance as possible.

There are several great social media schedulers that have free plans. This post is an excellent list of each of those options.

For blogs, I recommend WordPress. You can get a free account and you can schedule posts to go out whenever you like. Plus, patrons who follow your blog will get an automatic email every time you post. That means you don’t have to create an email to let them know you’ve published new content.

You will have to invest in an email platform. But once you do, you can create and schedule emails to go out to your patrons as far in advance as you like.

Learn from larger libraries but don’t compare your success.

The success or failure of a library’s marketing has nothing to do with the size of its staff. In fact, I would argue it might be easier for a small library to create successful library promotions.

Small libraries have more freedom to experiment. Their staff tends to be personally connected with patrons. They have a deeper understanding of what their community wants and needs from their library.

So, follow those large library systems on social media. Sign up for their emails. Look at their websites. Visit large libraries when you travel. Make a list of ideas that you want to try at your smaller library.

But remember, the key to success is a library’s ability to connect with its own community. Any library can do that, no matter how large or small the staff.

I was recently the guest on a new podcast called Library Marketing for Library Marketers. Listen to that episode here.

More Advice

Is Your Small Library Competing with a Bigger, Neighboring Library? This Episode is For You!

Plan for Library Marketing Success! How To Create an Effective Marketing Plan No Matter the Size of Your Library (Plus a Free Downloadable Template!)

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

2

Marketing Your Library to Senior Citizens: How to Circumvent Stereotypes and Authentically Connect With Older Patrons

 

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

A few weeks ago, I learned that, as a 50-year-old, I can technically join the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

I have NO INTENTION of retiring for many, many more years (maybe never?!). But in learning about my newfound status, I start to think about how libraries market to senior citizens.

More than 54 million adults ages 65 and older live in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That accounts for about 16.5 percent of the nation’s total population. And seniors are expected to outnumber children in the United States by 2035.

Goals focused on seniors require marketing target to seniors

Depending on your library’s overall goals, it may be critical for your organization to focus on attracting and retaining a larger percentage of your community’s older residents.

For example, the Queens Library’s strategic plan specifically says, “The borough is growing older, with its elderly population projected to increase by more than 30% by 2040.” The plan then lists among its goals, a provision for providing a more robust large print collection, as well as a goal to connect the older residents intentionally and strategically with library services.

Today’s senior citizen is not your stereotypical grandma

If your mental picture of an older person is frail, technologically challenged, and dependent on others, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Older patrons are Interested in keeping healthy so they can stay independent at home. And they’re active on social media. More than 70 percent have a Facebook account, and more than 40 percent are on Instagram. And The Guardian recently published statistics that show the number of older people on TikTok is growing significantly.

Particularly during the pandemic, seniors learned to embrace technology. They readily engage with video chats and content on mobile devices. In fact, three out of every four seniors say they depend on technology to help them manage their lives and to stay in touch with family and friends.

More than half of older adults still work at least part-time. They’re more likely to volunteer their time. And the poverty rate is high among this group. 10.5 percent of white Americans over age 65 live in poverty and rates are three times higher for Hispanic and Black Americans.

Getting to know your older patrons

Of course, the older patrons in your service area may have different wants and needs. You’ll need to do is your own market research. A strategic survey targeted at this age group will help your library get concrete data on the makeup and needs of your older population.

You can also consult data provided by the US Census Bureau to build an accurate picture of your older patrons. Finally, conduct focus groups in partnership with senior community centers. You’ll have the chance to get direct feedback on the ways your library can connect with, and serve, your older residents.

Based on what you learn, you should develop a marketing persona to specifically address segments of your older population. And you may find you need more than one persona to capture the essence of your older patrons.

For example, you may find that you have three key groups of older residents: those approaching retirement, those who are retired and active, and those who require assistance from caregivers. These three groups will all have distinct library service needs. They’ll respond differently to your library promotions.

Highlight the things they value

Older folks love to bargain hunt and save money. This is where price comparison and other promotions that highlight the savings provided by a library card can be advantageous for your library.

For example, if you check out kitchen tools in your library of things, a “try before you buy” message drives home the value of the library. Your marketing piece should include the price of one or two kitchen tools, purchased new, to help your older patrons see they can potentially save money by trying the gadgets out first.

Seniors are looking for advanced tech help. Surveys show that people ages 50 and older want to learn how to manage smart-home technology, stream entertainment from sites like Hulu or Netflix, and video chat with friends and family. Programs at your library should address this need.

