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Experts Reveal the Truth About What Your Library Needs to Do Now to Build Support for the Future

Photo Courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

For three days this week, more than a thousand library employees took part in the Library Advocacy and Funding Conference, sponsored by EveryLibrary. The organization helps builds support for libraries across the United States. This is the first conference of its kind, designed exclusively to help libraries learn to advocate on the ballot, in the donor arena, and in the hearts of their community.

The conference featured presenters from outside the world of libraries, so attendees got a chance to hear from successful, experienced experts talking about what works in politics and fundraising.

By Wednesday evening, my head was full of new information. Once I finished organizing my notes, I realized that the experts at the conference shared five big ideas specific to library marketing and advocacy. Here is what I learned.

Libraries must target ALL messages

Ashlee Sang, content strategist and copywriter for Ashlee Sang Consulting, said marketing fails when we try to send the same message to all cardholders. You must create marketing that talks to one person, on a level that speaks to their truth, their needs, and their problems.

Sang encouraged libraries to create personas to help with targeting. You can use data like checkouts and holds, as well as in-person interactions at the checkout desk, in the comment section of your social media, and even email, to help you create those personas.

Then, when you create marketing messages, think about targeting those personas. This will help you avoid designing around your own personal biases. Instead, it puts the focus on the people you are trying to serve.

Key quote: “If you create a message for everyone, you are creating a message for no one.”

Your library brand is more than a logo or a color scheme

Anjelica Triola, marketing director for Wethos, wants libraries to understand that your brand is not the colors and fonts that you use. It is the feeling that people get when they think about your library but are not actually in your library or around a librarian. That feeling will lead a cardholder to be an evangelist for the library.

Kimberly Gordon, brand strategist and marketing consultant, added that people crave a library with clear values and a commitment to being good corporate citizens. If your library communicates those two points, you’ll stand out in a positive way and showcase your value.

Gordon pointed out that we are living in a heightened state of emotion (I’m writing this pieces a few hours after the death of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg so that note really resonates with me!). She wanted libraries to remember that your brand represents a promise to your community.

Key quote: “Marketing your brand improves likeability and sets you apart from your competitors. It makes you stand out in a positive way.”–Kimberly Gordon

Librarians connect with their community by finding common ground

Jasmine Worles, trainer for the National Democratic Training Committee, emphasized that the issues that mean the most to library staffers, both on the job and personally, are not unique to you. Other people care about the same issues!

Worles encouraged librarians to talk about why they love the library and why they are passionate about their work. Your “story of self” is the starting place of a connection. It builds genuine relationships and makes you trustworthy and credible.

As a library staffer, you may think that the library is bigger than you or that it’s not about you. But it IS about you.

Key quote: “Tell your story of self all throughout the campaign. It’s the most magical and effective piece of any campaign.” 

Diversity should be a part of your library strategy

Kim Crowder runs a consulting firm dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in marketing. She’s been a guest on this blog before.

Crowder pointed out that diversity is looking at the ways people are different, then celebrating and acknowledging that. It’s not monolithic. And libraries must ask themselves, “How can inclusiveness be centralized in our message on a regular basis?”

She believes libraries must create a strategy about their commitment to inclusiveness and make it available to anyone to see. Crowder asked attendees to be open to feedback, to be willing to be uncomfortable, and to talk about diversity and inclusivity internally, as well as externally.

Key quote: “We all have bias, but we don’t always recognize it. If you fumble, admit your mistake, sincerely apologize, and be authentic in your efforts.”

Libraries should mix content formats for better engagement on Facebook and Instagram

Two representatives from Facebook and Instagram held a joint session with lots of tips for library social media engagement.

They encouraged libraries to share frequently and consistently, especially during important times like the pandemic. They also said the latest research shows a mix of format types (video, carousel images, static images, gifs, etc.) can help boost your page engagement. Avoid one kind of content all the time.

Finally, they encouraged libraries to livestream more often on both platforms, engage more frequently with other pages and profiles, and use Stories on both Facebook and Instagram to share content.

Key quote: “Highlight important announcements, share frequently and consistently, post more frequently during important times, and be informative and timely.”

Did you attend LAFCON? What did you learn? Share your takeaways in the comments.

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3

Six Tips to Make the Most of Your Online Experience During Virtual Conference Season

Man walking through the stacks. Photo courtesy The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

In November 2019, a conference changed my life.

I attended the Library Marketing and Communications Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, where I met my future boss, Kathy Lussier of NoveList.

