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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion

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Your Community Is Treating Your Marketing the Same Way Journalists Treat Bad Pitches. Here’s How to Fix That.

Historic black-and-white library reading room with patrons focused on books at a large table, surrounded by shelves. Text overlay reads: "How to Make Your Library Promotions MORE RELEVANT!" with the words "MORE RELEVANT!" emphasized in yellow.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

In this post, you will learn:

  1. Relevance matters more than frequency. Libraries don’t need to send more messages. They need to send more relevant ones.
  2. Data makes library marketing more newsworthy. Statistics and outcomes can transform promotions into compelling stories.
  3. Trust is a strategic asset. Libraries can stand out by being a reliable source of information and expertise.

I recently downloaded Cision’s State of the Media Report so that my library could adjust our media strategy to get more positive press. But I found myself looking at the report as a larger lesson for my library marketing.

Cision surveyed nearly 1,900 journalists worldwide about how they work, the challenges they face, and what they need from public relations professionals. At first glance, it might seem like a report intended for public relations agencies and large, well-funded corporate communications teams.

But as I read through the findings, I kept thinking about libraries (of course!) Thatโ€™s because the challenges journalists face look surprisingly similar to those library marketers face every day when reaching our communities. 

People are overwhelmed with information. They’re short on time. They’re sorting through more content than ever before. And they are constantly trying to determine which messages deserve their attention.

The things that cause a journalist to ignore a pitch are often the same factors that make a community member ignore a library marketing message.

Here are the top five things I learned from the report about making my library’s message stand out.

Takeaway #1: Relevance Beats Volume

The report found that the number one factor that makes journalists respond to a pitch is relevance. Nearly 80 percent said they are most likely to consider a story when it aligns with their audience and coverage area. Likewise, more than 80 percent said they reject pitches that aren’t relevant.

That should sound familiar. Libraries often assume that getting attention is a volume problem.

  • “We need to post more.”
  • “We need to send more emails.”
  • “We need to promote this event harder.” (What does that even mean, really?)

But attention isn’t usually a volume problem. It’s a relevance problem.

The question isn’t whether your community saw your message. The question is whether they immediately understood why it mattered to them.

A generic announcement about a program might get ignored. But a message that clearly connects to a person’s needs, interests, goals, or challenges has a much better chance of breaking through.

Takeaway #2: People Are Drowning in Messages

Most journalists in the survey reported receiving more than 50 pitches every week. Many receive more than 100! Yet most say only a small percentage of those pitches are actually relevant.

That sounds familiar too! Your patrons are also sorting through dozens of emails, social media posts, text messages, videos, advertisements, flyers, signs, and notifications every day. They don’t have time to figure out why something matters. They need clarity and connection.

I recently implemented a new messaging strategy for my team to address this issue. I told them that we are going to stop leading with what we are doing and start leading with why our community should care. We are now going to be focusing less on announcements and more on why our work matters and the problems it solves for our community. 

Hereโ€™s a simple way to reframe your libraryโ€™s message to focus more on the value.

Instead of: “The library is pleased to announce…”

Try: “Parents looking for free summer activities can now register for…”

Or: โ€œThe Library is proud to offer resume workshops and mock interviewsโ€ becomes โ€œGet the tools and support you need to actually land the job.โ€

One messaging strategy starts with the organization. The other starts with the audience.

Takeaway #3: Data Makes Stories Stronger

One finding that really stood out to me was that journalists said they want more data and research. Why?

Because data provides context. It helps explain why a story matters.

Libraries have access to more useful data than we often realize.

  • We know what people are reading.
  • We know how technology is being used.
  • We know what programs are growing.
  • We know where community needs are emerging.

Yet many libraries continue to market programs without sharing the larger story behind them.

So, don’t just announce Summer Reading. Show how participation has grown. Don’t just promote your digital resources. Show how community usage has changed over time.

Data transforms promotion into storytelling. And storytelling is more memorable than push promotions because it activates emotions, which makes the story stick in a personโ€™s mind.

These data stories are particularly impactful for messaging aimed at elected officials and donors.

Takeaway #4: Trust Is Becoming More Valuable

One of the biggest concerns journalists identified was accuracy and misinformation. Credibility matters.

This is an area where libraries have a tremendous advantage. Libraries remain among the most trusted public institutions. But trust is only valuable if we actively use it.

