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Automated Email Marketing Is a Time Saver for Your Library but It May Also Be a Terrible Experience for Your Patrons! Here Are the Pros and Cons.

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

My maternal grandfather was small (he stood about 5 feet 3 inches tall) but mighty.

He returned from World War Two to a wife and four children. He made ends meet by farming, driving a milk delivery truck, and working on a road construction crew. He taught me to build fences, crack walnuts with a vise, and drive a tractor and a car.

My grandfather

When he died in 2016, I decided I wanted a bouquet of flowers at the funeral as a symbol of all that he meant to me. I ordered an arrangement online.

Imagine my surprise when a few months ago, I received this email.

A screenshot of an email showing a photo of flowers and the tagline, "The reasons are endless" urging me to send flowers to my grandfather again, "just because."

I admit, at first, I was shocked and baffled. But I work in marketing, so I understand this email was created using automation. And then, this email made me think about the pros and cons of automation for library email marketing.

The advantages of email automation

Automated email has one big advantage for library staff: It saves time.

Automated onboarding emails, reading suggestions, and program announcements will free up your time for other work. You can create a campaign, set it, and forget it.

Experts also say that open and click rates are higher for automated emails because they are more relevant to the recipient. 

The disadvantage of email automation

There is one big problem with automated emails, in my opinion. The personalization isn’t personal. It’s inauthentic. And there’s a chance it can go very, very wrong.

The email from the flower company is a perfect example. It has negatively impacted my feelings toward the flower company. If they really cared about me, and not just my business, they would have looked to see that I’d sent flowers to a funeral home. And they wouldn’t have tried to sell me another bouquet to send to my dead grandfather.

Here’s how this snafu relates to library marketing: Most automated email programs created for libraries automatically segment your audience into groups based on factors like previous card use. Those programs use algorithms that look at past card usage or reading history to predict future behavior.

But, as happened with the flower company, those algorithms are not always correct. They don’t allow for changing tastes or lived experiences. And they won’t expand a cardholder’s use of the library by introducing them to new services.

The bottom line is that past library card usage does not always predict future library card use.

For example, in the last year, my library card use has changed drastically. I’ve switched from mainly print fiction books to audiobooks. I’m now a heavy user of downloadable magazines. I’ve also recently discovered the joy of using my library card to read newspapers online (goodbye paywall!). And I’ve used my library’s Makerspace several times this year.

My life and my habits have changed. But, my home library, which uses automated email, has not sent me any emails that show they’ve noticed my changing habits. They send emails based on my pre-pandemic use of the library.

What do libraries do best? Personalized service!

Libraries don’t focus on transactions. We don’t rush our visitors. We listen and work until we get them the answer or the service that best solves their problem.

This is particularly true when it comes to book recommendations.

A reader’s interests are never set for life. And the things that are interesting about a book—the tone, pace, setting, and characters, cannot be managed by an algorithm. Reading suggestions and collection marketing can’t be replicated by robots.

So, as library marketers, we must be cautious to balance our need to save time, with the need to create a connection with our readers. And that means, if you use automated email marketing, you must always be evaluating the emails your library sends.

Ask yourself: Is this email serving my recipient with the content they want and need?

Two more potential pitfalls of automated email marketing

Irrelevant automated emails may be marked as spam by your recipients, hurting your sender reputation. Read more about how that can impact whether your email gets delivered to your recipients here.

Many programs that offer automated emails don’t allow you to add design elements that are specific to libraries. And that can be detrimental to your library’s brand. You want your community to recognize the promotional materials you make, including emails.

The advantages of manual email marketing

Good patron experience means that you encourage your email recipients to choose the content they want to receive from the library.

Your library should make your emails opt-in. This ensures your emails go to community members who want your content, which protects your sender reputation.

The opt-in model allows you to add the content to your emails your audiences have indicated they are interested in, giving your recipients control over what they receive. It also allows for flexibility to account for changing use and taste.

Finally, opt-in emails allow you to send when it’s best for your users, not for your library. All email programs offer scheduling. When you schedule your own emails, you can look at reports to see when your target audience responds best to your emails. You can adjust accordingly.

The disadvantage of manual email marketing

Time is the number one disadvantage of programs that require you to create emails manually. It takes precious time to write copy, choose images, and schedule your emails.

So, next week on Super Library Marketing: Time-saving techniques for creating library marketing emails. These tips will work whether your library chooses automated or manual email marketing!