On the first day of the conference, we had breakfast together and started talking. And by the end of the conference, she was texting me a job opening that eventually led to my current position with NoveList.

Conferences can re-frame your professional life. You may find your next new job. You might make a new best friend. You may learn a skill that revolutionizes the way you do your job. At the very least, you’ll hear speakers who inspire, energize, and motivate you.

We’re heading into conference season and this year it’s all virtual. (The Library Advocacy and Funding Conference starts today–if you’re attending, send me a friend request!)

As I learned from attending the American Library Association conference in June, an in-person conference and a virtual conference are not the same.

But you can have a fantastic virtual conference experience with the right preparation. Here are the six things I recommend you do this year before you log on.

Get your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts ready

It’s imperative that you have a LinkedIn and Twitter profile, and that you use them to engage during a virtual conference. Networking is a big part of the conference experience. And since we can’t network in person, these two social media platforms are the easiest and safest way to interact with new friends.

There are several steps you should take to prep your profiles. Once the conference ends, you can always change your profile back!

On LinkedIn, check to make sure that your profile is set to “public.”  To do that, click on your settings and look under “privacy.” This step will make your profile easy to find, especially if you are in the market for a new job opportunity.

Customize your LinkedIn profile URL to include your first and last name. This will make your profile easier to find in search. You can also make this adjustment in settings.

On LinkedIn, ask co-workers, partners, and former colleagues for recommendations. This is especially important if you are job-hunting. You’ll want to give them some time to write their recommendation, so ask as soon as you register for a conference.

Make sure your photo on LinkedIn and Twitter looks as professional as possible and use the same photo for both platforms. LinkedIn says a professional photo will make visitors seven times more likely to visit your profile than picture-free profiles. You can take a great photo yourself! My LinkedIn profile photo is a selfie I took in the backyard at sunset on my iPhone in portrait mode.

Check your header image on both accounts. A meaningful image related to your professional experience can drive home who you are and what you do.

Edit your headlines and your personal details. Include a little about your work and what differentiates you from other people at the conference.

To boost search rankings on Google, include keywords that will appeal to your fellow attendees or the conference hashtag. I’ve also seen people temporarily change their Twitter Profile name to include the conference hashtag for the duration of a conference.

Clear your calendar

My coworkers and I agreed that we made a big mistake when we attended #ALAVirtual20. Most of us accepted meetings during the conference week, even though attending a meeting would interrupt our conference experience.

If you were attending a conference in another city, you would be unavailable for meetings. Adapt that mindset and be intentional about giving yourself the space to focus on your conference experience in a digital setting.

Now, during virtual conferences, I mark myself “out of office” on my Outlook calendar.  And I’m clearing my schedule of other busy work.

Take advantage of pre-recorded sessions

Most virtual conferences offer at least some, if not all, of their sessions on-demand. That can impact which sessions you consume.

For instance, this week’s #LAFCON is completely pre-recorded. In preparation, I went through the sessions and highlighted the ones I want to watch. Then I scheduled them, by name, into my work calendar in one-hour increments. That will help me keep track of my choices, watch sessions in an order that makes sense (I can do all the marketing track sessions back-to-back!) and help me stay focused.

Plan breaks

Of course, you know it’s exhausting to stare at the screen all day. At a real conference, you’d take a break to eat, use the restrooms, get coffee, tour the vendor booths, or maybe just chill for a bit. Try to mimic that self-care routine in a virtual world. Schedule those breaks into your calendar if you must.

Be patient with technology

If there’s one constant with the pandemic, it’s that every online event will experience technical difficulties. Many organizations are using streaming platforms for the first time. There may be bandwidth issues.

Be patient and polite. Before the conference begins, check to see where you can report technical issues or get assistance.

Follow the conference hashtag

This is a great way to get involved and tune in to conversations from your session and from sessions you couldn’t attend. It’s also a networking opportunity. Don’t hesitate to reach out to folks if you liked what they had to say by replying, liking their Tweets, or retweeting them.

Join me at a conference

The event page has returned to the blog. If you’re attending a conference with me, please let me know so we can connect.

You might also find these posts helpful

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3

Five Relevant Library Marketing Lessons Learned at the American Library Association Annual Conference (#ALAVirtual20)

Photo Courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

At my former job at a large metropolitan public library, there was an unspoken rule when it came to library conferences. Librarians got first dibs on training money to attend. I thought that was totally fair. But I also found myself suffering from a serious case of envy every time I saw my coworkers headed to the airport for the American Library Association Annual (ALA) Conference, the Public Library Association (PLA) Conference, or our state library convention.