That means sharing accurate information, citing sources, providing context, and helping community members make sense of an increasingly complicated information landscape.

Takeaway #5: Make People’s Lives Easier

Perhaps the most important lesson from the report is that journalists want sources who make their jobs easier. They want clear information, quick responses, and they want their subjects to respect their time. So do our community members!ย ย 

The best library marketing doesn’t demand attention. It earns attention by being useful.

When your content helps people solve a problem, answer a question, save money, learn a skill, or improve their lives, your library marketing stops feeling like marketing. It becomes a service.

Final Thoughts

The State of the Media Report wasn’t written for library marketers. But it contains an important reminder for all of us.

Whether you’re pitching a reporter or communicating with your community, success doesn’t come from sending more messages. It comes from creating messages that are relevant, trustworthy, useful, and easy to understand. 


Want more help?

How Libraries Can Get Better Press Coverage: Real Tips From Former Journalists

Subscribe to this blog, and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

 

What Iโ€™ve Learned in 13 Years of Library Marketing: People Support What Makes Them Feel Something

Black-and-white historical photo of a smiling woman standing in front of a mobile library vehicle filled with books. Overlay text at the top reads: โ€œWhy People Support Libraries That MAKE THEM FEEL SOMETHING!โ€ with โ€œMAKE THEM FEEL SOMETHING!โ€ in large purple letters.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

In this post, you will learn:

  1. Emotion drives action. People are more likely to act on your library marketing if it makes them feel something.
  2. Real stories on video don’t need to be polished. Authentic patron and staff experiences are some of the most effective marketing tools libraries have, and all you need is a cell phone!
  3. Emotional marketing is not manipulation. When done ethically, storytelling helps communities understand the real impact of library services.

A few years ago, a library patron accused my library marketing team of โ€œmanipulating emotions.โ€

Honestly? She wasnโ€™t wrong. We absolutely wanted people to feel something!

At the time, my library was building support for a facilities plan. Several of our historic Carnegie branches were not accessible to people with disabilities, and we knew we needed the community to understand why modernization mattered.

So we told a real story. We interviewed a veteran who physically could not enter the branch library in his own neighborhood.

We shared his experience in a short video campaign designed to help our community see the problem through a human lens instead of through budget spreadsheets and building reports.

After we published the video, one viewer messaged us: โ€œHow dare you manipulate my emotions and try to make me feel sorry for this guy?โ€

My response then โ€” and now โ€” is this:

Libraries should never apologize for telling meaningful stories.

Why Emotional Marketing Works for Libraries

One of the biggest mistakes libraries make in marketing is assuming facts alone will persuade people. We think that if we simply explain our services clearly enough, people will understand our value.

But audiences donโ€™t make decisions based purely on logic. They make decisions based on emotion and then use facts to justify those feelings later. Thatโ€™s especially true on social media, where algorithms reward content that sparks reactions, conversations, shares, and engagement.

People engage with content when it makes them feel:

  • Hopeful
  • Inspired
  • Seen
  • Empathy for someone else
  • Proud of their community
  • Connected to something bigger than themselves

That emotional response is what moves someone from passive scrolling to active engagement. And here is more good news.

Libraries Already Have Powerful Stories

You do not need a massive budget or a professional production crew to create emotional marketing. You already have the raw material.

Every library has:

  • A teen who found belonging through programs
  • A job seeker who got help building a resume
  • A parent who found support during a difficult season
  • A senior who depends on library staff for connection
  • A child who discovered a love of reading
  • A staff member who went above and beyond for someone

These stories are your most effective marketing!

Too often, libraries default to promotional language like:

  • โ€œRegister now!โ€
  • โ€œCheck out our new database!โ€
  • โ€œJoin us Tuesday!โ€

But audiences connect more deeply with:

  • โ€œThis program helped me make friends after moving here.โ€
  • โ€œThe library gave me confidence during my job search.โ€
  • โ€œI didnโ€™t feel alone anymore.โ€

Thatโ€™s the difference between information and impact.

Emotional Marketing Is Ethical When Itโ€™s Honest

Thereโ€™s an important distinction between emotional storytelling and emotional manipulation.

  • Manipulation relies on exaggeration, fear tactics, or dishonesty.
  • Ethical emotional marketing tells true stories that help audiences better understand real community needs and real library impact.

