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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion

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๐ŸคฏInstagram Reels Is Wildly Different From TikTok! How To Decide Which Platform Is Best for Your Library

Watch this video

The Library Marketing Show, Episode 190

A few weeks ago, I revealed the results of an experiment I did by posting videos to TikTok. What I didn’t tell you at the time was that I was conducting the same experiment on Instagram Reels.

And WOW. The results were so different! I’ll share what happened, and what it means for your library, 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 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:

Putting ChatGPT to The Test: Will It Help Your Library With Promotions? Plus A Free Spreadsheet of Prompts To Get You Started!

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

When I was a kid, I always wanted a robot.

I blame The Jetsons. They made robots look fun and practical. I imagined my robot would do my chores for me and leave me more time to read.

Itโ€™s not exactly the same thing, but I must admit I am having some fun playing with ChatGPT. It canโ€™t clean my house or weed my flower bed. But it does make the work of library promotion easier, as you saw in last week’s post.

How to use ChatGPT 

ChatGPT isnโ€™t going to do all the work for you. And itโ€™s not perfect. But it can save you time. It can also help when you just aren’t feeling very creative.

Here are some basic tips that I gained from playing around with the tool.

  • Be as clear and specific as possible about what you want it to generate. For example, if you want the text to be a certain length, tell the tool.
  • Use conversational language like how you would speak or write.
  • Before giving it a prompt, ask the tool to take on a specific role. “Act like a social media specialist.”
  • If you have examples of the type of content you want ChatGPT to generate, provide them as part of your prompt.
  • If you aren’t satisfied with what the tool generates, you can ask it to try again. If it appears to get stuck, you can type in “Keep going” and it will continue. You can train it to generate more accurate responses by providing feedback. 

ChatGPT for Library Promotions Spreadsheet

Libraries love to share resources with each other. And I love that about libraries.

So, as I was writing this series, I thought it would be a good idea to start a spreadsheet where any library using ChatGPT could record their prompts. Then, if you ever want to use ChatGPT but don’t know what to ask it, you can refer to this shared spreadsheet!

I’ve divided the spreadsheet into categories: social media, website, blog posts, videos, emails, print materials, ads, annual reports, and other promotions.

Anyone can add or take a prompt anytime. I hope you find it to be helpful! Here’s the spreadsheet of ChatGPT prompts for library promotions.

Using ChatGPT for real-world library promotions

I asked a group of library marketers to share how theyโ€™re using ChatGPT. When they didn’t provide a direct example, I tested the application to see what results I would get for each task. As you’ll see, the results were varied.

To write letters and blog posts

The director of the Bibliotech Library used ChatGPT to write a letter to her patrons. She called the results โ€œโ€ฆa little genericโ€”but also shocking and a little creepy.โ€

To improve video scripts

To test this, I took the transcript of my intro from the May 10th episode of The Library Marketing Show and asked ChatGPT to make it โ€œmore interesting and succinct.โ€ Here are the results:

Are you making a big mistake with your library’s email marketing? It’s not too late to fix it! In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, we’ll explore a tweet from marketing expert Jay Acunzo, who suggests that we focus more on making our email content valuable rather than just growing our subscriber list. Let’s take a closer look at how we can ensure that the emails we send are truly worth sending.

I’m curious about which intro is more interesting to you! Let me know in the comments.

Social media posts

One library staffer said, โ€œIt gives me a starting place, and then I make it my own. I view it as a beginner writer and then Iโ€™m the final content creator and editor.”

I did my own experiment, asking ChatGPT to write a LinkedIn post promoting a webinar on the fantasy genre of books. Hereโ€™s what it came up with.

This post ended up getting the least number of impressions, likes, and comments of any of my LinkedIn posts in the past two weeks. I think that’s because it didn’t sound like me. Also, I’ve noticed ChatGPT is a little obsessed with emojis. I love emojis, but it likes to insert them in every sentence.

Ideas for blog posts

I asked ChatGPT to give me an idea for a blog post that would convince someone to donate to the library. It gave me a title and an entire outline!

Title: “Why Your Donation to Our Library Matters: Supporting the Heart of Our Community”

Introduction: Our library is a cornerstone of our community, providing access to books, educational resources, and community events. However, like many libraries, we rely on donations from our patrons and supporters to continue offering these vital services. In this blog post, we’ll explore why your donation to our library matters, and how it can help support the heart of our community.