When I took my new job at NoveList earlier this year, one of the perks was knowing I would see my library friends again at these conferences. I would finally get to attend. I’d be one of the crowd! I’d be in on the action!

Alas, it was not meant to be (thanks, Coronavirus). So, my first ALA Annual turned out to be virtual. That had some advantages. On-demand video meant I could jam more sessions into a day. I could pause sessions to get a drink or take a bathroom break. I could leave sessions if I wanted to without worrying about embarrassing the panelists. And I could attend in my outdoor workspace.

It had some disadvantages too. I got more exhausted than normal. And boy, did I miss the personal interaction with librarians and library staff.

I did end up learning a lot. Here are my key library marketing takeaways from three days of sessions.

Good internal communication reduces workload and duplication of work.

We could all do with a little more internal communication and a less work. In the session Happy Together: Collaboration and Communication between IT and Technical Services, staff from the University of Washington Libraries shared the ways in which a concentrated effort on improving staff communications made their workday easier.

Good internal communication helped them to be less reactionary and more proactive. They were able to put the focus back on the customer, rather than always thinking about how the work was affecting staff.  They found it easier to remember why they wanted to work in a library and to stay excited and positive about their jobs. They felt more empathy for each other, which improved relationships between departments.

The panelists encouraged attendees to focus on their library’s strategic plan to find common ground with coworkers in different departments. They designated a “gatekeeper” or “key contact” for each department, so everyone would know who to go to if they had a question or suggestion.

Key quote: “Remember we are all on the same team even with different deadlines and project objectives.” 

Smart libraries use messaging to advocate for more funding.

Most library staff are under the presumption that the public knows their library is essential. They do not. And past perceptions of the library are a real hurdle. People imagine the library as it was 20 or 30 years ago and have no concept of how much it has changed. 

In the session, Advocating for your Library: The E’s of Libraries and Collecting Stories, Alan Fisher told attendees to use messaging to address those hurdles. He encouraged us to message around activities your supporters will want to fund like story times, meals for kids, and literacy programs. He also told attendees to be intentional about using common language so supporters can understand your message. Finally, he says libraries must make their message memorable.

Key quote: “Use messaging that affectively addresses the hurdles so people can understand that we are essential. Don’t say everything you want to say… say what THEY need to hear.”  

Libraries must share the monetary value of author events with publishers. 

Author events at libraries drive book sales. But publishers have no idea that we are helping them make money.

In the session, How to Measure the Value of Library Marketing on Book Sales and Discovery, Guy Gonzalez said most libraries work with authors, not publishers, to schedule events. As a result,  publishers are often unaware of library event’s positive impact on sales. The people who attend author events at their library are library borrowers who often also become book buyers. So, events are a unique marketing opportunity for the publisher.

Gonzalez encouraged libraries to track, measure, and communicate their full impact on book sales back to publishers. He encouraged attendees to develop a media kit that defines the audience of the event, and the actual monetary value of promotional platforms like email, social media, and press coverage. Once the event is over, send that data to the publisher directly. 

Key quote: “Author events are hyper-targeted with deep engagement. Don’t undervalue how much you provide.”

Library marketing must elevate ideas that can improve our society, not around ideology, but around purpose.

In the Presidential program, politician and author Stacey Abrams gave a remarkable and inspiring interview that covered voter suppression, the census, and the role of libraries in helping disenfranchised communities.

Abrams urged the audience to remember that libraries are essential because they are a trusted source of information. She said that libraries are a microcosm of America and are perfectly positioned to address the inequities that persist in the rest of society.

She also asked libraries to be intentional about placing themselves in the same space and in communion with those who need them the most. Finally, Abrams called on the library industry to name the barriers to diversity, to call them out, and to build strategies to overcome them.

The daughter of a librarian, Abrams slept in the stacks of the college library where her mother worked and often got in trouble with the librarians for checking out too many books! She shared the books she’s currently reading: Evicted by Matthew Desmond and Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.

Key quote: “Advertise yourself. We take libraries for granted. We know they exist, but we rarely think about them.” 

Virtual story times may or may not violate copyright laws.

I attended the session, Trouble in Paradise: Are you violating copyright by using social media read alouds? hoping for clarification for my library clients. What I got was more confused, at no fault of the presenters. They did an excellent job laying out the many intepretations of copyright law.

