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Library Cracks the Code on How To Tell Stories to Stakeholders: They Use Email! Here’s How Their Targeted Newsletter Works

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

During the pandemic, Claudine Bennet was stuck at home, and trying to adjust to her new role as External Relations Manager at Dayton Metro Library, she came up with a fun game.

“At the time, I had a map next to my desk at home,” remembers Claudine. “I would glance up and see a city and boom! I was searching for their website and social media presence.”

“Not only did I learn a lot about what libraries across the country were doing during a pivotal time in our country, but it helped to affirm we were on the right track with our strategy.”

Claudine has come a long way from her childhood days spent in the basement of the Peru Free Library in upstate New York.

“The children’s section felt like a magical hide-out,” recalls Claudine. “Adults were never in that space (a paradise for a kid!) and I could read and look at all the books I wanted!”

Nowadays, Claudine oversees media relations and marketing for DML, located in south central Ohio. The system has 17 physical branches, 350,000 active card holders, and a service population of 533,892 residents.

A few months ago, Claudine contacted me to nominate her library for kudos on The Library Marketing Show. She wanted to share a newsletter her library sends to lawmakers and legislators.

Claudine and the External Relations (ER) team realized they needed such a newsletter in 2023.

“News releases in the local media, flyers in branches, our website and social media platforms – those are great ways to get information out,” explains Claudine. “We also have a general digital newsletter that reaches more than 65,000 subscribers. But those methods are broad brushstrokes.”

“When Austin Railey III joined DML as the new Government Relations and Advocacy Director we started brainstorming how we could strategically tell our stories to decision-makers. After weighing the pros and cons of various methods, we decided the most targeted and economically efficient way was through a quarterly email.”

Claudine says the newsletter, Beyond Books, is a collaborative effort. Her department works with others to select stories that reflect how the library collaborates on community initiatives such as economic and workforce development, building regional partnerships, and creating innovative services and programs of value to all community members.

“The stories we tell in Beyond the Books aren’t about the who, what, when, and where of events and programs, but about the why,” says Claudine. “Why did we create a program? Why is the program or service helping our patrons? Why should it receive support? Why is DML a valued community partner?”

“We always put photos in the newsletter also. Reading a story is great, but seeing the story is incredibly valuable too!”

Claudine says the audience for this specific newsletter is a curated list of 200 elected officials and government sector leaders. DML tailors the information to reflect the topics of utmost importance to these readers.

“Because the topics are relevant to the readers and we limit the content to two to three stories, it is an easy and digestible way for elected officials and community leaders to stay connected with how the Dayton Metro Library is achieving its mission, vision, and values,” asserts Claudine.

The collaboration involved in Beyond Books is key to its success.

“When looking for communication solutions for a niche audience, bring everyone to the table,” advises Claudine.

“For myself and my team, it is incredibly helpful to understand what is trying to be communicated, to whom, and why. Those answers will help to identify which communication tool we need to optimize and what information should be shared.”

“Once that is explained and expectations are established for everyone, the creativity flows! Now, as a team, we often suggest stories for Books and Beyond because we understand what we are trying to achieve.”

Claudine’s team is also working on a new branding campaign called Free to Belong. Working with a nationally recognized local advertising agency, the library sought input from staff and the public about its brand and marketing tools. The new campaign is in its second phase. The library will release television commercials, social media spots, print and radio ads, and billboards.

“The second set of spots cement DML as a destination where everyone is valued,” explains Claudine. “They will feature the library meeting people where they are, including the Bookmobile at festivals and our library tent at special events such as the annual Pride celebration in Dayton.”

“The spots will also feature members of marginalized communities as they use library resources including collections and technology. Everyone needs to see themselves in our spaces!”

When she’s looking for inspiration, Claudine turns her eyes to other libraries in the Buckeye State.

“Libraries in Ohio are incredibly inventive and impactful in their marketing efforts,” says Claudine. “I’m always inspired by what they are doing!”

“We’ve created a state-wide committee of library communications and marketing professionals, and we share our “aha” moments, ideas, resources, challenges, and successes. I have learned that libraries are truly a profession that subscribes to the philosophy of ‘When one rises, we all rise.’”

Hey library marketing friends: Your work is important and you are making a difference. Keep it up, you’re doing great!

P.S. You might also find this helpful

Finding the Perfect Name for a Library Program: A Checklist and Tips for Using AI

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Finding the Perfect Name for a Library Program: A Checklist and Tips for Using AI

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

One of the hardest tasks in library marketing is naming programs and events.

The name of a program can significantly impact attendance. The name must capture attention. It needs to be clear and memorable. And it needs to be discoverable for community members searching online.

In this post, I’ve created a checklist. Under each point on the checklist, I’ll give you an example of how to use AI tools like ChatGPT, CoPilot, Perplexity, and Gemini to check that your library program name meets the criteria.

If you’ve already come up with a name, you can check your choice against each of these considerations. If you’re beginning from nothing and have no clue what to name your program, use this checklist to find the best name and drive lots of attendance!

Checklist for Naming Your Library Program

✔️Relevance

The name of your library program should accurately reflect the program’s or event’s content and purpose. It should give attendees a clear idea of what to expect.

