When I worked at a large public library, I thought bookmarks were worthless in terms of library marketing. I was wrong! In this episode, I’ll explain why I changed my mind. Plus I’ll show you how to use bookmarks to engage with readers.
Kudos in this episode go to the King County Library System for their Virtual Welcoming Center.
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!
You don’t have to do a whole lot of searching to find stories of public relations nightmares caused by a social media scandal.
All it takes is one slip-up, accidental or intentional. A library employee creates an offensive post on an official account, shares confidential information, or lets their anger get the best of them… and you have a situation on your hands. Libraries have also found themselves the target of social media trolls, who take a thread so far out of control that it catches the attention of the community, the algorithm, and sometimes the press.
Libraries have enough to deal with. You don’t want these potential problems keeping you up at night.
Your library can implement two strong social media policies to help avoid these situations: one that lays out the guidelines for how your staff will use social media to communicate with the public, and the second that sets the rules for how your community interacts with you and others on your official library accounts.
In this post, we’ll make suggestions for what should be included in these two policies.
Internal library social media policy
Are library staff allowed to use social media at work?
Social media access during work hours can be beneficial to your library. A Pew survey found that 20 percent of people use social media to find information that helps them solve problems at work. And you’ll want your staff to feel free to promote their work and advocate for the library, even on their personal accounts.
Your staff social media policy should respect the rights of employees while protecting your library. Here’s what to include in this section.
Staff should be open about who they are and where they work when posting about the library.
Staff should be clear that their opinions are their own. State that you expect them to use good judgement, and be aware that their posts are permanent, retrievable, and public.
Staff should not disclose proprietary information about your library. For instance, they should not publicly disclose service costs, salaries, upcoming service changes, or future initiatives that have not yet been announced.
You will also need to address the use of personal devices for staff who post on the library’s official accounts. You may want to purchase a library-owned mobile device where all apps and content will be produced.
Finally, clearly state the procedures for when a staff member wants or needs to post something to your library’s official accounts during off-hours.
Which library staff members can post on the library’s official accounts?
Specifically outline which staff members will have authorization to create, maintain, and delete official company accounts.
You should also define who keeps track of passwords and where will those passwords be saved.
Include a process for granting access to new employees.
Finally, specify the procedure for securing your library’s social media accounts when a staff member leaves the library’s employment.
What content will be posted on the library’s social media channels?
Clearly state who will be responsible for developing and implementing your organization’s social media strategy.
Decide who will be responsible for making sure all posted content is accurate, how mistakes will be corrected, and what the approvals process will be.
Clearly define all relevant laws and regulations that must be followed for official library posts, including copyright, fair use, financial disclosures, and defamation.
Make sure your policy prohibits the use of plagiarized content, inappropriate jokes, obscene text and images, and discriminatory remarks on your library’s official accounts.
Most library staff are protective of patron privacy. But your policy will still need to include wording that prohibits staff from posting patron information.
How will engagement be handled?
Your policy should make it very clear who will moderate posts and comments. You’ll want to lay out scenarios for responding to customer service messages. For instance, what should a staff member do if someone sends the library a Twitter DM about a problem with their library card? What if someone posts a comment on Instagram complaining about how they were treated by branch staff?
Define the circumstances for when staff will be allowed to remove posts or comments.
Clearly state who will be responsible for recording and analyzing metrics for your various accounts and whose job it will be to adjust strategy or tactics as determined by that data.
Customer-facing social media policy
Your library should define expectations for followers on social media with a short policy which contains a few clear points. I’ve created a policy below which you are free to copy and customize for your library.
The Library encourages participation on all its social media platforms; however, we ask that users keep postings and comments appropriate for all audiences.
The Library reserves the right to remove any content that is deemed, in its sole view, to be inappropriate in nature. That includes posts that contain:
Obscene content or hate speech
Personal attacks, insults, or threatening language
Private or personal information, including phone numbers and addresses, or requests for personal information
Potentially libelous statements
Plagiarized material
Commercial, political, or religious messages unrelated to the Library or its social media postings
Solicitation of funds
The Library also reserves the right to ban or block users who violate this policy. The Library is not responsible for the content posted by others on its social media platforms. User content is the opinion of the specific author and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the Library.
Did I miss anything? Does your library have a social media policy that you are willing to share? Let us know in the comments below.
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I recently learned that there are some library marketers who face push back when they try to make sure their marketing materials are accessible.
