Search

Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion

Open Search
Tag

library writing

Inspiring Advice From An Expert Blogger

A few months ago, I asked readers whether their library had a blog. 61 percent of respondents said no. I have to include myself in that statistic. And the more I think about it, the more that bothers me.

Blog-less libraries are missing a HUGE opportunity. A blog has a number of promotional advantages that simply cannot be replicated with any other type of tactic. And to make my case, I am going to share insights with you from a session at Content Marketing World–one that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about in the months since the conference.

Amanda Todorovich is the Director of Content Marketing at the Cleveland Clinic. She’s the 2016 winner of the Content Marketer of the Year from the Content Marketing Institute and she runs the most visited hospital blog in the United States, Health Essentials. Her session was all about the Cleveland Clinic blog and its success. And her story made me want a blog for my library.

Amanda says a blog is the best promotional tool because it creates brand awareness and relationships with current and potential customers. The goal of the Cleveland Clinic blog is to create a space in which the hospital is top of mind all the time with people looking for health information. Think about this: the hospital cannot create demand for their services. So they aim to provide credible health information at all times so that, in the unfortunate moment when someone is sick or injured, the first place they think of is the Cleveland Clinic.

That principle applies to libraries as well. There are times when a library cardholder may not need their library, but we want to stay top of mind with them so that they’ll turn to us when they do need books, or help with a struggling reader in their home, a passport, a voter registration form, help to create a resume, or whatever problem they might have. Libraries are not just about programs and books and there is a lot of value to offer your cardholders beyond those two basic services.

But Amanda also says in order for your blog to work, you have to stand strong. Your blog cannot be all things to all people. You’ll have to decide on your mission, write it down, and stick to it. This doesn’t mean that you are ignoring certain cardholders. It means that your blog has one focus, one mission and that everything you write–no matter the audience–drives at completing that mission. For example, Health Essentials mission is to engage users in daily conversation using health, wellness and clinical content that is unique to Cleveland Clinic. They’re not ignoring anyone. Rather, they are focusing all their energy on delivering on that mission to all of their potential patients and patient families. See the difference?

Blogs have a value beyond pure promotion. Using the right keywords and paying attention to metadata, tags, and links will help boost your position in search traffic. That means people will be able to find you first during a search. Some big brands pay big money for great search results placement. Can you imagine what would happen if; every time someone searches Google for a book, a DVD, or information that they land on your library’s blog? The impact would be mind-blowing.

Some library marketers are already taking this advice to heart, including Brook Savoie, who works for Lafourche Public Library in Thibodaux, Louisiana. She told me, “Our librarians take turns writing a post weekly. The purpose is to just bring more awareness to things that we do! It works well for me for social media, because I can share these blog posts weekly with our audiences without having to create any content myself.”

So, step one is convincing you, your staff, and your administration, to launch a blog. It’s worth it. You can do it. Here are Amanda’s other tips for blog success.

Focus on creating better posts, not more posts. You don’t have to post every day. Just pick a CONSISTENT schedule. Create a list of topics and then write. That’s what I do with this blog. I spend roughly three hours a week on this blog and that’s really only because I am my own editor. If I could just write and revise a draft and then hand it off to another person to edit, it wouldn’t take much time at all. I spend about ten minutes crafting and testing headlines. I spend about ten minutes making the graphic. I spend about ten minutes scheduling all the distribution. I write on the weekend and it feels like it doesn’t take much time at all.

Be willing to say no. Amanda says she doesn’t have a lot of friends outside her team because she says no to a lot of requests by other departments for blog posts. The hospital blog is focused on the needs of their readers, not on the needs of the organization and that’s why it works. When your customers are the center of your universe, you are providing them with value and they’ll keep coming back to you. You are beholden to your cardholders, and they should be your only concern.

Measure and test and test again. Never be content with the results, even when they seem good. Ask “what if” all the time–it could lead you to an extraordinary idea that takes your blog to the next level. Testing actually keeps blog writing interesting and keeps life exciting (I AGREE).

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button on the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter and Snapchat–it’s where I talk about library marketing! I’m @Webmastergirl. I’m also on LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest. Views in this post are my own and do not represent those of my employer.

 

5

Libraries Need to be Bolder, Braver: Lessons from a Writer

I’m a fan of Ann Handley… that’s not really a secret.

Handley is an inspiration because her approach to marketing centers on creative writing. I spoke to her last year and she was kind enough to do an interview for this blog.

I saw Handley speak at Content Marketing World this year. Her message was full of great advice and there’s one point she made which bounced around in my head ever since it rolled off her tongue.

If the label fell off your product, would your audience still know it belongs to you?

I have looked at everything we do here at my library through new eyes in light of that question. And the honest answer is… no. I think that’s probably the case for most libraries and for most brands, quite frankly.

How do we make sure our writing and our content is truly ours? We’ve all heard experts tell us to “find and use your brand voice” but what does that really mean?

I think it’s particularly hard for a library. Marketing experts warn brands not to try to be all things to all people–to find a niche audience. But that all-inclusiveness is at the core of every public library’s mission statement. We were built by everyone in the community and we serve everyone.

That doesn’t mean your institution can’t find and use its own unique voice. Your voice is about who you are as a library, why you do what you do, and what your customers experience as they deal with your services and staff. Your voice reflects your culture and amplifies your story. It creates empathy in your cardholders and shows you care about them. Here are some tips from Handley’s talk.

handleyang

Don’t play it safe. Now, don’t get scared right off the bat. I know you are likely taxpayer-funded. You’re conscientious about everything, from how you spend your money to how you word your phrases. Handley isn’t asking you to be racy or provocative. She’s encouraging you to move away from “library lingo”… to speak conversationally, using words that real people use and understand. She’s asking you to stop assuming your cardholders know about all the services your library offers, how to use them, and where to find help. She’s saying you should look for stories from inside your library and from your cardholders and share those stories.

You don’t have to spend a ton of money to create engaging content. Handley says compelling content is more about brains, hearts, and guts than budget.  Handley told us the story of a family member and his quest for the perfect coozy. It led him to the company Freaker USA, which makes unique coozies. Check out their “about” page. No fancy talk, no lingo. I also love their FAQ page. It uses humor to gain interest for a drink insulator. You have to admit that’s genius.  And there’s no reason libraries can use that same approach to make their information more accessible.

Deep value makes your customers smart. Consider how your library is leading your community. How do you make the world a better place? Through questions like this, you’ll find stories that you can tell through heartfelt, engaging writing. Those stories nearly write themselves. And that’s the stuff your cardholders really want to hear about.

Finally, Handley encourages you to disrupt your industry fairy tales. What is it that people think of when they think about your library? What stories and stereotypes has your organization perpetuated? When I tell people I work in a library, they ask me if I work in a Carnegie-designed building full of women wearing glasses and sensible shoes who are constantly telling people to be quiet. That’s so far from the truth! Today’s libraries are noisy, creative, modern places. Let’s start telling those stories and bust those myths.

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button on the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter and Snapchat–it’s where I talk about library marketing! I’m @Webmastergirl. I’m also on LinkedIn, Slideshare,  Instagram and Pinterest. Views in this post are my own and do not represent those of my employer.

6

A WordPress.com Website.

Up ↑