Focus on communicating the mission, vision, and values of your library. Seniors are more likely to vote and more likely to believe in investments in institutions.

Have a plan to target your older population with value-oriented messages. Build empathy through storytelling and show how your library provides value. You will be rewarded with the support of your older population.

In-person outreach is critical to targeting your older population. This demographic values personal, face-to-face interaction. Partner with faith-based organizations, meals on wheels, senior clubs, and community centers to distribute promotional material and get a chance for those in-person opportunities with your older community members.

Include testimonials and storytelling as part of your marketing strategy aimed at seniors. Older patrons aren’t influenced by sweeping claims or generalizations. They value personal experience, especially from people they can relate to.

More tips to create effective marketing targeted at seniors

Older people love print marketing materials. Seniors grew up receiving advertisements and physical catalogs in the mail. Print is familiar and even nostalgic to this group. They prefer something tangible they can hold in their hands.

Make digital communications accessible and mobile responsive. The Marketing Rule of 7 applies to this demographic. And they do love to sign up for email newsletters and visit websites. So make sure your digital marketing material is accessible to meet the various physical needs of this age group. Use as little text as possible, surrounded by white space and generous margins. Make fonts on your website, emails, and in print material 16 pt. or larger. Increase the size of your website and email buttons for messages aimed at this demographic.

Facebook posts are especially effective for targeting seniors. Regular readers know I’m not a fan of Facebook for marketing. The exception is this. Senior patrons are still heavy users of Facebook. I would recommend experimenting with a focused Facebook strategy aimed exclusively at connecting with your older population.

Examples of great library marketing aimed at seniors

Montgomery County Public Libraries

Milwaukee Public Libraries

Has your library created marketing targeted at older community members? Add your examples in the comments!

Read These Articles Too!

Re-purposing Content Saves You Time and Reaches Your Whole Audience. Here’s How to Do It Right.

An Academic Library Increased Their Instagram Reach by 1149% in a Year! Learn Their Secrets for Success

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

1

Feeling Overworked? There’s a Secret Trick to Get More Mileage Out of Your Library Marketing Content!

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

Not long ago, I read the results of a new survey. It kind of blew my mind.

Orbitz Media asked content creators about the amount of time they spend blogging. They found the average blog post now takes 3 hours and 57 minutes to write. That’s up 65 percent from 2014! The same survey shows 52 percent of bloggers report that it’s getting harder to get readers to engage with their content. WOW.

We live in a world dominated by a relentless and never-ceasing stream of content. But libraries can’t just turn off our content communications streams. Our very existence depends on our ability to educate the public about what we offer. We use our content to convince people to use the library.

So, what’s the solution, when your library staff is overworked, and your audience is oversaturated? Be more efficient.

There is a way to make your work stretch further and get your communication into the world. You can do this by republishing your content.

What is republishing content?

When you republish, you take an old press release, blog post, infographic, or video, and update it to include new and relevant information.

If your library has been publishing content for a while, you probably have quite a catalog. Most of it is still useful and relevant! Good content will never go out of style. These “evergreen” pieces of content are opportunities for you to republish.

Republishing content has many advantages for libraries.

  • It saves you time.
  • It improves your library’s chances of being found in search. When you improve content in the republishing process, you optimize it to bring it up to today’s best practices for headlines, tags, keywords, and length. That leads to improved search results.
  • It helps you to fill your editorial calendar when ideas and staff are sparce.
  • Your audience has changed since your original publish date. You’ve gained new cardholders and fans.
  • Your audience needs a reminder that you offer certain services.

How do you decide what pieces of content to republish?

Here are some ground rules.

First, take inventory of what you have already. This is called a content audit. Use a spreadsheet or organizational software to write down the blog posts, videos, and other pieces of content you previously published (and start keeping track of the new additions).

In your audit, make note of the following:

  • The type of content (blog post, press release, video, brochure, etc.)
  • The original publish date
  • The original headline
  • The keywords or tags used in the original piece
  • The word count or length of the content
  • The number of views, likes, comments, and shares the content originally received

Now you’re ready to make some decisions. What are your marketing goals? Are you (or your supervisors) looking to drive more people to your library webpage? Are you trying to increase social media engagement? Once you establish your goals, look at your old posts and determine which ones will help you reach those goals.

For example, if you want to drive more people to your webpage, and you have a video about your genealogy databases that drove a lot of traffic to your website at the time it was published, mark the video to be updated. It will likely have the same effect today, particularly if it’s refreshed.

