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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion

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Protect Your Library Marketing: 6 Smart Strategies for Turbulent Times

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

I will confess to you that I am worried about the future of libraries.

The news that the current United States Presidential administration intends to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library services is devastating. For some libraries, the funding from IMLS accounts for a huge percentage of their annual budget. In my day job with NoveList, I’ve heard that some U.S. libraries are worried they won’t have enough money to buy books, let alone pay staff and keep buildings open.

Libraries in other parts of the world are facing threats, too. Canadian libraries are beating back book censorship challenges. In the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, funding cuts continue to threaten libraries. It’s a scary and infuriating time to be a library marketer.

I’ve been compiling a list of things that library marketers can do to protect their jobs and prove the value of their promotions and their libraries. Putting a plan in place and acting on that plan makes me feel less helpless and hopeless. So, here’s what I want you to do.

Stay focused: Set goals and center your energy there

Focus is critical during turbulent times. You may be tempted to think that you must promote everything the library offers to fight back against budget cuts. But I can say from experience that this method is ineffective and exhausting for you and your audience.

This is where goal setting can be critical. Pick the three biggest goals for your library for the next six months. For example, you might say Summer Reading, opening a new branch, and increasing the circulation of print items.

Next, you set goals for each of those three items. Use numbers, active verbs, and decide on a timeline for when that goal will be completed. Do not set a goal of “We hope to get more people to participate in Summer Reading.” Instead, say, “By August 15, we will increase participation in Summer Reading across all age groups by 10 percent.”  

Next, use the divide and conquer method to focus your promotions on those goals. You’ll want to spend about 75 percent of your promotional time on these three key areas. What will you do with the other 25 percent?

Incorporate value-driven messages into your calendar

With the remaining 25 percent of your energy, you’ll focus on repeated messaging that conveys core library values. Use messaging that focuses on the library as a welcoming place where privacy is protected and where community members can pursue learning, creativity, and connection. Here are 4 ideas for how to do that.

1. Use positive storytelling

      Share real-life stories of how the library is a refuge for students, job seekers, new residents, and others who need a safe, quiet, or supportive environment. Give your patrons opportunities to share why the library feels like a safe and welcoming place for them through video clips, quotes, or social media posts. Need inspiration? Here’s how one library marketer does it.

      2. Feature library services that center on safety and comfort

      Promote meeting spaces, quiet study areas, free Wi-Fi, literacy programs, or social services partnerships that help patrons feel secure and supported.

      3. Celebrate the joy of reading

       A Scottish librarian once told me, “Reading for pleasure is fairy dust.” It’s magic. It transports you, teaches you, and inspires you.

      One way to connect with the readers in your community is to do more collection promotion, focused on the joy that the reading experience brings. Your readers are fierce library supporters, and they’ll be the first to defend you from attacks. Engage them with more reading recommendations!

      4. Use visual cues in the library

      Display signage that communicates safety and inclusivity, such as “All Are Welcome Here”, “Your Library, Your Space”, and “Come as you are. Stay as long as you like.” You can use AI to help you come up with short, non-political phrases that will convey the message of welcoming.  

      Build your email lists

      Social media platforms are more divisive, and many people are leaving them. You need a way to directly communicate with your community without algorithms! Right now, start working on building your subscriber list for emails. Here is a step-by-step guide for doing that.

      Track metrics to prove your value

      I know it’s time-consuming. But tracking marketing metrics helps you prove the value of your work by providing data-driven evidence of your impact on the community.  

      Metrics like email open rates, social media engagement, and website traffic show how well your library is connected with patrons. Compare your metrics to the industry averages to show the value of email marketing.

      You should also track event registrations, program attendance, and resource usage tied to promotions. These numbers will allow you to show how marketing drives participation. For example, if you track metrics, you can tell your supervisor and your board of trustees that the rise in participation in summer reading was the direct result of your promotional campaign. when requesting funding or staffing.

      Hard data will help protect the funding and staff you may have to work on marketing. If you don’t believe it, this library’s experience with metrics may cause you to change your mind.

      Remind yourself of your successes

      Library marketing always comes with setbacks, but remembering your past successes reminds you that you’ve overcome challenges before and can do so again. I have two ways that I practice this concept.

      Every two weeks, I write a post for our company Teams channel about the content and emails we’ve released and their results (if I have them already!). I also give shout-outs to the coworkers who helped us with different pieces of marketing. I don’t ever want to take it for granted that everyone I work with knows what my team does and why our work is valuable.

      At the end of every day, I take just a second to acknowledge everything I have done that day. It’s a simple but effective way to remind yourself that you are working hard and making progress… because progress in marketing sometimes seems very slow!

      Network with others

      This is the perfect time to join groups that relate to your work. You may need those connections if your job is threatened. And it’s always a positive boost to have people who understand library marketing in your circle.

      The Library Marketing Book Club is a great option! We meet every two months to discuss a marketing book and to share ideas about marketing. In between meetings, we celebrate successes and ask for help with projects on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. You can sign up for the club here.