Libraries are uniquely positioned to do this well because our work genuinely changes lives every day. If your library helped someone succeed, feel safer, feel connected, or solve a problem, sharing that story is not exploitation. Itโ€™s advocacy.

The Best Way to Capture Emotion: Video

Video remains one of the most effective formats for emotional storytelling because audiences can hear tone, see facial expressions, and connect with people “face to face.”

But hereโ€™s the good news: your videos do not need to look cinematic! Some of the most effective library videos are filmed on a phone. What counts is not the production. It’s the authentic conversations.

If you want to start gathering emotional stories, try interviewing:

  • Loyal patrons
  • Volunteers
  • Staff members
  • Program attendees
  • Community partners

Ask open-ended questions like:

  • Whatโ€™s your favorite memory involving the library?
  • How has the library impacted your life?
  • What would your community lose if the library disappeared tomorrow?
  • Tell me about a moment when the library helped you unexpectedly.
  • Why does this library matter to you personally?

Then stop talking and let them tell the story.

Donโ€™t Forget Your Staff Stories

Library staff are often an untapped source of emotional content.

Staff members witness transformation every day:

  • helping someone apply for benefits,
  • finding the perfect book for a struggling reader,
  • assisting someone through a difficult life transition,
  • or creating a welcoming space for people who need connection.

Those stories matter.

Some of the best questions to ask staff include:

  • Tell me about a patron interaction youโ€™ll never forget.
  • What moment made you proud to work at the library?
  • What keeps you motivated in this work?
  • Whatโ€™s something the public doesnโ€™t always see about library service?

These interviews can become:

  • Short social videos
  • Newsletter features
  • Website testimonials
  • Annual report stories
  • Posters and digital signage
  • Advocacy campaign content

One good story can fuel months of marketing content.

The Hidden Benefit of Emotional Marketing

Something interesting happens when libraries start telling emotional stories consistently: More stories start showing up.

When we launched our own customer impact video series years ago, staff and patrons immediately began sharing additional experiences with us.

People wanted to participate because they felt recognized and connected.

Thatโ€™s one of the most powerful outcomes of storytelling: It builds community identity. People stop seeing the library as just a building or service provider and start seeing it as something deeply personal and valuable.

Final Thoughts

Libraries are emotional spaces. They represent hope, opportunity, safety, curiosity, nostalgia, belonging, education, and community.

Trying to market libraries without emotion is like trying to market music without sound.

So no, libraries should not feel guilty for creating marketing that makes people โ€œfeel all the feels.โ€

That emotional connection is often exactly what inspires people to support, advocate for, fund, and engage with the library in the first place.


Want more help?

How Libraries Can Use Storytelling to Build Community Support (4 Practicalย Tips)

Subscribe to this blog, and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

 

How to Get Library Staff Excited About Appearing in Short-Form Library Videos

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketingShow, episode 326

Creating short-form videos is one of the best ways to reach your community. But… convincing colleagues to step in front of the camera is difficult!

If youโ€™re running into resistance โ€” or just quiet reluctance โ€” this episode is for you. I break down how to reframe video participation, build buy-in internally, and help staff feel confident instead of self-conscious on camera.

Plus, I’m giving kudos to a library that created a hilarious parody video with staff in the midst of a snowstorm!

Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.

Thanks for watching!โ€‚

P.S.: If you wish, you may download a transcript of this episode.


Miss the last episode? No worries! Watch it now.

Subscribe to this blog, and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

Big Gains, Bigger Lessons: Why One Library is Rebuilding Its Social Media Incentive Program After Huge Early Growth

A blackโ€‘andโ€‘white photograph of an ornate, multiโ€‘level library filled with towering bookshelves and balconies. In the upper left corner, a translucent teal box contains the text โ€œSocial Media Incentive:โ€ and below it, in white, โ€œLessons Learned.โ€
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Key Takeaways:

1. Hyperโ€‘local social media works but only with empowered staff. By giving staff autonomy to create content tailored to each branchโ€™s unique audience, the library sees more meaningful engagement than a oneโ€‘sizeโ€‘fitsโ€‘all strategy could ever provide.

2. Incentives can spark huge engagement if the program is simple. Joshโ€™s initial pointโ€‘based contest led to dramatic increases in reach, interactions, and followers at participating branches. But it also revealed the importance of designing challenges that align with staff capacity.