Accessibility is a library mission. One in five people around the globe live with a disability. Libraries will never be truly inclusive until they design services, programs, and marketing with this group in mind. And so, in this episode, I’ll share some strategies to help you make sure this goal becomes a reality at your library.
Kudos in this episode go to the Hutchinson Public Library for their advocacy idea that they deploy during Library Lovers Week.
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!
In this episode, I’ll share the MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to do in library marketing and why you must make time for this step!
Kudos in this episode go to the Madison Library District for their commitment to marketing on Pinterest.
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.
No, this blog hasn’t suddenly turned into a philosophical self-help website. But I do think it’s important to make learning and research a part of your work schedule.
You need to know the latest research on customer experience. You need to be alerted when social media algorithms change. You need to be inspired by creative, encouraging, thoughtful people who know the struggles, hurdles, and frustrations of marketing.
Boy, have I got a list for you!
I’ve followed a lot of marketers over the years. I’ve read a lot of blogs, subscribed (and then unsubscribed) to a lot of email newsletters. I’ve watched videos and listened to podcasts about marketing, in the never-ending search to find the people who could offer the most help to me and my library marketing friends.
Here are the seven best places for library marketers to get advice!
Next, sign up for her newsletter, Total Annarchy. It’s the gold standard for e-newsletters and one of my favorite pieces of email to receive!
Mark Schaefer: Marketing strategist, author, and podcaster.
Mark is a human being. I mean, that’s obvious. But what I’ve always loved about him is that he gives advice like he’s your best friend. He’s not afraid to talk about the hard truths of promotional work.
Back in 2014, he started warning marketers about content overload (sometimes also referred to as content shock). This is the idea that people don’t pay attention to marketing because there is just too much stuff bombarding them from all angles.
This was pretty revolutionary for the time, and as I recall, there were a lot of people who thought Mark was nuts.
But he was right. And that’s why he’s written seven best-selling marketing books, launched a podcast, and is a popular speaker.
Jay Baer: NY Times best-selling author, marketing consultant, keynote speaker.
Jay is an expert in the content marketing and social media space.
He has two podcasts that contain tips that relate to libraries. Social Pros focuses on real people doing real work in social media. Talk Triggersshares inspirational case studies about businesses succeeding with word of mouth marketing.
What do Ann Handley, Jay Baer, and Mark Schaefer all have in common? They’ve all been guests at the Library Marketing Book Club on Facebook!
Chris Boivin of the Jacksonville Public Library founded the group in the fall of 2020. We meet once a month to discuss a marketing book and to share tips and strategies for library marketing. Chris is usually able to get the author of the books we discuss to come to our meetings!
This is the go-to organization for everything related to content marketing. I came to know of the existence of Ann Handley, Jay Baer, and Mark Schaefer because of this organization.
Sign up for Chief Content Officer magazine (its free) and for their email newsletter. You’ll get the heads-up on upcoming seminars, free webinars, eBooks, and white papers.
Follow their Twitter for great advice and alerts when they post new blog articles. CMI also hosts #CMWorld chat on Tuesdays at noon EST on a host of relevant marketing topics.
This is my go-to website to check for the latest information on changing social media algorithms, new features, and tips on how to get the best organic reach.
The easiest way to consume their plethora of tips is to sign up for their daily newsletter. They also host #SMTLive chats on Twitter on a variety of social media topics. You can find recaps of their past Twitter chats on their website.
This website makes a good companion for Social Media Today. It provides a deeper dive into social media marketing, with expert advice from some of the leading marketers in the space.
They have a variety of ways for you to receive updates. They post articles and have a robust YouTube channel full of tutorials and shows about social media marketing. They also have two podcasts chock full of information about social media and more expert interviews.
Do you have an expert that should be added to this list? Let me know in the comments!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
In this episode, I’ll give my suggestions for programming your social media posts so you can get some time back in your schedule for all of the other stuff you do!
Do you have a system for scheduling social media posts ahead of time? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Kudos in this episode go to the Adrian District Library for their “Lit in a Minute” book reviews on YouTube.
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.
This is going to sound crazy but one of the most enjoyable parts of my day is the moment when I get to check something off my to-do list.
Recently, one of my readers asked me if I have a checklist for library marketing. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t missing any opportunities to promote her library.
Of course I do! Scroll down for the master checklist for library marketing.
But just because there are so many tactics available to market your library doesn’t mean that you should use every one. There is a bit of science involved in deciding when and where to run a library promotion.