Many publishers gave libraries permission to read their titles aloud at the beginning of the pandemic. That grace period ends tomorrow, June 30.

To help you decide what to do once that deadline passes, I suggest reading these two articles recommended by the session presenters: Online Story Time & Coronavirus: It’s Fair Use, Folks and Do Online Storytimes Violate Copyright?

The presenters suggested you post your virtual story time on YouTube but make the recording private. Your library can send a link to view the video to patrons, making it more a “classroom-type” setting which is not in violation of copyright. They also suggested adding a graphic to your virtual story times to warn viewers not to share or download and store your virtual story time.

Finally, the presenters asked attendees to remember that authors make their living from publishing books. Broadcasting the reading of a book, especially a picture book, is essentially giving the book away.

Key quote: “Fair use is not used to try and get around something. It’s in the law and it’s a right of users.”

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1

The Top Five Reasons to Set Aside Time AND Budget to Attend #LMCC20! The Library Marketing Show: Episode 22

Watch Now

Straight off the end of #LMCC19, I ran back to my room and rattled off the top five reasons YOU need to make sure you attend the Library Marketing and Communications Conference in November, 2020. The conference will be in Indianapolis, Indiana.  For more about what I learned at this year’s conference, read this.

And kudos to the organizers of this year’s conference. It was top-notch. The venue, the food, the speakers, the app, the registration information, the speaker process… everything was well-organized and smooth. This was the best conference experience I’ve ever had!

Have an idea for the next Library Marketing Live Show? Submit it now.

Stay in Touch

Check the Upcoming Events page to see where I’ll be soon. Let’s connect!

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

0

Six Truths Learned at #LMCC19 and What They Mean For the Future of Library Marketing

The Future of Library Marketing

Well, that was fun!

I am back from a three-day trip to St. Louis, Missouri, where I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the fifth annual Library Marketing and Communications Conference.

It. Was. Amazing.

I learned stuff, made friends, and I felt supported as I was surrounded by 450 fellow library marketers. Here are the top six things I learned while at this spectacular event.

Library marketers everywhere are struggling with the same problems. We’re all fighting to keep our branding clear and consistent. We’re all stumped about the best way to market programs. We are searching for ways to find success in internal staff communications. And we all feel like we could use more support from senior leadership.

It doesn’t matter if you’re working at a public library or an academic library. It doesn’t matter where your funding comes from. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter how big your staff is! We’re all in the same boat.

Many of the people I talked with at the conference found these problems frustrating. But we also found some comfort in knowing that everyone is facing the same issues.

Library marketers are on the forefront of a major push to make our libraries more diverse, accessible, and inclusive. It seemed like every time I made a new friend, the conversation turned to diversity and inclusion. Library marketers are pushing staff and senior leaders to make service accessible to everyone. They are pushing to make sure people of all backgrounds have a seat at the table when it comes to important decisions. They want to make sure their marketing messages and their library’s service are open to as many members of the community as possible. It’s inspiring! And library marketers are tenacious. So, get ready, because we’re going to be changing things!

Library marketers are obsessed with data. I’m so heartened to see how many of my colleagues are in a constant search for data. They want to make sure their messages are getting to the right audience at the right time, and they’re using data to make sure that happens.

They use data to make the case for libraries to add services and to demonstrate the value and impact of programs and services. They’re using data to make work easier for front-line staff, to understand their current users, to find non-cardholders, and to send targeted messaging in various forms to diverse audiences.  It was fun to be surrounded by fellow data nerds!

Library marketers have conflicting emotions about social media. But they’re no longer afraid! Library marketers of all ages are willing and eager to learn how best to use each platform. but they’re also frustrated because most platforms make it so dang difficult to get any organic reach and don’t seem to have any plans to make life easier for nonprofits and social service agencies.

But we’re not giving up! The session on creating memes was one of the most popular at the conference! The insta-stories session also got a lot of buzz. And at my own session on social media success, I got a lot of in-depth questions from the audience. I also talked to some Gen X library marketers who were eager to learn about “younger” social media platforms like Instagram. I’m a Gen Xer! If I can do it, I have no doubt you can too!

And speaking of social media, one of the weird and frustrating things I’ve noticed about most library conferences is the lack of live-tweets, Facebook, and Instagram posts during the conferences. This was not the case at LMCC! If you were stuck in room sick, as a good friend of mine was, you would have still been able to learn from the attendees who used the hashtag.

