Are “marketing” and “promotion” the same thing? We say they are… but should we?
One of my readers challenged me to think more intentionally about our terminology, and it sent me down a fascinating rabbit hole.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I’m making the case for why these words matter more than we think, and how rethinking them can change the way your library connects with your community.
Plus, I’m giving kudos to a library staff member who had a recent brush with fame for their work outside the library!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Short-form video trends can help libraries reach new audiences… but only when they’re used at the right time.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I explain how to recognize which trends are worth following, when to act quickly, and how to avoid content that feels cliché.
Plus, I’ll share kudos for a library marketer whose promotional tactics bring new visitors from around the world (!) to his programs.
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Have you ever known exactly what your library should be doing but struggled to convince senior leadership to agree? You’re not alone.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I respond to a viewer facing a tough leadership challenge and share tips for making the case to library leadership with confidence. Even if her situation isn’t identical to yours, the lessons apply to anyone navigating library marketing decisions and internal buy-in.
Plus, we’ll give kudos to a library with a landing page on its website that you should add to yours!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
My high school history teacher never assigned a textbook for class. Instead, every day, Mr. David Ulmer would pace back and forth in front of a room of students, explaining the events of the world in vivid detail as a story.
He would wildly gesticulate when the action got heated or dangerous, use voices to bring historical figures to life, and punctuate points with hilarious statements written on the chalkboard.
My classmates and I sat in rapt attention. We tried to take notes. But frankly, it was hard to tear your eyes away from Mr. Ulmer. We didn’t want to miss a single detail.
No one failed tests in Mr. Ulmer’s class. That’s because his teaching method was storytelling. Rather than pushing a bunch of facts, figures, and details at us, he made historical events personal, vivid, and memorable. Everyone remembered the details.
Your library will have the same impact by including storytelling in your promotional strategy.
“People are looking for a connection.” —John Michael Morgan, Business Leadership Coach
Here are the four things you need to know to start incorporating storytelling into your library promotions.
#1: You don’t have to do all the work.
When a cardholder talks about the way your library’s collection, programs, and services have impacted their lives, people will listen. Let your community share their story about their experience at the library.
One year during my time at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Library, we sent an email to a target group of library users. We asked them to tell us why they loved the library. I thought maybe 25 people would respond. I was so very wrong.
We got more than 400 responses! Some people wrote a few sentences, and some wrote paragraphs. That one “ask” was a gold mine of storytelling for more than a year.
We contacted many of the responders later to ask them to elaborate on their stories on camera. We used those interviews for fundraising, blogs, and newsletter blurbs. We pulled some of their quotes and had our librarians read them on camera, which we shared during Library Workers Week and other big events.
We used some of those stories to lay the groundwork for a levy, which eventually passed. And we used stories on social media. That drove our organic engagement rates higher and made our other organic posts more effective.
Your community is eager to share testimonials with you. All you have to do is ask.
#2: You can gather stories every day.
Make it a practice at your library for front-line staff to be on the lookout for stories as they work — not in a forced or formal way, but simply by noticing when a patron has a meaningful moment.
When those moments happen, give staff an easy way to jot down a sentence or two about what happened. And if they feel comfortable asking the patron directly, they can use simple language like, “I’m so glad we could help! Would you mind if we shared a little about this interaction? It helps other people discover what the library offers.” Most patrons appreciate being asked
If you frame this work as optional and low-pressure, staff don’t have to feel like they’re intruding. When I worked at the Cincinnati Library, I asked front-line staff to call me if they had an interaction with a patron that they thought would make a good story. One day, I got a call from a branch manager who said she just worked with a 12-year-old boy and his father, and they were willing to talk about their experience. That interaction led to this incredible video.
You can also ask volunteers, board members, and library friends groups to share their stories, as Deschutes Public Library did. These folks are often really passionate about their love for the library, and their stories will inspire others to volunteer, donate, and use the library.
#3: Stories don’t have to be long or complicated.
Your library stories can be a few sentences, a few paragraphs, or a few pages. There’s no formula for length. If you’re not a confident writer, or your patron feels uncomfortable sharing in detail, you can still find a great story within a few sentences.
Jacksonville Public Library shared the story of a father who got his high school diploma with the help of the library. It’s less than 400 words, but it’s powerful.
#4: Your library can share stories everywhere you do promotions.
Start by including one story in each of the places where you normally promote your library.
For instance, if you send a monthly library newsletter, include a story. You don’t have to delete any of the other things you normally promote in your newsletter. But slip a story into the mix.
Tease the story in your subject line to increase your open rates. A story will appeal to a wider audience. Once the subscriber opens your email and reads the story, they’ll be responsive to other promotional content in the email.
If your library has a blog, include at least one cardholder story on your blog every month, like Oak Park Library did with this extraordinarily moving piece. Your blog will grow in traffic and subscribers, which is good news for the other content you post.
One of the best places to share content marketing is in a video. And your subject doesn’t even have to be human, as you’ll see from this video by Broward County Library.
You can create a newsletter filled with stories. You can create a landing page on your website. You can share stories on your blog, on social media, in your videos, and in your print pieces.
“In a time of rapidly compounding technology generations, the most successful businesses will consistently deliver high touch to customer with one of our oldest traits—the telling of a story.” —Jim Blasingame, Small Business Advocate, Radio Show Host, Storyteller
One final note
As I was writing this blog, I came across this article by Martin O’Connor of University College Cork Library that I encourage you to read. It’s full of great tips on sharing the story of your library!
I also teach a course on library storytelling that is available as part of a Learn with NoveList Plus subscription or as a live or virtual session at library staff development days. You can contact me for more details.
As if social media wasn’t already hard enough for libraries, Meta may be about to raise the difficulty level — again.
A potential change is on the horizon that could significantly impact how libraries reach their communities on Facebook and Instagram. In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, we break down what’s coming, why it matters, and what libraries should be thinking about now so they’re not caught off guard later.
Plus, we have a kudos award that proves you can’t always plan for greatness!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
The Urban Libraries Council’s new trends report is out, and it’s packed with clues about where library marketing needs to go next.
I’ve done the digging for you. In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I pull out the trends with the biggest marketing implications and show how libraries can use them right now to reach more people and stay relevant.
Plus, I’m giving kudos to a library whose photo choice for a promotional post was spot on!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
I talked to library users. And what they revealed shook me.
The conversation ignited unexpected controversy on LinkedIn and exposed a blind spot many libraries don’t realize they have. In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I break down what I heard, why it matters, and how libraries can turn this uncomfortable insight into a powerful opportunity.
Plus, kudos go to a library reaching a new section of its community with book recommendations!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
A few weeks ago, I heard a tip for writing email subject lines that made me equal parts excited and annoyed. Excited because it works. Annoyed because it’s so obvious in hindsight.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I’m sharing the simple shift that can make your library emails more compelling and more likely to get opened!
Plus, the first kudos of the new year go to an academic library that managed to poke fun at AI and highlight the staff’s human expertise.
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Library social media is feeling a little chaotic lately.
Trending audio. Memes everywhere. Funny videos that make you stop scrolling and think, Wait, is this really a library account?
Here’s the twist: I think this shift might actually be the best thing that’s happened to library social media in a long time.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I’m breaking down why the “silly” stuff matters, what it gets right about attention and relevance, and what libraries can learn from it.
Plus, kudos to a library with the most original Instagram account idea I’ve ever seen!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 