Body:

1. Supporting literacy and education – Donating to our library means supporting literacy and education in our community. Your donation helps us to purchase new books, e-books, and audiobooks that educate and inspire people of all ages. Additionally, your donation can help us offer programs that support early literacy, such as storytimes, summer reading programs, and after-school homework help.

2. Creating a community hub – Our library is more than just a place to check out books. It’s a community hub that offers a range of services and resources, from free Wi-Fi and computer access to community events and meeting spaces. Your donation helps us to maintain and improve these services, ensuring that our library remains a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone.

3. Fostering lifelong learning – Our library is a place where people of all ages can learn new skills and discover new interests. From book clubs and writing workshops to coding classes and maker spaces, your donation helps us offer a wide variety of programs that foster lifelong learning and personal growth.

Conclusion: Donating to our library isn’t just about supporting a building or an institution. It’s about supporting the heart of our community – a place that provides access to knowledge, resources, and community events that bring us all together. Your donation helps us to continue offering these vital services, ensuring that our library remains a vibrant and vital part of our community for generations to come. Thank you for your support!

I found this answer to be pretty great. The only thing it’s missing is a patron-as-hero story, which would give the reader the chance a real-world example and build empathy. But this answer would be very helpful as a starting point.

Tag lines for book displays

I asked ChatGPT to create a tagline for a book display about the coronation of King Charles. Here are the results:

1. “The dawn of a new era: Explore the history of King Charles’ coronation.”

2. “Long live the king: Discover the story behind Charles’ ascension to the throne.”

3. “A royal affair: Step back in time to witness the coronation of King Charles.”

4. “From ceremony to history: Uncover the significance of King Charles’ coronation.”

5. “Crowning glory: Explore the pomp and circumstance of King Charles’ coronation ceremony.

This is a good example of the time limitations of ChatGPT. Because its data feed only extends to 2021, it assumed I was referring to King Charles I or King Charles II.

Training announcements

A library staffer told me that she asked ChatGPT to give her an announcement like the Star Wars opening scrawl. Here is the result:

Subject lines for email

I asked ChatGPT to write a subject line for an email about how to use ChatGPT for library promotions. Here is the result:

Revolutionize Your Library Promotion Efforts with ChatGPT: Here’s How.

I ran this subject line through Sharethrough’s Headline Analyzer. It got an average score. But it would be a good starting point if you were looking for ideas.

Data analysis

I entered this prompt into ChatGPT: “I sent an email to 2,516 people. It had a 56% open rate and a 13% click rate. 10 people checked out books they saw in the email and 14 signed up for programs. Is that good?” The application said:

Based on the information provided, it looks like your email campaign had a successful engagement rate.

The 56% open rate indicates that more than half of the people who received your email were interested enough to open it and see what it contained.

The 13% click rate means that of those who opened the email, a good portion clicked on a link within the email to learn more or take some sort of action.

With 10 people checking out books and 14 signing up for programs, it appears that your email had a direct impact on some people’s engagement with your library.

I agree with ChatGPT’s assessment.


More Advice

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

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Your Library Might Be Making a HUGE Mistake With Your Email Promotions butโ€ฆ It Can Be Fixed! Hereโ€™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. ๐Ÿ˜Š 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 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 Is All the Fuss About ChatGPT? An Introductory Guide for Using AI in Library Promotions

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

In my freshman year of college, a woman came to my Intro to Communications class to talk about the future of the Internet.

She told us that someday, the internet would keep track of our previous searches and purchases. She predicted that we would see ads for products and be offered discounts based on our search and purchase history.

I remember being simultaneously awed, intrigued, and scared by this vision of the future. Iโ€™m having that same feeling lately as I read and learn more about ChatGPT.

It’s likely your news and social media feeds have been filled with chatter about Chat Generated Paragraph Techniques or ChatGPT. Launched six months ago, itโ€™s become the center of every tech article and philosophical debate.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an advanced natural language processing tool that provides text or information to a user based on prompts.

Itโ€™s different from a chatbot in that it can remember past conversations and provide more sophisticated answers as it โ€œlearns.โ€ It allows users to provide follow-up corrections. It can reject inappropriate prompts and, allegedly, it can admit its mistakes. 

ChatGPT is free for now. There is a Plus version that promises to be โ€œavailable when demand is high,โ€ โ€œfaster response speedโ€, and โ€œpriority access to new features.โ€ It costs $20 a month.

