There’s a specific library marketing task that I admit I personally struggle to make time to do. It’s complicated and tedious. But it is so important that I dedicate this episode to it. Note: scroll to the 2:00 mark for a special message for managers of library marketers.
Plus, kudos go to a library that got press coverage of a fun event that didn’t involve any “real” visitors to the library!
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching!
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I have a new trick that I use in my own workday for posting across multiple social media platforms. It helps me stay within best practices in terms of post length. And this is one of those instances in which the robots are very helpful!
I will show you exactly how I do this, in this episode.
Plus, kudos go to an academic library that uses Instagram Live to build excitement and engagement.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching!
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:
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Leslie Marinelli says her happy place growing up was the Edgewood Branch of the C. C. Mellor Memorial Library in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The library was right up the block from her childhood home.
“Being able to walk there and check out books on my own gave me such a sense of independence as a kid,” recalls Leslie.
When her youngest son was in elementary school, Leslie volunteered as a shelver in the school media center and “totally fell in love again with the transformative power of libraries.”
“I had been a freelance writer and editor for about 10 years and took a job as a Youth Specialist at Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) in 2017. When the Communications Manager role was created at FCPL in 2021 I jumped at the chance to use my skills and experience to promote the library to a wider audience.”
“I typically write formal press releases for big series, special events, and major announcements,” explains Leslie. “But for this branch-specific engagement program, I thought an informal email might be more personal and effective.”
“I pitched this as a human-interest story to just one reporter and her editor. My hope was that a more casual email would stand out and not get lost in the mountain of press releases they receive daily.”
“I also really wanted to be involved in helping to shape the story, so this approach enabled me to arrange a meeting and be there to make introductions, direct the photography, and highlight the key points. And of course, I used the emoji trick I learned in your marketing class to make the email stand out in her inbox!”
“I also test all my important email subject lines at SubjectLine.com to see if there’s anything I can do to make them more effective. This one scored a 100. Again, I learned that trick from you and it has been a game changer for me.”
The subject line worked and Leslie’s work building a relationship with the media landed her a victory: The display was covered in the local newspaper (you have to be a subscriber to read the full story).
Leslie says the time it takes to build those relationships with local reporters is a worthy investment for any library, no matter the size.
“Forsyth County is a rapidly growing area, but it still has a small-town feel,” says Leslie. “Networking has been a critical part of building these relationships for me.”
“One relationship I have with a local magazine was the result of a media kit I sent to our local partners and media outlets about a big event a few years back. It contained a variety of graphics and blurbs they could copy and paste to make it easier for them to post about it online. The magazine owner liked it so much that she sent an email about it to my library director who then arranged a meeting for us. We’ve collaborated on several projects since then and she recently invited me to speak about the Library to her Rotary Club.”
“I started making those media kits about select events after seeing one of our partners copy and paste the full 2-page text of one of my press releases into a Facebook post. (The horror!) Nobody is going to read that. Community partners want to support us, so the easier we make it for them to spread the word the way we want it, the better the end results will be.”
Leslie also has some excellent strategies for managing what gets covered by local media.
“We send out a curated list of events to the local paper each week,” she explains. “I started doing this after noticing they were picking events to include that weren’t necessarily the programs we wanted to boost. Not only that, but they were getting some of the details wrong. By curating the events for them, in their preferred format, we have more control over the message, and it makes it easier for them to cover.”
Leslie also writes library-related articles for two different outlets, 400 Life and My Forsyth. (Here’s her favorite piece.) It’s a terrific way to promote the library and she says it works to satisfy her creative writing itch.
And that willingness to help her local media outlets has paid off in big ways for her library.
“I helped a freelance reporter with a couple of articles about the library a couple of years ago,” remembers Leslie. “We kept in touch and corresponded over email about library news I thought she’d enjoy. Last year she became the managing editor of the local newspaper, and she has been an invaluable resource for me. We’ve met a few times for coffee and lunch, and she let me pick her brain about how to improve my press releases.”
Leslie has four tips for any library looking to nurture a mutually beneficial relationship with the media and local partners.
Keep them informed: Invite the media to everything and follow up with them to make sure they are receiving your invitations and releases.
Make their jobs easier: In addition to the media kits for major events, create a media packet to hand out to reporters who attend your library board meetings. Include an executive summary of the topics that will be covered at the meeting, including key names, dates, and numbers, so reporters don’t have to search for answers later.
“One local reporter told me she’s never received something like this from anyone else,” says Leslie.