The proliferation of social media posts were also helpful for attendees who are torn between attending two sessions. I was able to get a lot of tips from sessions I couldn’t attend by checking the hashtag feed.

And when one of the conference board members asked members to turn on a special LinkedIn feature to connect with other attendees, they did it! I made a lot of new connections.

Library marketers who don’t have a library science degree often feel judged and misunderstood by the librarians in their systems. This was really disheartening. I am lucky in that I don’t think the librarians at my library think less of me because I don’t have a masters in library science (or if they do, they don’t make me feel like they do!).

I spoke with a great many library marketers who came to this profession from journalism or from marketing jobs at big companies and brands. They have a sincere desire to do work that is meaningful and to give back to the community. I hope that librarians will begin to view the marketing staff at their libraries as advocates and partners. We are here to help make sure your work reaches a large audience and to help sustain the library industry by communicating its value to the public and to stakeholders. Let’s work together!

Librarians are too humble and don’t brag enough about the work they do. The clear consensus among library marketing professionals is that humility is holding back the industry.

We’re all working hard to make sure the great work of front-line staff gets noticed, applauded,  and rewarded. This important task is made harder when librarians aren’t willing to talk about what they do. We all agreed that librarians are amazing and their work doesn’t get enough recognition. Let us help with you that!

Check the Upcoming Events page for a list of webinars and conferences where I’ll be next. Let’s connect! Plus, subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

5

The Best Advice for Library Marketing From CMWorld 2018

I wrote this post while sitting in my hotel room at the end of a week in Cleveland, Ohio at Content Marketing World. My brain is packed with ideas. My laptop battery is dead. Everywhere I look, I see orange. My iPhone says I’ve gotten about 13-15,000 steps a day and I didn’t even do my regular morning walk!

Content Marketing World was fantastic. I saw old friends and made new ones. And I’ve got plenty of new material to research and share with my fellow library marketers. But first, I want to share the quick takeaways from the presenters I saw. These are some pieces of advice that you can implement at your library right away.

Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Advisor, Content Marketing Institute: 38 percent of marketers have a documented content marketing strategy, according to the latest research from the Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs. That’s up a bit from 2017 but still not very high. Write down a content marketing strategy for your library. A written strategy helps remind you every day of what you are working on. It makes you accountable for results.

Joe Pulizzi, Founder, Content Marketing Institute: It only takes three things to be successful in your career. Step one is to write what you want to do. Set specific dates for when you will achieve those goals. And make sure you are serving others in your life.

Andrew Davis, Author, Brandscaping & Town, INC.: We are always told to keep our content short because our audience has the attention of a goldfish. QUIT BLAMING THE FISH. Our audience is capable of paying attention for as long as we can grab and hold their attention.

Michael Brenner, CEO, Marketing Insider Group, and Chief Marketing Officer, CONCURED: Marketing has a marketing problem. We are the cause of that problem because we create stuff that as consumers we wouldn’t consume, stuff no one wants.

Brian Massey, Conversion Scientist at Conversion Sciences: We must be aware of the bias we have for marketing tactics that have worked in the past. Data will tell you when something isn’t working. Listen to the data!

Cassandra Jowett, Director of Content Marketing, Pathfactory: Services like Netflix, Amazon, and Uber are influencing the way our buyers interact with companies. Everyone expects to have an on-demand experience in all aspects of their lives. We need to accommodate those demands.

Courtney Cox, Manager, Digital Marketing, Children’s Health: By 2020, 30 percent of web browsing sessions will be done without a screen. Voice search will dominate the way we gain information on the internet. That means if you live in the second or third result on Google Searches, you won’t get read out on any voice-activated device. We must place a priority on getting into that first position on Google.

Rachel Schickowski, Employee Engagement Manager, Rockwell Automation: Employee engagement should be a top priority at your library. When employees are engaged, they give a better experience to customers.

Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs: The most important part of the newsletter isn’t the news. The most important part is the letter. Editorial content performs way better than straight-up promotional mailings alone.

Dewitt Jones, photographer for National Geographic and other top publications: When passion and creativity exist, discipline and commitment are not an issue. Celebrate what is right with the world.

Kathleen Diamantakis, Managing Director, Strategy, T Brand, The NY Times: Cardholders are looking for something deeper and more meaningful when we engage with brands. They are discontent with content. There is an epidemic of meaninglessness in content.

Andrew and Pete, Founders, Andrew and Pete: There are always going to be bigger marketing teams out there that have bigger audiences, and that dominate search. They have giant budgets. Statistically speaking it’s impossible for your library to be the best. But there is another way to stand out. That’s by being better or different!