P.S. You might also find this helpful

4 Simple Ways You Probably Haven’t Thought of To Boost Signups to Your Library’s Email Newsletter 

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Don’t Panic but… BIG Changes Mean Your Library Emails Might End Up As Spam. Here’s What You Can Do.

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 line is 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.

A fun tip to improve your sender reputation

Ask your library email recipients to reply to your emails! Marketing expert Ann Handley says this is actually the one important email metric you need to track.

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.

PS You might also find this helpful

4 Simple Ways You Probably Haven’t Thought of To Boost Signups to Your Library’s Email Newsletter 

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:

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Email Click Rates and Send Times: What Are the New Best Practices For Libraries??

Watch this video

#LibraryMarketing Show, episode 206

We’ve already established that your open rate is not necessarily the best way to measure the effectiveness of your library’s email marketing. It’s your click rate. But…

What is a good click rate? And when are you supposed to send your library’s emails? You’ll find expert advice on both of those important points in this episode.

Plus a wonderful library video earns this week’s Kudos award!

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

Thanks for watching!

Miss last week’s episode? No worries!

Will I see you soon?

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:

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The Top 7 Tips for Library Emails That Are Guaranteed To Appeal to Millennials and Gen Z Readers

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

I live with two members of Gen Z. Thanks to them, I know about trending TikTok audio, Temu, and K-pop. They’ve given me skincare and makeup advice.

And they use the library… not because I’m their mom, but because it has books and videos and music for free. One is working part-time while dealing with health issues, and the other is working two jobs to save for a house.

Like many young adults, they worry about their financial future. And they value institutions that build community.

Millennials and Gen Z combine to make up 53 percent of the world’s population. Born between 1981 and 2009, they’re the largest adult demographic.

And while I generally think it’s foolish to lump an entire group of people together for marketing purposes based on their birth year, there are some things we can say, based on research, that these two groups share.

  • They are readers.
  • They love BookTok, the special subsection of TikTok dedicated to readers.
  • They are more educated than previous generations.
  • They value experiences, like travel and entertainment.
  • They prefer shopping online to going to a store.
  • They do their research before buying products. 

Now, more research suggests your library can promote books and reading recommendations to teens and young adults using one main promotional tactic.

Email.

I know what you’re thinking: “Young people today don’t read email.”

Have I got some statistics for you!

Millennials and email

According to Pew Research Center, Millennials encompass anyone between the ages of 27 and 42.

  • 1 in 3 millennials check their email as soon as they wake up.
  • 73 percent of millennials prefer that companies communicate with them through email.
  • Nearly 51 percent of millennials say email influences their purchasing decision.

Now, of course, your library is not selling anything.

Or is it?

Most of the libraries I work with have two overarching goals:  increase circulation and increase visitors.

And while library users do not have to pay to participate in those activities, it makes sense for libraries to use the same strategies that brands do for selling products.

So here are four ways to finesse your email to appeal to millennials.

Design is important.

Millennials have a sophisticated eye for visual content. Whatever email marketing platform you use, be sure you follow the best practices for email design. That includes templates with beautifully designed graphics or photos, particularly of faces showing emotion.

  • Use as little text as possible, in a font of at least 14 points.
  • Keep your color choices within your brand… no glowing neon blue fonts!
  • Promote no more than 4 things in your email and add plenty of white space between the email blocks for a clean look.

Here’s a great example from Camden County Library.

Be friendly and as personal as possible.

If your email provider allows you to personalize your emails with a first name, do so. That’s a great way to capture the recipient’s attention in the inbox.

But for true personalization, focus on the content. Spend time thinking about what they want and need from your library. Then, create interest groups based on those wants and needs.

Follow Delafield Public Library’s example. Their newsletter signup is on their homepage.

That link leads to an opt-in page with Hobbies and Interests choices right at the top.

How are you supposed to know the wants and needs of your Millennial audience? Well, if your library does an annual survey, segment your results based on age. What are the aspirations and motivations of this group? For example, if they say they are looking for a place to network and find community, your email messages should focus on the services you provide that meet those needs.

If your library doesn’t do an annual survey, look at the statistics you have on hand, such as circulation or program attendance. You can get a sense of what your patrons in this age group want and need from your library.

You can also reach out to partner organizations that work with this age group for their input on how your library can serve and market to millennials.

Finally, you can use Google Analytics to see what users in this age group do when they come to your website. Use your promotional tactics to market those sections of your website.

Watch your language.

Remember how your high school and college English professors praised you for using big words and complicated sentence structures? They did you a disservice.

The most effective text in email for Millennials is conversational and casual. For your library emails, move away from formal language. Instead, talk to this audience as if they were real people, standing in front of you at the desk.