Another thing Leslie does is follow up with reporters after an event or meeting to email them additional details, links, name spellings, and more.
“Having your name misspelled or being misquoted is disheartening,” exclaims Leslie. “I try to do whatever I can behind the scenes to make sure everyone is happy with the results.”
Support their work: When a reporter writes something about your library or one of your pieces is published in a local magazine or blog, share it everywhere. This lets you support the media, fills your editorial calendar with great content, and builds your library’s brand at the same time.
Thank them: “I try to never miss an opportunity to thank and praise someone for writing a great article about my library or publishing one of my pieces,” says Leslie. “Email is perfectly fine for this, but a handwritten note really stands out these days. (My grandmother would be so proud of me right now for saying that.)”
Leslie says press coverage is so important—now more than ever—for helping communities (and hopefully, lawmakers) better understand the value of libraries and excellent library workers. But that’s not the only value her library sees.
“I think this kind of coverage can also be a big morale booster for staff who are in the trenches and probably don’t hear often enough what a difference they make by creating such incredible programs, displays, and positive experiences for the patrons they serve,” she says.
Leslie says her coworkers have told her that they know patrons who visited the library due specifically to the media coverage. As for the Charles Dickens display, the impact of the positive press coverage has a numeric value: nearly 1,000 more visitors came to the library than in the previous December.
Now FCPL turns its attention to other marketing initiatives including their annual report, an onboarding campaign for new cardholders, and building its presence on Facebook… again.
“We just launcheda new Facebook page and changed all our social media handles to match (FoCoLibrary) due to a fruitless two-year-long battle with Meta to regain ownership of our page after a series of staffing changes,” explains Leslie. “Now that we have full control over the new page, we’re having a lot of fun rebuilding our following and connecting with new audiences!”
I always ask the library marketers I profile where they draw inspiration for library marketing. Leslie says, “At the risk of sounding like a total sycophant, I have learned so much about library marketing from you and Caleigh Haworth (my co-worker at NoveList)! In fact, I just reached out to Caleigh the other day to ask how she did that cool poll in her follow-up eBlast after the LibraryAware Summer Templates Reveal Party.”
“The Library Marketing Book Club group on Facebook has been a great source of support and inspiration. Chris Boivin at Jacksonville Public Library does a masterful job running that group, keeping morale high, and communicating with all of us.”
“I love the Southern Adirondack Library System’s Facebook page. It’s a great mix of literary humor, art, and community. They clearly got the memo that social media is supposed to be social and not a steady stream of program ads.”
“The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s social media strategy is the best thing to ever happen to a government agency’s public persona. I’m in awe of how funny and irreverent they are.”
“I think most library staff would be shocked to learn how much work goes on behind the scenes with such a shoestring budget to amplify the library’s story and increase public awareness. I’m grateful to have found this little corner of the internet where we can share ideas, support, and encouragement.”
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Everyone makes mistakes. But mistake-making can impact your self-esteem and job performance.
I’ve made lots of mistakes in my career. And in this episode, I want to share the six things I do to regain the trust of those impacted by my mistakes and regain my confidence.
Plus, kudos go to a library mentioned on NPR’s Morning Edition!
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching!
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:
Photo courtesy the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
There is nothing like the thrill of someone discovering your library for the first time.
New users are often dazzled by the notion that they can check out items from your collection and use your services, without having to pay anything (except taxes, in most cases). That joy is contagious, and it’s a big thrill for library staff.
Many of you are actively searching for ways to reach people in your community who may not have used the library before. In the most recent Super Library Marketing survey, you told me that you struggle to promote to non-cardholding community members. Several of you named specific target audiences you hope to reach, including young adults, parents and caregivers of young children, and non-English speaking communities.
Let’s first lay out an effective approach your library can take to craft a message that resonates with new cardholders. Then, we’ll talk about tactics you can use to reach them.
The Problem-Solution approach
The Problem-Solution approach is a subtle and effective shift in the way we think about promotions.
These messages show that you understand your audience’s problems and that your library offers solutions to those problems. It’s marketing with empathy. It’s best explained with an example.
An example of the Problem-Solution approach
I recently saw a real-life library’s strategic plan which included a pledge to increase access to the collection for underserved communities, immigrants, and new residents. They also want to provide support to new residents trying to learn English as a second language. This library has a robust collection of reading materials in a variety of languages and ESOL programs.