      Need more inspiration?

      How To Persuade Library Leaders To Take Your Marketing Advice

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      🥊Inside the Story of How NYPL’s Marketing Team Fought Back Against Budget Cuts and Won!

      Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

      When Jennifer Fermino graduated from college with a B.A. in English, she needed help figuring out how to put together a resume that would land her a job in communications. She found that help at what was then the New York Public Library’s Mid-Manhattan Library (now the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library).

      “It was an invaluable resource for a young person who really didn’t know what she was doing or how to translate any of her job skills, which was then primarily waitressing and nannying, into the career path I was aiming for,” recalls Jennifer. “I would also add I am in good company: President Obama also credits the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library with helping him get his first job.”

      And now, 20 years later, after stints as a reporter for the New York Post and the New York Daily News, as well as PR agencies and as Communications Director for the New York City Council, Jennifer works for NYPL as Vice President for Communications and Marketing. She’s been at her dream job for about a year and a half.

      “It’s amazing to work for a system that serves three boroughs in the greatest city in the world (Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island),” enthuses Jennifer. “We have 92 locations and there is never a dull day.”

      Jennifer and a team of nearly 30 people run all marketing and promotions for the library. And her first 18 months on the job were, shall we say, a trial by fire.

      New York City Mayor Eric Adams proposed huge cuts to the library’s budget earlier this year… $58.3 million to be exact… that would have forced NYPL to dramatically reduce hours. The budget cuts also threatened the library’s budget for books, programs, and maintenance. Prior cuts, enacted in late 2023, forced all NYPL branches to close on Sundays.

      Soon after these new cuts were announced, NYPL, along with the Brooklyn and Queens Public Libraries, launched a massive campaign to show the importance of the city’s three libraries. And New Yorkers, as well as library lovers from across the country (myself included) jumped in to show their support.

      For months, I was served a social media post from NYPL every time I went online, on all channels. It felt like a coordinated, consistent effort to keep reminding people of the threat of the cuts. And that’s why I reached out to Jennifer. I wanted to know how her team managed the campaign.

      “It was a sustained effort to tap into the goodwill that people have for libraries and keep the cuts front and center,” says Jennifer. “I give huge credit to Victoria Reis, our social media manager, who is creative and has an understanding of both online culture and our audience.”

      “We began repurposing the famous “This is fine’ meme with our mascot Patience and it was an immediate hit with our followers. People really connected to the campaign, and the message – that we already lost Sunday service and were in danger of losing more – resonated.”

      “The reaction kept growing and growing. Towards the end of the campaign, one of our memes – again a repurposing, this time of the “girl explaining” meme, went over the top viral. Last I looked it had over 7M views on X (Twitter).”

      The team included messaging on other channels as well and worked hard to stay coordinated.

      “Special shoutout to our talented Managing Editor Katherine Ward, whose job was to keep it all together for us,” declares Jennifer.

      The team coordinated messaging using four main tactics:

      • Their NYPL Connect newsletter, which I encourage any library or NYC lover to sign up for, as well as regular reminders of the cuts on our home page.
      • Letter writing stations in branches in which patrons could easily write city leaders to support libraries.
      • Rallies of supporters at City Hall that the press was invited to cover.
      • And, as mentioned, a fun, creative social strategy.

      “We honestly didn’t know what was going to happen – everyone was hopeful but on pins and needles,” remembers Jennifer. “Reporters started calling me saying they had sources saying we would be saved, but I refused to believe it until it was official. People were congratulating us, but I felt like it was jinxing us. It took a bit for me to finally accept that it was over.”

      “Thankfully, the Mayor has a history of supporting libraries, and we are grateful that he funded us. We also had the City Council, including Speaker Adrienne Adams, firmly in our corner throughout.”

      “But I can say that our campaign engaged New Yorkers and showed how much people love their libraries, which is so important in the budget process.”

      While they fought the budget cuts, NYPL’s marketing team had other promotions to balance.

      “We had launched our “Books for All” campaign celebrating the freedom to read and standing against book bans right before the cuts were enacted,” explains Jennifer. “We continued that campaign all year long because the issue is of such importance to us.” 

      “We also just finished our ‘Summer at the Library’ campaign with Brooklyn and Queens to promote reading and education city-wide during the summer break for schools. Although not technically part of the advocacy campaign, efforts like this help show why funding libraries is so important.”

      And speaking of partners, Jennifer looks to her allies at the Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library for inspiration.

      “We are always exchanging ideas and talking about how to engage New Yorkers,” says Jennifer. “It is a great relationship. We are partners throughout the advocacy campaign and continue to do great work together.”

      “In fact, we are planning a national Freedom To Read Day of Action on Oct. 19 with Brooklyn and Queens, as well as the American Library Association, Unite Against Book Bans, and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries to stand against censorship. We have many libraries already signed up and invite everyone to join us.”

      P.S. You might also find this helpful

      Library’s Print Magazine Is a Community Must-Read! Here Is Their Secret Formula.

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