Here’s another example. Let’s say your library director really wants to see likes, shares, and comments increase on your library’s new Instagram account. In your list of old content, you notice a blog post from two years ago about a uniquely themed story time that drove a lot of engagement when you posted it on Facebook. Mark that post to be updated. Chances are, with some careful recrafting, it will create the same kind of audience reaction when the updated version is promoted on Instagram.

Now what?

Once you identify the pieces of content you wish to republish, it’s time to update those pieces. Here’s a checklist of options for updating your content.

  • Are the statistics still relevant?
  • Are the links and resources still available?
  • Are quotes still relevant?
  • Are there new keywords or tags to add?
  • Can you freshen up the headline?
  • Do you need to adjust the original length of the piece to make it longer or shorter, based on current best practices?
  • Can you add a poll, a survey, or a comment section to enhance the content experience?

If your original piece of content requires no changes, you can republish it in its original form. Make a note at the beginning to let your readers or viewers know that you’ve republished it without changing it. You might say, “Here’s a popular blog post you may have missed” or “Here’s something from our archives.” Include the original post date for full transparency.

Have you republished content? What were the results? Share your experience in the comments.

Bonus tip

A few months ago, I wrote about another way to stretch your content distribution. Here is the article: Re-purposing Content Saves You Time and Reaches Your Whole Audience. Here’s How to Do It Right.

Latest Book Review

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett.

Find more 60-second Book Reviews here.

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

2

What Does Your Library Stand For? Advice From Ann Handley

I worked in a local television newsroom for 20 years. Broadcast TV schools tend to churn out formulaic writers; who, what, where, when, why, don’t bury your lead, put the important stuff in the first few sentences, pepper your story with natural sound breaks, no sounds bites over 20 seconds, done! Next!

When I jumped to Marketing, I spent the first year trying to get my sea legs. It took a long time to learn the process, the lingo, the organizational structure, and the institutional history of the library. It was dizzyingly busy and exciting. But about three-quarters of the way through that first year, I realized I had a weird ache that I couldn’t soothe. What the heck was bothering me, I wondered?

I’d stopped writing. I missed it. I longed for it.

Lucky for me, I came into marketing during a time when good writing is viewed as a necessary, relevant, and effective way to add value to consumer’s lives. Marketers are moving past the catch-phrase, one-line, ad-jingle variety. Today’s audiences demand witty, sharp, insightful work that inspires and motivates. Challenge accepted.

About six months ago, I heard a podcast interview with Ann Handley (I can’t remember exactly which podcast but I think it was Social Media Examiner.) Ann is a veteran of creating and managing digital content to build relationships for organizations and individuals. She is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs; a columnist for Entrepreneur magazine; a LinkedIn Influencer; a keynote speaker, mom, and writer.

130503AH_9843

Here’s why everybody loves Ann-she doesn’t sugar-coat the writing process. She admits it’s hard work. She has faced those angst-filled moments when a blank page is staring you in the face and you’ve literally got your head on the table, moaning “Dear God, why am I even here!” She shares easy-to-understand tactics for dealing with that anxiety. She believes everyone can write. She speaks to her readers on their level. You can read the first chapter of her book and start implementing her advice right away. No fluff. No bull. No pretension.

B-FWqj9CMAACS9b

I devoured Content Rules in about three days. Everybody Writes literally arrived on the holds shelf yesterday. Just this evening, I’ve read the foreword, the acknowledgments (yep, I’m one of those people) and the first two chapters. I actually hadn’t figured out what I wanted to write for the introduction to this interview, but I ran for my laptop after finishing those first two chapters. Ann inspires me. How is that possible with someone I’ve never even met? That’s the power of the written word done right.

I’m grateful to Ann for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions about library content marketing. Ann is fan and supporter of libraries and even served on a library Board of Trustees. I encourage you to read her books. There’s no way you’ll ever be more of a super-fan than me though, so don’t even try.

recite-1gcgoor

One of the big points you make in “Content Rules” is that you have to find your brand’s voice. I think many libraries have a hard time doing this–they feel like they need be all things to all people. Are there some questions libraries can ask themselves in order to find their voice?

Ann Handley: The question libraries need to ask is the same question we all need to ask ourselves, on behalf of our own organizations: What do we stand for? For example, the New York Public Library says it is “on a mission to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen communities.” Then, use that to craft your content strategy and voice, and identify key themes that you can “own,” for lack of a better word. You can see how the NYPL does that on its wildly popular Instagram feed.

Our industry is all about the promotion of stories and yet somehow we struggle to find compelling stories that spur our audience to action. I think in some ways libraries take their evangelists for granted. How do you go about taking library cardholders on a journey through storytelling that leads them beyond that generic “I love the library” feeling?