Testing ChatGPT

I recently started playing with ChatGPT.

The very first prompt I gave it was What is library marketing? Here is the response.

Library marketing refers to the strategies and activities that libraries use to promote their services, collections, and programs to their target audience, which could be the local community or a specific group of users. The aim of library marketing is to increase the usage and visibility of library resources and services by building relationships with patrons, increasing awareness of library offerings, and creating engagement with library users.

Library marketing may involve a range of activities, such as creating promotional materials such as flyers, brochures, and newsletters, organizing events and programs, creating social media campaigns, developing partnerships with local organizations, and conducting outreach to underserved or marginalized communities. The goal is to reach potential users where they are, whether that be online or in person, and to communicate the value and relevance of the library’s offerings. By using effective marketing strategies, libraries can attract new users, retain existing patrons, and ultimately improve the overall impact of the library in the community.

ChatGPT

It’s a bit professorial but accurate.

Next, I asked ChatGPT to give me a social media post that would convince teenagers to participate in my libraryโ€™s summer reading program.

Hang on to your hats, folks.

Attention all teenagers! ๐Ÿ“ข๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŒž

Are you ready for an exciting summer filled with adventure, knowledge, and prizes? Join our library’s summer reading program and discover the joy of reading! ๐Ÿ“–๐ŸŒŸ

Not only will you get access to a wide variety of books and resources, but you’ll also have the chance to win awesome prizes for reaching your reading goals! ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ†

Plus, reading is the perfect way to unwind, escape into different worlds, and improve your vocabulary and critical thinking skills. ๐Ÿง ๐Ÿ’ญ

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for our summer reading program today and let the fun begin! ๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŒž๐Ÿ“š #SummerReading #LibraryLove #TeenReads

ChatGPT

Itโ€™s long. And why so many emojis??

I donโ€™t think Iโ€™ve ever heard a teen use the word โ€œaccess.โ€

And, in my experience, anytime you say, โ€œAttention all teenagersโ€, teens immediately run for the exits. So, it’s not perfect. That’s because it’s not human. And there are other problems with ChatGPT.

Downsides of ChatGPT

There are limitations and concerns about ChatGPT. Some are disturbing, especially for libraries. 

  • It may generate incorrect information.
  • It may occasionally produce harmful instructions or biased content.
  • It also has limited knowledge of the world and events after 2021. That’s because the original data feed provided by its creators happened that year. 

One major concern for libraries

For libraries, there is also a privacy concern.

In its privacy policy, Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT, say the application may collect personal information from your messages, any files you upload, and any feedback you provide. Conversations may be reviewed by OpenAI to improve the chat. This article has more information on the potential privacy and security risks.

There is also a healthy debate happening now about whether Google will penalize online content creators, including library websites and blogs, for using machine-generated text.

Google can detect website copy and blog posts that may contain ChatGPT content. They use machine learning algorithms (ironic!) to detect text patterns that are indicative of AI content.

Under current guidelines, Google considers AI content to be โ€œspammyโ€. Specifically, its guidelines say โ€œโ€ฆcontent thatโ€™s been generated programmatically without producing anything original or adding sufficient value: instead, that itโ€™s been generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings and not helping users.โ€

There does not appear to be a penalty at this time from Google for using ChatGPT to help with social media posts, emails, or ads.

So, should libraries use ChatGPT?

ChatGPT canโ€™t replace people (at least, not yet). The tool canโ€™t strategize or empathize. And it doesnโ€™t know the human experience of your cardholders.

But it can save you time. It can jumpstart the creative process and help you move past writer’s block.

And many library marketers are beginning to experiment with ChatGPT.

Ready to learn more? Read this post!


More Advice

But Iโ€™m Not a Writer! 10 Free Tools To Help You With Library Blog Posts, Speeches, Emails, and More.

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:

๐Ÿค”Honestly, What Is Engagement Anyway? 4 New Insights To Help You Achieve Library Marketing Success

Watch this video

The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 188

I admit it… sometimes, when I hear a marketer use the word “engagement,” I sigh. We throw that term around quite a bit.

Community engagement. Patron engagement. Email engagement. And lately, I’ve been thinking what does that actually mean?

Then, as if she was reading my mind, one of my favorite marketing experts sent out a newsletter with some details on how to really talk about and think about engagement. We’ll unpack that advice 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 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:

Good Marketing is Good Customer Service: 5 Cruise Industry Secrets to Steal For Your Library

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

My husband is an optimist.