Jenny Magic, Senior Digital Strategist, Springbox: When you pitch a new idea or service to your co-workers, you can agree on how to move forward if you involve everyone in the process.  Redefine resistance as a positive thing. Dissent is a source of breakthroughs.

Tim Schmoyer, Founder, Video Creators: YouTube wants you to serve the right video to the right person at the right time. If you craft video content that does that, YouTube will elevate your video and more people will see it.

Margaret Magnarelli, Vice President, Marketing, Monster: In order to really engage our cardholders and get them to be loyal to us, we need to practice empathetic listening. It’s not that we shouldn’t use data to make informed decisions. But if we don’t combine facts with feelings, we’ll sacrifice relationships.

Tina Fey, Actress, Producer, Writer: Trust your gut. It’s always better to put it out there!

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. I talk about library marketing on all those platforms!

0

The Most Exciting Library Marketing Lessons from Content Marketing World

The future of content marketing at your library is stories, videos, and making personal connections between your cardholders and your libraries. That’s the big takeaway for me from the year’s Content Marketing World, a giant marketing conference in Cleveland. I’ve just returned with a head full of ideas and heart full of energy. Rubbing elbows with 4,000 marketers bursting with love for the profession will do that to you.

At #CMWorld, I attended 15 sessions and learned a ton of new information which I will flesh out here over the course of the next several months. Some tips can be put into action immediately and some will need time for processing in my brain, as I work to figure out how to make them doable for libraries of all sizes, shapes, and missions.

Here are the main takeaways I received from 15 sessions with links so you can check out more of the speaker’s work and get started on transforming your own library marketing.

Linda Boff, Chief Marketing Officer at General Electric:  Stories are everywhere, right under your nose. Find and embrace them.

Jay Acunzo, host of the podcast Unthinkable:  Content marketing is about inspiring your true believers, not coercing the skeptics. (This was an ah-ha moment for me!)

Drew Davis, a former marketer, best-selling author, and speaker:  Audience retention is the true definition of video engagement. Stop trying to just get views and get audiences to watch your whole video!

Doug Kessler, creative director and co-founder of Velocity Partners: It’s our job as marketers to expose the hidden marketing conventions and turn them on their heads. In other words, conventional thinking will get you nowhere. Now is the time to be creative.

Ian Cleary, founder of Razorsocial: Be smart when you publish your content because if no one sees it, what’s the point? Use smart keywords, collaborate with influencers, and promote yourself. During this session, I realized I know nothing about web optimization!

Amanda Todorovich, Content Marketing Director at the Cleveland Clinic: Never be content. Measure and test and test again. Ask “what if” all the time.

Casey Neistat, YouTube star: Do what you can’t. Make it count. Follow your gut. Cut through the bullshit. Yes, I put that all in bold because IT’S IMPORTANT.

Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad and a bunch of other books, Pulitzer Price Winner, National Book Award Winner, etc., etc., etc. You know him, you work at a library: If you have ideas and you’re not sure you can pull them off, it’s ok to wait until you are actually ready. I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I agree with this but I’m going to think about it for a while.

Amy Schmittauer Landino, vlogger, author, and speaker: The secret to great video is asking yourself…would you share it?? Really?? Not just because you think everything you do is fantastic, but because what you do is actually fantastic.

Arnie Kuen, CEO of Vertical Measures: There is only a two percent chance your followers will see your organic post. (YIKES!)

Scott Stratten, author, speaker, blogger, podcaster, promoter of unconventional marketing. This was a session on public speaking: Tell a personal story but only if it makes a point. Respect the audience’s time.

Tamsen Webster, speaker, and producer of TEDx Cambridge, during the same session on public speaking: Go ask for the stage you deserve. The way to speak more is… to speak more.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor and creator of hitRECord, an online collaboration and creation website for video, graphics, music, and more: Community, fair compensation, and collaboration are the future of content creation.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Jonathan Stanley, Executive Producer for Lowe’s: Test all the time on YouTube. Fail fast and learn fast. Don’t spend years scripting.

Michelle Park Lazette, Content Marketer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland: Deliver different! Try your best to produce the “okra breakfasts” of content. Okra breakfasts are content that is unexpected but delicious and filling!

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button on the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter and Snapchat–it’s where I talk about library marketing! I’m @Webmastergirl. I’m also on LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest. Views in this post are my own and do not represent those of my employer.

 

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