Ann Handley: This relates to the finding what you stand for in the previous question, because it’s all about inspiring people to connect with a mission. The #Shelfies movement is a great example of that, when the NYPL asked book lovers to submit photos of their personal bookshelves or favorite library shelves to profess their love of books, and the role they play in our lives. The response was impressive: More than 1,200 Instagram posts and 1,700 tweets from 11 countries in 6 languages.

Your best content is not about what you do or what you sell – but what you do for others. Good content doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It has everything to do with the experience you are creating for those you serve. Does that sound high-minded? It’s really not – it’s about getting comfortable embracing what makes your organization unique.

Libraries often struggle to fill the content demands with a small staff and an even smaller budget. Can you talk a little about how we might use repurposing to help ease those demands?

Ann Handley: Repurposing or reimagining existing content in new forms is a potentially rich source of content, especially at libraries with long histories. What’s in your archives that you could reimagine as blog fodder? What’s in your history that’s relevant to patrons today? What’s commonplace to you that might be interesting to others? “What already exists is an inspiration,” as the designer Michael Wolff says.

Also, creating a culture of content can help, because it empowers people to create content on behalf of your organization. Those who maintain the NYPL’s Instagram feed aren’t in “marketing.” But they are great at visual storytelling.

Curating the content others produce is a fantastic way to augment your content efforts. Said another way: Crowdsource, don’t create.

A year or so ago, my MarketingProfs team bonded after hours at Bowl and Barrel, a Dallas-based bar and bowling spot. I shared a photo from there because it’s what I do when I’m in a ridiculously photogenic place: the interior brickwork just begged to be Instagrammed. So I did, and I geo-tagged the location. A day or so later, Bowl & Barrel featured my photo (with full credit) on its burgeoning Instagram feed.

Library employees are surrounded by books, they host author visits, but they may not feel comfortable writing. How do you get over that fear and get something on the page?

Ann Handley: Librarians who don’t love words…? Is that really a thing?!

Fear of the blank page is a real thing, which is why I wrote a whole book about it! (Everybodywrites.com) How much space do we have…?

One key thing is to take pressure off yourself to write any certain way – there is no one way to write, just as there is no one way to raise a child or roast a turkey. (But there are terrible ways to do all three!)

Do you have any examples of libraries that are doing great content marketing which the rest of us could learn from?

Ann Handley: I mentioned the NYPL already. I also like what the Cincinnati Library is doing on Pinterest, as an extension of its in-house “Maker” programming.  (Thanks Ann!) The NYPL does some cool stuff on Pinterest, too, especially its Little Lions board.

You’ve served on a library board of trustees. Tell us a little about how you got that gig and what you learned about libraries from that service.

Ann Handley: A friend of mine was on the board, and he recommended me. That’s not a very interesting story, is it? I said yes because I always loved libraries. I grew up visiting our town’s tiny library weekly, and carrying a stack of books to and fro became a ritual that, as I think back on it now, almost defined my childhood. The excitement of discovering new titles on the shelf. Getting my first library card. Meeting new friends in the pages. Reading about places far away from my insulated suburban world. My goal to read every book in the Children’s Section before moving across the aisle to Adult’s (I didn’t quite accomplish that)… well, all of it thrilled me.

I’m guessing you and your readers know exactly what I’m talking about? Later, I replicated that ritual with my own kids.

Libraries have changed a lot since I was a child visiting with my mother. Children’s sections with giant stuffed animals that kids flop on? Movie nights? Wii parties in the teen room? Coffee hangouts? Libraries are more cultural and community centers than they are just about books.

What book are you reading right now?

Ann Handley: Beside my bed is #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso. I gave it to my teenage daughter for Christmas, and so I picked it up when she was done. It’s ok. I’d give it 3 out of 5 stars and one of those stars I’m giving just because I admire anyone who has the tenacity to write a book. Writing a book is truly like birthing a Honda Civic: It’s hard work, and you sweat a lot, and most of the work is done while crying.

If you could send a message to yourself ten years ago (in 2005), what would you say?

Ann Handley: Poke your nose out. No one is going to invite you.

Subscribe to this blog for updates every time I post. Click on the little “Follow” at the top left of this page.

Connect with me on Twitter. I’m @Webmastergirl and LinkedIn. I’m also on Instagram and Pinterest.

Views in this post are my own and do not represent those of my employer.

3

A WordPress.com Website.

Up ↑