3. Start small, collaborate early, and refine as you go. Joshโ€™s biggest lesson: donโ€™t skip the research stage. Understanding staff time, motivations, and manager buyโ€‘in is essential.


Josh Mosey lives in the same town where he grew up: Middleville, Michigan.

โ€œMy older brother and I used to ride our bikes to the library in the summer when we were kids and take part in the summer reading program,โ€ remembers Josh. โ€œI wasnโ€™t as big a reader then, but I did enjoy the books on cassette tape that came with the physical books attached. When nothing new was available in that form, Iโ€™d pick a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ book, which I would read until one or two endings and call it good.โ€

โ€œI was a notorious cheater when it came to counting books for the summer reading challenge back then. Iโ€™m making up for it now by reading voraciously as a grownup.โ€

Josh can get plenty of books, thanks to his current job as part of the six-person Library Marketing and Communications team and the Kent District Library. KDL serves 440,000 residents in Kent County, MI, excluding the city of Grand Rapids and a couple of smaller municipalities on the north end of the county. The library consists of twenty branches, one express library, and a bookmobile.

Josh is responsible for email and social media marketing for KDL. And the social media part of his job involves working with 20 โ€œsocial media branch championsโ€. These are staff members appointed to create content and list events on their branchโ€™s Facebook page.

โ€œThe social media branch champions have been around for as long as each branch has had its own Facebook page,โ€ explains Josh. โ€œThey are chosen by that locationโ€™s manager as someone who either has time, interest, or expertise in that area. While I oversee the group, give tips, and create content they can use, the social media branch champions donโ€™t take orders from me.โ€

Josh says the goal of our social media branch champions is to engage with their community, cultivate relationships with community members who might come to their events in person, and reflect the things that make their communities unique.

โ€œSince the patrons at each branch can vary widely in interests and socioeconomic makeup, a one-size-fits-all mentality doesnโ€™t work for our branch pages,โ€ he says.

But this system has its challenges.

โ€œSkills and interests vary widely from branch to branch,โ€ explains Josh. โ€œMy graphic design background is borne out of the fact that my roommate in college was a graphic design major, and he let me play around on his computer with Photoshop. Iโ€™ve been able to do a lot with that over the years, but Iโ€™m a rarity among library staff members. Most folks have backgrounds in library science, literature, or education.โ€

โ€œAnd while we have a comprehensive brand guideline and Iโ€™ve given the team examples of what a well-designed image should look like, some folks just donโ€™t have the time, interest, or expertise to create on-brand, engaging content.โ€

And because this job likely falls under the โ€œother duties as assignedโ€ for many of the social media branch champions, they may not want to take on the frustrating job of posting to social media. So, Josh decided to incentivize social media work for this library.

โ€œThe incentives are based on best practices like consistent posting, interacting with local groups, sharing posts from the main KDL page, promoting branch events, and so on,โ€ explains Josh. โ€œEach of those activities is awarded a specific point value, and the points are calculated quarterly. At the end of each quarter, the branch with the most points wins a pizza party for their branch, a bookstore gift card for themselves, and temporary ownership of a goat trophy that says, โ€˜Youโ€™re the G.O.A.T.โ€™โ€

Josh says the incentives worked well… at first.

โ€œWhile some branches simply didnโ€™t have time to put their numbers in (or participate, really), the branches that took the competition seriously saw massive increases in followers, interaction, and post views and likes.”

For example, Josh says the first branch to win was the Alto Branch of KDL. The results were as follows:

  • Views increased by more than 356 percent.
  • Reach increased by 811 percent.
  • Content interactions increased 334 percent.
  • Link clicks increased by 1,400 percent.
  • Visits to the Alto Facebook page increased 51 percent.
  • Follows increased by nearly 191 percent.

That sounds like a great leap. But when Josh solicited feedback from the branch champions on the incentive program, he discovered that most felt participation was just one more thing they needed to squeeze into their already busy routines, especially in the summer and fall. So Josh is making some changes.

โ€œThe program is going to change from a cumbersome Excel spreadsheet into a simple, physical Bingo sheet with twenty-five challenges that a branch can do monthly,โ€ says Josh. โ€œThe more bingos a champion earns, the more chances theyโ€™ll have to win a prize. This should still get at the heart of what motivated the ones who participated while addressing the complexity of the previous version of the challenge for those who didnโ€™t do much with it.โ€

Josh has some candid advice for anyone considering a similar incentive program for staff.