After you write your email, read it through slowly and check to see if there are any sentences or phrases that you could say more simply. Read it out loud. If your email sounds professorial, try re-phrasing your text to be more conversational.

Share stories of other Millennials using the library.

Millennials love social proof. They want to see people their age using the library.

I know you’ve been gathering stories to share in your marketing campaigns. You can share those stories in your emails as well.

Use a few lines from a story, with a photo in your emails. If you have a longer version of the story on your blog or in video form, add a call-to-action button that allows readers to see the full version.

Gen Z and email

According to the Pew Research Center, Gen Z encompasses anyone ages 14 to 26.

I’m just going to say this again because I know it’s hard for you to believe. But Gen Z does read email. In fact:

  • 58 percent check their inbox more than once a day.
  • 57.5 percent say they don’t mind if a brand sends them emails several times a week.
  • But here is the biggest statistic I want you to remember: According to Campaign Monitor, the average member of Gen Z gets only 20 emails a day.

That’s an advantage for your library because you don’t have to compete for attention in the inbox. Don’t make the mistake of most brands, who assume this audience doesn’t read email!

Here are three ways to create emails that appeal to this important age group.

Keep it short.

Gen Z members have spent their whole lives scrolling Instagram and TikTok. They are accustomed to short digital content, especially from brands (Yes, they do read and enjoy long books and movies). But their expectation from brands, including your library, is for shorter content.

  • Send more emails that contain fewer pieces of information.
  • Limit your text to 2 or 3 sentences.
  • Use images and white space to break up your text.
  • Have one call to action button.

Here’s a great example from Community Library.

Keep it visual.

Gen Z members love a good visual. Graphics work really well with this audience to convey information in a simple way that is accessible to many audiences.

And Gen Z brains are hard-wired for visuals. They’re used to glancing at a graphic and processing the information quickly. So try an email with a graphic to see if you get better engagement than with plain text.

Make it interactive.

Gen Z likes to have fun online. And that’s great for you because it means you get to have some fun creating your emails!

There are four ways to incorporate interactivity into your emails.

  • Create quizzes using free quiz creators like Slido or Quizmaker.
  • Add a GIF.
  • Add a poll or survey to your emails. Google Forms is my go-to for these and it’s free.
  • Add a countdown timer.

More Advice

How Taylor Swift, Pedro Pascal, and Other Trends Led a Library Social Media Marketer to TikTok Success

Upcoming Appearances

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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:

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Your Library Might Be Making a HUGE Mistake With Your Email Promotions but… It Can Be Fixed! Here’s How.

The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 189

Your library may be making a gigantic mistake when it comes to email marketing!

But don’t worry, it’s not too late to fix it. 😊 I’m going to talk about how to make sure your emails are exactly what your community needs in this episode.

Plus we give away kudos! Watch the video to find out which library is being recognized.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments. 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:

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8 Secrets to Writing Irresistible, Must-Open Library Email Subject Lines PLUS 6 Free Tools To Ensure Success!

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Your subject lines play a significant role in the success of your library email marketing campaigns. They’re the first thing your recipients notice about your emails. 

And a good subject line is crucial because you can’t get email recipients to take an action, like registering for a program or downloading a book, unless they open your email.

The subject line is also the most difficult part of the email to create, at least for me! So today I’m going to share the tricks I use to write better subject lines. I’ve shared these tips with the libraries I’ve worked as well as my own staff at NoveList. We’re using these tips to increase open and click-through rates.

And I want to issue a challenge.

I want to see your best library marketing subject lines! When you write a great subject line, just forward the email to ahursh@ebsco.com.

At the end of every month, I’ll recognize the best subject lines from libraries in the Kudos section of The Library Marketing Show.

Here are 8 tips to help you create those irresistible library marketing email subject lines. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for 6 free online tools to help you make sure your subject line is the best it can be.

Tip #1: Write the subject line AFTER you create the email.

If you write the body of the email first, you’ll have the tone, the graphics, and the call to action decided by the time you get to the subject line. Those elements will help you write a subject line that works well for the email. By the time you get to it, the subject line might write itself!

Tip #2: Be personal.

Many libraries don’t have the budget for the automated personalization of emails. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still add a personal touch to your subject line.

Email marketing expert Jay Schwedelson says open rates increase when you add a personal touch. According to Jay’s research, here are some specific examples of exactly how much open rates increase when you add this bit of personalization.

