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, enteryour email addressand 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:
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. I’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, it’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.
It’s different from a chatbot in that it can remember past conversations and provide more sophisticated answers as it “learns.” 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 “available when demand is high,” “faster response speed”, and “priority access to new features.” 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 library’s summer reading program.
Hang on to your hats, folks.
Attention all teenagers! 📢📚🌞
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! 📖🌟
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! 🎁🏆
Plus, reading is the perfect way to unwind, escape into different worlds, and improve your vocabulary and critical thinking skills. 🧠💭
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for our summer reading program today and let the fun begin! 🎉🌞📚 #SummerReading #LibraryLove #TeenReads
ChatGPT
It’s long. And why so many emojis??
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a teen use the word “access.”
And, in my experience, anytime you say, “Attention all teenagers”, 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 “spammy”. Specifically, its guidelines say “…content that’s been generated programmatically without producing anything original or adding sufficient value: instead, that it’s been generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings and not helping users.”
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 can’t replace people (at least, not yet). The tool can’t strategize or empathize. And it doesn’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.
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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 you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enteryour email addressand 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:
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.
“No problem,” said my darling spouse. “We’ll rebook for August. Certainly, this will all be over by August.”
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. That’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 the 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.
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 didn’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 didn’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 you’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 won’t overwhelm readers. And it clearly tells community members how to participate.
One note: for some promotions, you won’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 ship’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, you’ll make it confusing for community members, 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 lesson…
Staff members are your secret weapon.
Every staff member on the ship was apparently trained to answer any question, from how to find the bar, to how to reserve seats at the nightly show. 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 everyone’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.
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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 you’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. It’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 library’s long-form video strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. And you don’t have to break the bank to buy equipment. So, let’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 library’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 library’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 you’ll have more success if you set your marketing goals first. That’s because you’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 you’re focusing on?
You can also check keywords used in Google searches in connection with your library’s strategic goal. This keyword research will uncover the questions your community has related to the goal you’re trying to accomplish. You can use video to answer those questions!
For our MakerSpace example, let’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 “3D printers near me.” If your Makerspace includes a 3D printer, you’ll want to make sure some of your videos are about that piece of equipment.
Let’s say you also discover many searches of the phrase “cost of 3D printing”. 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, it’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.
Let’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.
It’s time to create a production schedule. You’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. Here’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 you’re ready to shoot and edit your videos. Then, it’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. You’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 you’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.
It’s not enough to post your video and forget it. You’ll make sure people see your video once it’s released.
Within the first 24 hours of uploading and releasing a video, send an email to promote your video. You’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 there’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 you’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: You’ll want to buy at least two. This model from ZMOTG can be used with phones and a DSLR camera and gets great reviews.
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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 you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enteryour email addressand 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:
The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 185: The best way to learn is by doing, right?
I have been extremely active on TikTok recently, as I try to figure out the algorithm. And I sure did learn some things! In the episode, I reveal the four specific things you can do to make certain your library’s TikTok videos get noticed.
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, enteryour email addressand 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:
The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 184: A viewer wants to know if libraries should use Facebook Groups to build community. For-profit companies are doing it (or are they??) so why wouldn’t it work for libraries?
I’ll share what I’ve learned in my research. Does your library use Facebook Groups? Let me know in the comments.
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 please subscribe to this series on YouTube or follow me on LinkedIn 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, enteryour email addressand 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:
For the past six years, she’s been the outreach, engagement, and marketing consultant at the Southern Adirondack Library System. Erica works with 34 member libraries in four counties, as well as two correctional facilities and four county jails.
Like many of you, she is responsible for providing high-quality library services.
“My position allows me to do a wide range of things, from onboarding new directors to working with community partners to install Narcan Emergency Kits for public use in our libraries to curating a personal history of the pandemic through our Leaving Our Fingerprints on History Project,” explained Erica.
So, it’s a wonder that she has any time at all left for library marketing. But Erica is responsible for the system’s monthly newsletter and social media promotion.
And her work on social is drawing praise from fellow library marketers. On the Libraries and Social Media Facebook page, one fellow marketer said, “I am here for the brilliance of the social media team/individual at Southern Adirondack. Amazing curation and writing and quantity. It’s been fun watching their reach and followers grow over the year.”
“My philosophy in all things, not just social media, is to build relationships and community,” explained Erica. “Social media is where people go to be entertained and learn something.”
“But the focus can’t be just pushing out content. We must give people a reason to visit our page, so they check in regularly.”
“One of the things that makes me happiest is when I see our followers interacting with each other – finding common interests or challenging someone’s take on things. There’s a conversation that we’re convening.”
As you can imagine, Erica has a limited about of time to dedicate to social media. So, she chooses to post to the platform with her library system’s most prominent established audience: Facebook.
“When I was a library director, I found out how long it took to develop a robust social media presence,” said Erica. “When you lead small, rural public libraries, you do all the things and don’t have much time to focus on something like social media.”
“Since most of our libraries are small and rural, I use our Facebook account to aggregate content they can use on their social media accounts as filler – in between the posts about their programs and services.”
“We don’t want to push content but invite people in to build community. I focus on finding a library or literary memes, or what I consider library-adjacent posts (cats and dogs!), or things that are nerdy and fun. It’s about creating a community of people who enjoy our page, so when we post advocacy messages, we’re reaching a much bigger audience that trusts us.”
Erica says social media is a vital part of the formula for success for libraries.
“We live in a chaotic, information-saturated world,” said Erica. “It can take a lot of work to get your message out, and part of any advocacy strategy has to include social media.”
“I think libraries are getting better at marketing, but we tend to hide our light under a bushel rather than share the great work we’re doing. And in our neck of the woods, local newspapers are few and far between, so the best way to reach people is where they’re already spending time, which tends to be social media.”
Even with her expertise in social media, Erica continues to look for ways to improve her reach and drive more connections for her member libraries. “I would love more time to strategize and devise an evil plan to dominate social media,” shared Erica. “In the best of all possible worlds, I’d create a social media calendar and be more intentional in our content and posting.”
For Erica, it’s easy to find libraries that inspire her. “There are a ton of libraries doing great stuff,” said Erica. “I love what the Stillwater Library does – they take historical items from their collection or community and ask people to respond to what it is with wrong answers only. And they do a lot of great puns.”
And Erica wants to share a piece of advice for anyone working in social media library marketing. It’s something she learned from a presentation by a marketing librarian from the Portsmouth Public Library in New Hampshire, “Be the social media you want to see in the world. That’s what I live by. Be silly, have fun, and help spread the word about the vital work public libraries do each day.”
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:
Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 