Now, normally your collection promotion might sound something like this:
“Get a library card and get access to thousands of books to read for pleasure, for work, or for study, all for free. And learn a new language by attending our programs.”
But using the problem-solution approach, with immigrants and new residents as the target audience, the message would sound like this:
“Are you struggling to find books, movies, and music in your native language? Are you hoping to learn a new language in your new home? Your library is there for you. We have an extensive collection of books in lots of languages. You can also learn and practice English in a safe and supportive environment. All you need is a free library card.”
In this example, your next step would of course be to translate that message into the language of your target audience. Then, you’ll proceed with the 6-step plan to reach this new audience.
6-step plan to reach new audiences
Step 1: Make it easy to find your card signup application.
In my day job at NoveList, I look at library websites and evaluate their customer experience and promotions. Unfortunately, I often have to hunt pretty aggressively for information about applying for a library card. Sometimes, I can’t find it at all!
The most important thing to do to get more new cardholders is to make signing up easy! Your cardholder application should be front and center on your website. A frequently asked questions section for new cardholders is also a good idea.
Step 2: Target new audiences with a little money on social media.
You don’t have to spend much money to reach your target audience. Most libraries can spend about two to three dollars a day to boost a post or an ad to see results.
It’s easy to set up your ads for maximum effectiveness. You can choose the audience based on a huge list of demographics, including geographic location, age, and interests. Facebook will help you craft the call to action, image, and headline that will work best for your ad.
You can link your Instagram page to your Facebook page to buy identical ads for both platforms. I recommend this strategy, as you’re more likely to reach non-cardholders by combining efforts on both platforms.
Step 3: Incentivize current cardholders to recruit new cardholders.
Ask current cardholders to recruit a new cardholder for a chance to win a prize. The prize could be library swag or gift cards from local businesses.
To promote your contest, email your cardholders to let them know about the giveaway. Create small flyers or bookmarks to promote your contest and slip them into holds, curbside pickup bags, or make-and-take craft bags.
Step 4: Incentivize staff to recruit new cardholders.
Get some extra gift cards and give them away to staff members. Or give away a half day of vacation, an extra-long lunch, a free parking space, or the privilege of wearing jeans to work for a day.
You can do a straight giveaway, where every staff member who manages to recruit a new cardholder is entered to win a prize. Or you can make it competitive, rewarding the staff member with the most signups.
Step 5: Pitch real stories of library cardholders to the media.
Instead of sending out a generic press release about the benefits of a library card, send your media contacts a pre-written story of a real person who got help with a real problem at the library.
Write your cardholder story with emotion, some conflict, and a resolution. Add some pictures or videos, and then hit send.
Reporters and newsrooms are more likely to pick up a story about a real person than a press release. And the coverage will get your library exposure in front of an entirely new audience.
Step 6: Ask your partners for help.
Ask partner organizations to distribute a bookmark or some other kind of small print promotional piece to their visitors.
Local realtors and rental agencies could give your promotional piece to prospective homeowners or new renters. Send some of your library card sign-up print pieces to daycare providers, teachers, summer camps, and recreational centers. You can even ask restaurants to include a library card signup flyer or bookmark in their takeout bags!
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On a cold Sunday in February, I hopped onto a Zoom call with someone I felt I already knew.
About 8 months prior, this Solano County, California resident appeared on my “For You” page on Instagram Reels and TikTok. He shared joyful, heartfelt, hopeful stories of his work and the profound impact libraries had on his life.
So, I must admit that when Mychal Threets came into view on my laptop screen, I was a bit starstruck.
Seated in a staff work area, with a giant cutout of Bob Ross behind him, Mychal graciously squeezed an interview with me into his workday. He answered my questions about the impact his simple, yet profound stories have had on the public’s perception of libraries.
“March of 2023 is when I shared that first story of the library kid who asked me if I’m a boy librarian or a girl librarian,” recalled Mychal. “And I thought that was great. This is the 15 minutes of fame for libraries. Maybe a few more people will get library cards. But it just kept on going, and I’ve just been sharing daily stories and affirmations ever since.”
One of Mychal’s earliest memories is from age three when his mother took him and his siblings to the library to get books. At the age of 5, he got his first library card. But Mychal did not aspire to be a librarian.
“I wanted to be an astronaut, a firefighter, or a police officer,” chuckled Mychal. “I never saw any men behind the library desk. I never saw any people of color behind the library desk.”
“I was struggling, waiting for my next career path. I was at the local library trying to think of my next steps. And I was like, let me ask the person at the desk about how a person ends up working for the library. She already had the site pulled up. She was like, ‘I knew you’re going to ask that soon enough.’”