To help you make these decisions, there is a series of questions you need to ask yourself. Do this every time you create a marketing campaign for anything at your library. This will ensure your promotions are effective and you are working efficiently.
How does this event, service, or item serve your library’s strategy?
Every piece of marketing you do needs to be in service of reaching your library’s strategic goals. They are the reason you come to work every morning. So make certain there is a solid connection between your promotional efforts and your library’s overall strategy.
What do you know about your current cardholders and the people who live in your community?
A clear image of the person who will consume your marketing messages will help you do a better job of marketing to them.
Where do these cardholders live? How do they engage with your competitors like Amazon and other bookstores? Where do they get their news? Do they have access to Wi-Fi? Do they have children? What is their living situation like? Do they work? What is their transportation situation?
The answers to these questions will help you create promotions that resonate with your intended audience.
Now it’s time to decide what to promote, how to promote, and when to promote. Here are three rules to live by when figuring out the best channel for your library marketing.
Don’t feast at the buffet of tactics.
You don’t have to use every tactic available to you. Choose which ones will work best for each promotion. It’s a smarter use of your time and energy.
For example, my library held a teen poetry contest in April every year. We know that teens are typically considered to be a really hard audience to reach. So I went after their parents and teachers!
I marketed the contest on our website, in social media, on the digital signs in branches, with posters, and with email. Notice all the categories I didn’t use!
I didn’t send a press release because I had no evidence from past years to show that promoting this contest in the news would get us more entries. I didn’t use all the signage options available to me because teens don’t pay attention to signs. And I didn’t include the contest in our content marketing publicationbecause the average reader of that publication was an older empty-nester–not the right audience for that promotion.
For each promotion, use only the tactics that work best for the intended target audience. You’ll be more efficient and effective!
Determine how you will measure success.
You must make sure that you accurately document the results of every promotion you do. This will help you to adjust your promotions to improve effectiveness. Keep meticulous records of data as it comes in.
As a starting point, you can measure every promotional request against two basic rules.
If the promotion doesn’t result in higher circulation, program attendance, or usage, don’t do it. If the promotion is not tied directly to the library’s overall strategy, cut it.
When I worked at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, my marketing team conducted a year-long experiment to see if we could drive attendance at events. We hypothesized that emails sent to targeted cardholders would result in higher attendance.
We were wrong.
We did 118 branch promotional emails that year and only half were effective in boosting attendance AT ALL. With that data, we decided to cut way back on email branch promotions.
The next year, we sent only 34 emails promoting attendance at branches. Our effectiveness level increased to 68 percent. More than half of the programs saw a significant increase in attendance–at least ten percent–after their cardholders received an email.
Why did the emails work the second year? When we cut down on the number we were sending, we were able to create messages that did a better job of resonating with people. Turns out, our audience responded to quality, not quantity!
At some point, you may realize there is an tactic that just doesn’t seem to work. You have my blessing to drop anything that fails. Use only the things that can help you to achieve your goals and cut the rest.
Share your results.
Talk about the results with your colleagues and share your results with other departments. Transparency in marketing is a good thing. It helps your co-workers and administrators have a clearer understanding of what you do. And they may look at the results and find some new insight that you missed.
Failure is okay, by the way. Marketing is an experiment! Sometimes the stuff you do will work, sometimes it won’t. If something doesn’t work, don’t do it again. Spend your energy on the things that do work.
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In this episode, I’ll share some ideas for getting inactive cardholders to come back and use the library again. Thank you to Jackie from the Union County Library System for submitting this question. Do you have further suggestions for Jackie? Share it in the comments!
Kudos in this episode go to the Washoe County Libraries for a great adult program they’ve created: Zoom Tea Time. This is a lovely way to combat isolation for patrons who need social interaction in the pandemic.
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!
Is there any library marketing task as daunting as the annual report? I don’t think so.
Neither does reader Carrie Weaver of Peters Township Public Library. She is the inspiration behind this post.
Carrie writes, “I am sure many other libraries are preparing their 2020 summaries for stakeholders, elected officials, and the folks in the communities they serve. Can you talk about what they should/should not be? What should be included? What is a good length? I want our annual report to be more than a bunch of stats – I want to tell the story of how our library served our community in this year like no other!”
Confession: I created six annual reports during my time at the The Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library. And I found it to be the most difficult work I had to do every year.