In April 2020, about a month into the pandemic, we learned that our planned family cruise was canceled.

โ€œNo problem,โ€ said my darling spouse. โ€œWeโ€™ll rebook for August. Certainly, this will all be over by August.โ€

You know the rest of the story.

Our cruise was rebooked a total of FIVE times over the course of the next 18 months. We finally set foot on a ship this year. And despite what you may have heard about the state of the cruise industry, our latest trip was wonderful. Thatโ€™s due in part to the customer service on the ship.

And what I realized, as I was sailing through blue waters with a drink in hand, was that the marketing on the ship enhanced the customer experience.

So, I started writing down what I was learning to share with you. Here are the five big marketing lessons I learned while sailing.

Make it easy for your community to find the information they need.

It was easy to book on the company’s website. The cruise line walked us through each step of the pre-boarding process, with multiple touchpoints including videos, emails, and fliers mailed to our home. Any time we had a question, we could find the answer by heading to the cruise line website.

Your library’s website is as important a marketing tool as the sign on the outside of your physical location. In fact, I would argue that your library’s website is another branch of your library. Make certain your community can find what they need, when they need it, on your website.

If you have trouble figuring out how to organize your website, ask your front-line staff to make a list of theย questions your community asks. Track questions for one week to one month, depending on the size of your library. Then arrange your website so your community can find the answers to the most asked questions on your website. ย ย 

Handholding makes the experience smoother.

Once we booked our cruise, the company we sailed with began sending us a series of email onboarding messages. They walked us through the process of finishing our paperwork, reminded us to get our passports and vaccinations, relayed important safety information, and gave us advice on packing and navigating the port on embarkation day.

Mind you, this was not our first cruise. But this onboarding made our vacation run more smoothly. We didnโ€™t have to think about anything! We knew the company would give us the information when we needed it.

Show your community your library cares about the customer service experience of your organization by using onboarding email messages. Send new cardholders a series of emails designed to introduce them to services that your library has to offer.

And send current cardholders an onboarding series too! Once a year, re-introduce them to your select services. If they sign up for a program, send reminder emails in the days leading up to the event. For summer reading or other big initiatives, send periodic emails to encourage participation and remind them of incentives they can earn.

Repeating messages stick.

Remember the Marketing Rule of 7? The average person needs to hear a message seven times before it really sinks in.

On the ship, important announcements were repeated over the loudspeaker, on digital signs, in the daily calendar, and in automatic notifications from the cruise line app. Even on vacation, when I didnโ€™t have 1000 things at work and home competing for my attention, I needed to hear messages more than once to absorb them.

Repeating marketing messages result in something called the mere-exposure effect. This phenomenon finds that people show an increased preference for a stimulus as a consequence of repeated exposure to that stimulus.

In other words, the more you repeat your library marketing messages, the more likely people are to remember them and do the thing you want them to do! You may notice that I often repeat advice on this blog. Why? Because of the mere-exposure effect!

This doesn’t have to involve a lot of work for you, the library marketer. When youโ€™re creating your next promotion, focus first on what you will say. That’s your base message. Try to use as few words as possible. Write as if you were in conversation with your community member.

Example: Our Summer at the Library celebration begins May 31! Win prizes by completing reading goals and fun activities. Get ready by signing up for our digital tracker. Have any questions? Email us at mylibrary@mylibrary.org.

That language is short and direct. It can be repeated on social media platforms, email, digital signs, and posters. It wonโ€™t overwhelm readers. And it clearly tells community members how to participate.

One note: for some promotions, you wonโ€™t need to repeat your message on ALL channels. Think first about your target audience and where they are most likely to want to interact with your messaging.

For some programs, like summer reading, with a huge target audience, you may want to market on all channels. But for other, more niche promotions, you can focus on target platforms. This approach saves you time too!

People read signage when it’s done well.

The cruise shipโ€™s wayfaring signage was placed in key public areas and was simple and direct. And that was the only kind of signage! We knew when we saw a sign, it meant something.

If your library puts too many signs in too many places, youโ€™ll make it confusing for community members,ย who eventually tune out all that visual overload. Choose your sign placement carefully and strategically, and when in doubt, minimize. If you’re worried that people will get lost, then remember the next lessonโ€ฆ

Staff members are your secret weapon.