In 2018, Mychal became a children’s librarian. He loved the silly, carefree nature of the kids he worked with, and he wanted to share stories about the joy of his work with children. So, he started posting to Facebook. The response was positive.
Then, during the 2020 pandemic, Mychal downloaded TikTok and Instagram and began experimenting with videos on those sites. But it wasn’t until March of 2023 that he started sharing those personal stories… and getting traction.
“I was just trying to remind people that the library exists. I try to remind people that the library is for everybody, that everybody belongs. The library is for them, whatever they’re going through in life. That was my whole goal.”
Mychal Threets
As of this writing, Mychal has more than 682,000 followers on Instagram and 680,000 followers on TikTok. His videos have gotten millions of views, and he’s been interviewed by the New York Times, Good Morning America, The Washington Post, and Huffington Post, among others. He received the “I Love My Librarian” award and the day before my interview with him, was the recipient of the Tri-City NAACP Unsung Shero/Hero Award.
It hasn’t been an easy road. Mychal is open about his struggles with mental health. And, as is the case for any internet star, he’s faced insults. But his thousands of fans were quick to come to his defense.
His reach extends beyond the normal library loyal crowds. I cannot count the number of non-library friends and family members who have sent me his videos, usually accompanied by the comment, “Have you seen this guy??”
“What I’ve achieved thus far, was never in my mind. I never thought it was a possibility,” admitted Mychal. “I didn’t think I’d go viral once, let alone several times. That has been a huge surprise.”
Mychal’s videos highlight his work and focus on “patron as hero” stories. Mychal explains how the library has impacted the community members he interacts with, in big and small ways.
He fiercely protects the privacy of his patrons, sharing his stories without using names or genders, instead calling his patrons “Library kids” or “Library adults.” He also says that technique prevents misgendering and disrespecting his patrons.
“Most library people don’t mind their stories being shared,” said Mychal. “I’m aware of the platform that I’ve grown. I know that it’s weird to have your story shared with the amount of people who follow me.”
Besides sharing his stories on social media and working full-time at the library, Mychal is working with author, influencer, and illustrator Blair Imani on an event in late March that will be a celebration of natural hair.
“We’re going to get a bunch of books donated celebrating hair love, and we’re just going to give them out to people who come to come to the event,” explained Mychal. “We’re going to have hopefully some very cool people present, including authors, illustrators, barbers, and hairdressers. It’s just a chance for people to celebrate their hair love, to get some free books, and celebrate literacy.”
“My other goal is that I just want everybody to get a library card if possible, and to fall in love with books. So, I’m trying to pursue a nonprofit LLC to celebrate literacy, celebrate our right to read, celebrate the joy of access to books, and just put books in the hands of kids and get them excited about reading.”
Mychal is a big fan of his own library on social media, but he also has praise for other libraries’ promotional work.
“Milwaukee Public Library is probably the best library on social media,” declared Mychal. “They just do such a wonderful job of following trends and then putting a library spin on it.”
“Harris County Library is in a similar vein. They also are very good at accepting being ‘cringe-worthy’ as a library system.”
“Storybook Maze is a street librarian in Baltimore, Maryland. She also has a fascinating job.”
“But otherwise, just BookTok and Bookstagram, in general, is just an easy way to find social media platforms doing great things for libraries, putting libraries on the map in the best way possible to remind people that everyone belongs in the library any different day.”
“I’m constantly impressed by the different libraries that tag me and want me to see their videos. People are doing such wonderful things for libraries and for books and literacy overall.”
As we wrapped up our interview so Mychal could set up a library program, he shared advice for library marketers.
“Always remember, the library is a place where everybody does belong. As I repeatedly say, you don’t have to leave your anxiety, your depression outside the library doors. It’s all welcome inside the library. Every day is a library day.”
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They’re big and bold. They promise your library continuous exposure to a diverse audience. And… they’re expensive. Are billboards actually a good use of your limited library marketing budget?
I’ll lay out the pros and cons of billboard advertising for libraries in this episode.
Plus, kudos go to a library that received media coverage for bringing back a popular program.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Or do you want me to come and speak at your event? Let me know here. And thanks for watching!
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:
Photo courtesy of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
If you send emails for library marketing, you may have been scared by recent articles on X, LinkedIn, and other marketing blogs that predict doom and disaster for email marketing in the coming months.