Carrie was spot on. The annual report has an importance that no other piece of library marketing holds. And that’s especially true this year. It must convey the work you did, the value you provided, and the ways the pandemic affected your library.
And, as Carrie says, your annual report is more than an archive of your library’s work. It is a way to tell the story of your library.
Your annual report can show the connection between your library’s mission and strategy. It can clarify the impact your organization had on the community. And of course, your annual report can thank donors and volunteers, as well as inspire future donations and volunteers.
You are no longer locked into using a brochure or a longform magazine. Your library may decide to change format, the size, and the way you present that information to best serve your audience.
We’ll start with ten tips for putting together a highly effective annual report. Then, I’ve gathered examples of library annual reports, as well as annual reports from other non-profit organizations for inspiration!
Decide what your key message will be.
Your annual report should be more than a list of your work. It can tell a story. And you can use it to stir emotion.
Ask yourself: What do you want your readers to feel once they’re finished reading your annual report? Think about how you’ll construct a narrative and take your readers through the various pieces to an end point, the focus of your key message.
Think of this as a call to action for readers. How can they help your organization to make progress this year? The answer should be very clear to readers once they reach the end of your document.
Focus on your library’s accomplishments, not just activities.
The readers of your annual report want to know why your library did what it did in 2020. You’ll want to highlight how your library staff responded to the pandemic. Don’t just talk about how you pivoted to provide support to your community. Talk about why that pivot was so important.
Write about the impact your work had on your community. Connect the everyday activities of your library to your mission statement and your library’s overall strategy.
Create an outline to lay out what you want to cover and how you’ll cover it.
Plan to mix elements, with some pages including text, photos, and data. This mix will keep your audience interested and will help them to comprehend and remember the story and data points in your annual report.
Also, make sure that the pages include room for photos, as well as plenty of white space.
Use infographics to convey data.
Infographics can explain complex ideas and information in a simple way that is accessible to many audiences.
Our brains are hard wired for visuals. An infographic can trigger a reaction in the human brain, sometimes even before the person consciously realizes and processes that reaction. For more tips about constructing an infographic, read this post.
Balance data with stories.
Stories can humanize the work of your library and make your annual report more compelling.
Clearly show the change that resulted from your library’s work. Use a storytelling structure with a beginning, middle, and end to show what changed as a result of your library.
In addition to patron stories, you might also consider including stories about your senior staff and employees to showcase the value of the people who do your library’s work.
Finally, share a story of one person rather than a group. Your readers will find it easier to connect to a single person than a group of people. For the most compelling story, use that person’s own words as much as you can by including quotes and first-person narratives.
Use your words to inform and inspire.
The text portions of your report must be in your library’s brand voice. You’ll want your words to feel authentic and intimate to appeal to the heart of your audience.
Try to avoid being professorial or aloof. You can excite, surprise, and delight readers of your annual report by writing in a conversational tone.
In fact, your library may consider using a blog-like model for the text in your annual report. Streamline your text to highlight only the most interesting tidbits for your readers.
Let the story determine the length.
There is no right or wrong length for an annual report. The amount of space you need to accurately convey the story of your library’s journey through the past year is exactly the right length.
Of course, you may need to add or cut sections based on factors outside of the story. For instance, if you use a vendor to print copies of your report, you may be bound to fill or fit a certain number of pages. But in general, let the story of your library be the guide when determining the length of your report.
Convey a sense of gratitude throughout the document.
An attitude of gratitude should permeate the entire report. Be sure to emphasize how important taxpayer and donor support is to your success. Saying “thank you” creates a personal connection to your supporters that can boost engagement for future fundraising campaigns, as well as loyalty to your library.
If you highlight a specific initiative or program, you can conclude the text with a line like: This was made possible with the support of taxpayers, corporate partners, foundation, friends, and individual supporters.
Proofread like your life depends on it.
Your annual report should be professional, polished, and proof-read. Recruit at least three staff members outside of your department to read the proof before it goes to the printer.
And double check the names of donors. Donors will feel slighted if their name is misspelled or if their donation is not acknowledged in the annual report.
Repurpose your annual report for additional marketing content.
You can extend the value of all the hard work you’ve put into your annual report by using the pieces for marketing.
Put the full report on your website for public transparency. Write a blog post version of the report and link to the full document.
Add a line to your emails and newsletters to prompt the community to read the report. And separate out the sections to create condensed social media posts for further reach.
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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 