โ€œI was too quick to go from the ideation phase into implementation,โ€ confesses Josh. โ€œI should have done a little more research into what my champions had time for and what exactly would motivate them.โ€

โ€œI would encourage libraries that want to do this to sit down with the folks who manage their libraryโ€™s social media presences, along with those folksโ€™ managers, to increase the level of buy-in at the beginning.โ€

โ€œAlso, simpler is better. I was trying to get my people to do all the right things from the beginning, but I probably should have started smaller by focusing on two or three things each month until everyone had some momentum going for a bigger training and competition event.โ€

And Josh has one more, unrelated piece of social media advice for libraries.

โ€œDonโ€™t give up on social media posts that use words,โ€ advises Josh. โ€œPhotos and videos are great, but itโ€™s okay to make basic, nice-looking posts with nothing but words on them. Itโ€™s been working for us since I started in my role four years ago, across all our platforms.โ€


Want more help?

When Should Libraries Jump on Social Media Trends?

Subscribe to this blog, and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

The Real Difference Between Marketing and Promotion and Why It Matters for Your Libraryโ€™s Success

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketingShow, episode 325

Are โ€œmarketingโ€ and โ€œpromotionโ€ the same thing? We say they areโ€ฆ 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, Iโ€™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.

Thanks for watching!โ€‚

P.S.: If you wish, you may download a transcript of this episode.


Miss the last episode? No worries! Watch it now.

Subscribe to this blog, and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

When Should Libraries Jump on Social Media Trends?

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketingShow, episode 324

Short-form video trends can help libraries reach new audiences… but only when theyโ€™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 clichรฉ.

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.

Thanks for watching!โ€‚

P.S.: If you wish, you may download a transcript of this episode.


Miss the last episode? No worries! Watch it now.

Subscribe to this blog, and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

Making Confident Library Marketing Recommendations to Leadership

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketingShow, episode 323

Have you ever known exactly what your library should be doing but struggled to convince senior leadership to agree? Youโ€™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 isnโ€™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.

Thanks for watching!โ€‚

P.S.: If you wish, you may download a transcript of this episode.


Miss the last episode? No worries! Watch it now.

Subscribe to this blog, and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

How Libraries Can Use Storytelling to Build Community Support (4 Practical Tips)

Black-and-white photo of a vintage library card catalog drawer pulled open, with rows of labeled drawers in the background. A translucent banner at the top reads โ€œSTORYTELLINGโ€ in yellow and โ€œFor Community Supportโ€ in white text.

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 didnโ€™t want to miss a single detail.

No one failed tests in Mr. Ulmerโ€™s class. Thatโ€™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. ย 

โ€œPeople are looking for a connection.โ€ โ€”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 donโ€™t have to do all the work.

When a cardholder talks about the way your libraryโ€™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 โ€œaskโ€ 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 โ€” 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, โ€œIโ€™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.โ€ Most patrons appreciate being asked

If you frame this work as optional and low-pressure, staff donโ€™t have to feel like theyโ€™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 donโ€™t have to be long or complicated.

Your library stories can be a few sentences, a few paragraphs, or a few pages. Thereโ€™s no formula for length. If youโ€™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 donโ€™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 doesnโ€™t even have to be human, as youโ€™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.

โ€œIn a time of rapidly compounding technology generations, the most successful businesses will consistently deliver high touch to customer with one of our oldest traitsโ€”the telling of a story.โ€ โ€”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 Oโ€™Connor of University College Cork Library that I encourage you to read. Itโ€™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.


PS: Want more help?

How Storytelling Is Revolutionizing One Libraryโ€™s Video Strategy

Subscribe to this blog, and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

Metaโ€™s Next Move Could Hurt Libraries on Social Media! Here’s What We Know Right Now

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketingShow, episode 322

As if social media wasnโ€™t already hard enough for libraries, Meta may be about to raise the difficulty level โ€” 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 whatโ€™s coming, why it matters, and what libraries should be thinking about now so theyโ€™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.

Thanks for watching!โ€‚

P.S.: If you wish, you may download a transcript of this episode.


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