Last October, Gmail released this blog post, outlining changes coming to the algorithm they use to determine whether incoming emails make it into the regular inbox or go to the spam or promotions folder. Yahoo soon followed suit.
The response in the marketing world to these announcements took on a somewhat frantic tone.
“Are our emails going to be delivered?”
“What changes do we need to make to ensure we don’t end up in the junk folder?”
The short answer is that with a few small changes, your library emails will be delivered. Yahoo and Gmail want you to:
Authenticate your email
Enable easy unsubscribe
Reduce unwanted emails
Let’s go through each of these steps, beginning with authentication. Authentication means that your library’s email sender reputation is sound.
What is email sender reputation?
Email sender reputation is a score that an Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns to any organization that sends an email. The higher the score, the more likely an ISP will deliver emails to the inboxes of recipients on their network.
Like any algorithm, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and other email providers use ranking signals to determine the folder in which your email lands—or if it’s delivered at all.
Here is what we know about those ranking signals, according to my research. Sources I’ve used for this post include marketing expert Michael Barber, Mailmeteor, and my co-workers in product management at NoveList.
Sender Authentication and IP Address Reputation
Sender authentication involves verifying the authenticity of the sender’s domain. The email providers are looking at past sending behavior coming from your IP address.
The bad news is that your library has very little control over either the sender authentication or the IP address reputation of your emails.
For example, MailChimp’s website says their customer’s emails, including those from many libraries, are sent from an IP address that is shared by multiple customers. If one or more of those customers send emails that negatively impact MailChimp’s overall IP address reputation, your library’s emails could be affected. Your library can purchase a dedicated IP address from MailChimp for an additional monthly fee.
Domain Reputation
Email service providers also consider the reputation of the domain name in the email address. The domain is the part of your email address behind the @ symbol.
The email providers look at past sending behavior and the overall quality of emails from that domain. Specifically, they are looking at 3 factors.
Spam complaints
Email recipients click the spam (or junk) button for three reasons:
They don’t realize the email is coming from your library.
They can’t remember signing up for your library’s emails.
They can’t find the unsubscribe link.
Get ready for a shock, because I’m changing my position on a major part of my email marketing advice.
In the past, I was a proponent of opt-out emailing for libraries. But because of recent changes in the algorithms used by Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo to sort messages…
Your library should make your emails opt-in. This ensures your emails are going to community members who want your content, which protects your sender reputation.
You can also reduce the likelihood that someone will mark your library emails as spam by making sure your “friendly from” line includes your library name. Add a first name to the friendly from (it doesn’t have to be a real person!) like “Angela from The Central Library.”
Make sure your reply address is a real email address as well. Let subscribers know how often you’ll be sending emails. And don’t send so few emails (yes, you read that right!) that subscribers don’t remember signing up!
Recipient inaction
When your email recipient either deletes your library’s email without opening it or leaves your library’s email sitting unopened in their inbox, that’s recipient inaction.
You can reduce recipient inaction by making sure your library emails are targeted to the audience that most want that information. Create interest groups and an opt-in page like this one from Delafield Public Library.
Letting your community members choose the information they wish to receive by email from your library will reduce recipient inaction and spam complaints against your library.
You can also reduce recipient inaction by spending time making sure your email subject lineis as good as it can be.
Engagement metrics
Open rates and click-through rates play a significant role in email reputation. Higher engagement indicates that recipients find your emails valuable and relevant, leading to better deliverability. Low engagement metrics tell the email algorithms that that your emails may be unwanted or irrelevant.
One-click unsubscribe
The biggest change is that Gmail and Yahoo are asking marketers to add one-click unsubscribe. Most email marketing providers are addressing this issue and have plans in place to include one-click unsubscribe this year.
To encourage your library email recipients to reply, ask for their feedback on a service within your email. Or ask recipients to reply with the name of a book they think should be included in your next booklist or book display. This is a chance for you to be creative!
You don’t have to respond to every email reply. But it is an opportunity to improve your sender reputation while gathering information that will help you to better serve your community.
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Morning drive time. Evening drive time. Afternoon talk show. Radio stations, their formats, their audiences, and their ad prices vary greatly.
You might be wondering if an ad on a radio station is an effective use of your limited library marketing budget.
I’ll break down the list of things you’ll need to consider if you want to buy a library radio ad in this episode.
Plus, kudos go to a library for media coverage of a new service at their organization.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Or do you want me to come and speak at your event? Let me know here. And thanks for watching!
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:
Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 