  • Geography: 26 percent. Example: Join other readers in Smithville and take the Winter Reading Challenge.
  • Life Event: 31 percent. Example: High school seniors get an extra boost of confidence with the library’s online college prep course.
  • Hobby or interest: 22 percent. Example: Knitters… we want to help you create your next project!
  • Generation: 25 percent. Example: Gen Xers—get a dose of movie nostalgia with Kanopy!

Personalization signals to your community that a real person was thinking of them when they sent this email.

Tip #3: Say something urgent. 

Urgency can create the “fear of missing out”(FOMO) effect in your emails.

For example, you can use urgent language to promote the Big Library Read promotions from Overdrive. This is a limited-time offer and using urgent language in the subject line is appropriate. Phrases like Hurry, Limited time offer, and Ending soon will increase participation.

You can also use urgent language to promote programs with a registration cap. Phrases, like Grab your seat now, will prompt people to open your library’s emails and increase registration and attendance.

Tip #4: Start with an “alert” phrase.

Using words like Alert, Sneak peek, First look, and Hey there to stop email recipients from scrolling past your message in their inbox. You might think they’re so overused by big brands that there is no way a library cardholder will engage with that language. You’d be wrong.

Cardholders are honestly accustomed to very serious library emails which avoid alert language. So, when you do use it, it grabs their attention.

Tip #5: Use sentence case.

Your library emails should be written to connect with people. For everyone but the President of the United States or the King of England, that means a more conversational tone.

Sentence case will make your library email seem like it’s coming from a friend. For example: Do this one last thing for your library in 2022 or If you love free books, you’ll want to open this email.

Tip #6: Use emojis.

Emojis work because the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text. More than 90 percent of the information that we process is visual.

The emoji drawing stands out in a line of letters. And if your recipient is using a device that adds color to the emoji, that also makes your subject line pop.

For example, 🎵 Now THIS sounds like a fun Tuesday night! Or Best 👏 book 👏 ever! 👏

Tip #7: Attempt alliteration.

Alliteration can break the monotony for someone scanning through their inbox. It’s catchy and memorable.

And you don’t have to do it for every word in your subject line. Use it on two or three keywords and watch your open rate increase. For example, Fast fixes for the winter reading blahs or Grandparents get groovy at the library’s new exercise class.

Tip #8: Use a subject line analyzer.

There are lots of free choices. Each has its own method for predicting the success of a subject line.

A good rule of thumb is to run your subject line through two or three analyzers. If you consistently get a good score, you’ve got a good subject line!

Here are six free options.

More advice

The Emoji Experiment: The Pros and Cons of Adding Emojis to Your Library Marketing Email Subject Lines

5 Surprisingly Easy Ways to Write Email Subject Lines That People Actually WANT to Read

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Click Now! What’s a Good Click-Thru Rate For Library Marketing and How Do You Make Your CTR Rise?

Click to watch the episode.

The Library Marketing​​​​​​​​ Show, Episode 166: This episode is all about click-thru rates for digital promotions!

This topic was suggested by a viewer named Lily who says, “We have a super high open rate and super low click-through rate. Could you talk CTRs?” I sure can!

Kudos in this episode go to the Oxford University Libraries in New York.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments. And subscribe to this series to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.

I have a favor to ask. Can you take this five-minute survey about professional development? Thank you!

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.

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Make Sure Your Library Promotional Emails Get Noticed in the Inbox! Here Are Some Tips That Actually Work.

The #LibraryMarketing​​​​​​​​ Show, Episode 162: This episode is my response to a recent comment by a library staffer. They believe that marketing emails aren’t worth their time because people receive too many emails from brands.

That’s a common misconception. I’ll explain why it’s not true and share some tips for making sure your library marketing emails get opened and clicked on!

Kudos in this episode go to Kathy Zappitello. Watch to find out why she’s being recognized.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.

And subscribe to this series to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.

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.

3

📧How to Do Library Email Segmentation for Promotions on a Limited Budget![VIDEO]

Watch Now

The Library Marketing​​​​​​​​ Show, Episode 138: In this episode, I’ll answer a viewer’s question. Michelle from Atlantic Public Library writes, “I am the director of a small library serving about 7,000 people in rural southwest Iowa. You have inspired me (and my board) to make marketing a higher priority and include it in our new strategic plan. I have just over 1,000 folks signed up for my e-mail newsletters. Does it make sense to invest our very limited publicity funds into a product that allows segmented lists for such a (relatively) small community?”

Kudos in this episode go to the Grosse Pointe Public Library. Watch the video to find out why they’re being recognized.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments. And subscribe to this series to get a new video tip for libraries each week.

Thanks for watching!

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

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