Every staff member on the ship was apparentlyย trained to answer any question, from how to find the bar, to how to reserve seats at the nightly show. ย If we needed any help, all we had to do was ask. What a treat!

This easy, comfortable staff interaction made the day so much better. We knew if we had any problems, the staff would have our backs.

With all the digital tools at our fingertips, it turns out that front-line library staff are the key communicators and customer service ambassadors. Train staff to understand that customer service is everyoneโ€™s job. They should be able to answer any question (or find the answer to any question) about any service, program, or department, even if they have never worked there.


More Advice

Libraries Have a Huge Competitive Advantage: Customer Service! Here Are 3 Promotional Tips To Drive Home That Message

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:

Itโ€™s Time To Make a Decision About Twitter: What Your Library Can Do in the Wake of New Restrictions

Watch this video

The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 187: As if Twitter wasn’t difficult enough for libraries… the rules have changed again. And it’s not good news.

On April 15, Twitter began restricting access to the “For You” feed. The only accounts that show up there are those that pay for the Blue checkmark.

So, it’s time to make a decision about your library’s Twitter presence. I’ll run through the options and give you my advice 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 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:

Push Play and Record: The Libraryโ€™s Guide to Video Production (including a list of equipment to fit your budget!)

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

There is nothing like putting a face on a story.

In my television news days, we worked hard to get on-camera interviews for every story. We knew that there was no better way to express emotion and build empathy for the subjects of our stories than to show their faces and hear their voices.

Your library can and should be producing videos for library marketing to build empathy and connection with your organization.

To be clear, I am not talking about TikTok or Instagram Reels videos. TikTok or Reels are fun and give you a chance to engage new audiences. And those videos do build brand awareness for your library.

But that should not be the only video your library is creating. Your library should produce some longer-form videos, lasting a minute or more, that tell a specific story or have a specific library marketing goal. These are videos you will embed on your website, and post natively to Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or Vimeo (or all the above if youโ€™re smart!)

Why?

Videos help you rank higher in searches.

According to Oberlo, more than 82 percent of global internet traffic comes from videos. That means video can be a powerful tool for driving community members to your website to check out your services.

Demand for video is increasing.

According to a survey conducted among consumers worldwide by Statista, people watched an average of 19 hours of online video content per week in 2022. That hourly total has been steadily rising since the survey was first conducted in 2018.

Every major social media platform will reward you for producing longer-form videos.

They boost video posts organically. And the more video your library posts to those platforms, the more organic reach your other posts will get.

Video makes your marketing memorable.

Video is the closest you can get to experiencing something without being physically present. Itโ€™s relatable. As I mentioned earlier, seeing faces and hearing voices builds empathy and allows people to really feel the emotions your videos convey.

And if you use staff in videos, community members will end up recognizing those staff members as they come into the library. They’ll feel more comfortable because they will “know” the person behind the desk.

Your libraryโ€™s long-form video strategy doesnโ€™t have to be complicated. And you donโ€™t have to break the bank to buy equipment. So, letโ€™s lay out a plan in three parts.

Set goals and brainstorm video ideas to meet those goals.

The easiest way to decide which videos to create is to refer to your libraryโ€™s strategic goals. What does your library wish to accomplish? Your videos should serve to make those strategic goals a reality. For this section, let’s pretend your library has a strategic goal to increase visits to the Makerspace by 10 percent in the next year.

Once you decide which of your libraryโ€™s overall goals to focus on, the next step is to set your own marketing goal for your videos. For example:

Your video marketing goals:

  • 1000 views on YouTube
  • 200 views on the library website
  • 50 Makerspace sessions booked by people who watched the videos.

Setting your video marketing goals before you decide what videos you want to create might feel backward. But youโ€™ll have more success if you set your marketing goals first. Thatโ€™s because youโ€™ll be asking yourself: What kind of videos will help me achieve these goals?

If you have trouble coming up with video ideas, try searching your website analytics to see what your cardholders are looking for when they visit your site. Do they have specific questions or use specific keywords or terms to search for information related to the strategic goal youโ€™re focusing on?

You can also check keywords used in Google searches in connection with your libraryโ€™s strategic goal. This keyword research will uncover the questions your community has related to the goal youโ€™re trying to accomplish. You can use video to answer those questions!

For our MakerSpace example, letโ€™s say you look at Google Analytics for your library website and you do Google keyword research. And you discover that people in your community are searching, for โ€œ3D printers near me.โ€  If your Makerspace includes a 3D printer, youโ€™ll want to make sure some of your videos are about that piece of equipment.

Letโ€™s say you also discover many searches of the phrase โ€œcost of 3D printingโ€.  Now you know that cost may be a barrier to use for some community members. You can address that with a video.

Plan and produce.

With your goals and keyword research in hand, itโ€™s time to make more concrete plans. Start brainstorming and make a list of ideas. Depending on your goal, you may want to produce more than one video.

Letโ€™s go back to our previous example of increasing visits to your Makerspace. Your library may decide to make a series of videos to reach your goal of 50 Makerspace sessions booked.

  • Interview a patron who made something unusual on the 3D printer.
  • Interview a patron who used your 3D printer for their small business.
  • Showcase Makerspace staff using the 3D printer to make common items, like repair parts, for a fraction of the cost of buying those parts.
  • Show how to book the Makerspace.
  • Show how a typical Makerspace session runs, from greeting to finished product.

It took me about five minutes to come up with that list! If you are having trouble coming up with ideas on your own, ask your co-workers. For our Makerspace example, it would make total sense to ask the staff working in the Makerspace to help you come up with ideas.

Plan your production.

Itโ€™s time to create a production schedule. Youโ€™ll want to add your videos to your regular editorial calendar, giving yourself plenty of time to produce them. In general, it will take you about a month to produce a video lasting one minute or longer. Hereโ€™s a sample schedule:

  • A week to write an outline or a script if necessary.
  • A week to get your outline or script approved.
  • A day to shoot the video.
  • A week to edit a draft.
  • A week for approvals and edits.

With this schedule, you could release one longer form video each month.

Refer to your video style guide as you begin the work of bringing each video to reality.

Now youโ€™re ready to shoot and edit your videos. Then, itโ€™s time to make some important decisions.

Choose the thumbnail picture for your video carefully.

The thumbnail picture is the billboard advertisement for your video. Research shows that faces are more likely to draw viewers. If you can, choose a face showing an emotion.

If you are creating a series of videos, be consistent with the look of your thumbnails. Youโ€™ll want your audience to recognize the video as being from your library and part of a series.

Use keyword research to come up with video titles. 

Video titles should be 100 characters or less, so youโ€™ll need to use that limited space to your best advantage. Do a few test searches to see what keywords lead viewers to popular videos. Then try to work those keywords into your video title.

Include a Call to Action and track results with special codes.

When you create and promote your videos, include a Bitly link to drive viewers to your website, catalog, or other owned property.

Promote your videos.

Itโ€™s not enough to post your video and forget it. Youโ€™ll make sure people see your video once itโ€™s released.

Within the first 24 hours of uploading and releasing a video, send an email to promote your video. Youโ€™ll want to match the content of your video to the segmented email list that will be most likely to want to view it. 

The exception to this rule would be system-wide video announcements, like the opening of a new branch or a change in service for your entire library system. You can send an email to your entire list, letting them know thereโ€™s a video available with exciting information! 

Email notifications about your video will alert your audience that the video exists. More people will watch the video. And the more views you get in the first 24 hours after youโ€™ve uploaded a video, the higher your video will appear in search rankings. 

Bonus: Affordable equipment list for library marketing videos

  • Camera: Canon EOS 2000D is great for beginners. It also has a Wi-Fi connection, so you can easily share your videos. And it gets great ratings. This package from Walmart is fairly priced and includes extras like memory cards, a backpack, and a tripod.
  • Ring light: The Sensyne Ring Light is an affordable option for libraries and it comes with its own tripod.
  • Wireless Lavalier microphones: Youโ€™ll want to buy at least two. This model from ZMOTG can be used with phones and a DSLR camera and gets great reviews.    
  • Editing software: Here’s a great list of free editing software.

More Advice

5 Easy and Surefire Ways To Decide What Videos You Should Create for Your Libraryโ€™s YouTube Channel

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My Boss Said โ€œNo!โ€ How To Get Buy-In From Senior Staff for Your Library Marketing Decisions

Watch this video

The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 186: One of my viewers is facing a conundrum.

They have been tracking data on posts on one social media platform. The data tells them that viewers are NOT responding to posts about events. They want to drive attendance at events. So, they want to switch tactics. But…

Their boss said “No.”

So, now what do they do?

I’ve been in this situation before. I’ll share my tips 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 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:

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