Example

I asked Google’s Gemini: “I am putting together an early literacy library program. In this program, babies and caregivers can read books together, but the babies are encouraged to move around during the reading time. I want to name the program “Young and Restless”. Is that a relevant program name?”

Gemini’s answer

“Young and Restless” might not be the best fit for an early literacy program.

“Young and Restless” is the title of a soap opera, and the connotation leans more towards drama and adult themes. It doesn’t immediately convey the idea of early literacy. While “restless” could be seen as a playful reference to a baby’s energy, it might also suggest a negative connotation of being unable to focus.

Here are some alternative program names that better capture the essence of your program:

  • “Wiggle While We Read”
  • “Rhyme Time & Playtime”
  • “Storytime on the Move”
  • “Littlest Learners & Lively Laps”
  • “Bookworms in Motion”

✔️Appeal

The name must attract your target audience. Consider that people often scroll online and when they read print. Your library program name must stand out from other programs or events in your community.

Example

I asked Perplexity: “I am putting together a library program where crocheters of all skill levels can come to work on their projects, give help to others, and get help building their skills. I want to call it Hooked on Crochet. Does that program name have enough appeal to capture attention?”

Perplexity’s answer

The name “Hooked on Crochet” for your library program has several appealing qualities that could help capture attention:

Pros:

  • The name plays on the double meaning of the word “hooked,” referring both to the crochet hook used in the craft and the idea of being enthusiastically engaged or “hooked” on crocheting.
  • The alliteration and rhyming nature of the name make it catchy and easy to remember, which is essential for a program name to stand out.
  • By not specifying skill levels in the name, it implies that the program is open to crocheters of all abilities, from beginners to experts.
  • The word “hooked” has a positive connotation, suggesting a passionate interest or enjoyment in crocheting, which could resonate with enthusiasts of the craft.

Potential Cons

  • While wordplay can be effective, some may find the “hooked” pun a bit overused or clichéd in the context of crocheting.
  • The name may be too specific to crochet and could potentially exclude other fiber arts or crafts that you might want to incorporate in the future.

✔️Clarity

The name should be easy to understand and remember. You’ll want to avoid complex, obscure, or cutesy names that might confuse people.

Example

I asked ChatGPT: “I am organizing a library program where people can bring a plant to swap and learn about composting, and sustainable gardening. There will also be crafts and games. This program is for all ages. Can you help me come up with a name that clearly states what will happen at my program?”   

ChatGPT’s answer

That sounds like a fantastic and engaging program! For a name that captures the essence of your event while being concise and appealing, consider the following options:

  1. “Sustainable Garden Swap & Fun Day”
  2. “Green Thumb Plant Swap and Activities”
  3. “Eco-Friendly Garden Day”
  4. “Plant Swap and Garden Fun”
  5. “Sustainable Gardening Fair”

✔️Length

The name should be short and concise. Long names can be difficult to remember and may be difficult to fit on your marketing materials.

Example

I asked ChatGPT: “I am putting together a library program at an academic library. The program will be interactive and will help students to better understand the databases and research resources available to them at the library. I want to call the program Interactive Workshop on the Integration of Research and Retrieval Skills, but my manager thinks that name is too long. Is it too long?”

ChatGPT’s answer

Yes, “Interactive Workshop on the Integration of Research and Retrieval Skills” is quite long for a program name. It might be better to shorten it to make it more concise and easier for students to remember. Here are a few shorter alternatives:

  • “Research Skills Workshop”
  • “Interactive Research and Retrieval Workshop”
  • “Library Research Skills Workshop”
  • “Research Resources Workshop”
  • “Effective Research Techniques Workshop”

✔️Accessibility

The name of your library program must not exclude any potential participants.

Example

I came up with a name for a technology program called “Advanced Technological Workshop for Digital Natives.” I asked ChatGPT to evaluate the accessibility of the name.

ChatGPT’s answer

“Advanced Technological Workshop for Digital Natives.” is an inaccessible library program name for several reasons.

Community members might interpret the term “Digital Natives” to mean only younger people who they assume are highly proficient with technology. This excludes older adults or those without regular access to technology. It’s also a very obscure term. Did these people live in the digital world?? 

The term “Advanced” might also deter people who do not consider themselves advanced in technology from attending, even if they are interested in learning more about it!

And the whole tone of the name is very formal, academic, and intimidating.

✔️Searchability

Many of your community members are looking for help online. You want your program name to come up in search! So be sure to include keywords that people might use in search.

Example

I asked Copilot: “I have a library program named “Opera Appreciation.” Are there any keywords or phrases that I need to add to the program name or description to make this more discoverable in search?”

Copilot’s answer

Certainly! To make your “Opera Appreciation” program more discoverable, consider incorporating relevant keywords and phrases in the program name or description. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Opera: This will directly associate your program with the art form.
  2. Music Appreciation: This can help convey the educational aspect and attract those interested in learning about this genre.
  3. Classical Music: Opera is a subset of classical music, so including “classical music” in your program’s description can broaden its reach.
  4. Arias: Highlight that your program explores opera arias—the beautiful solo pieces performed by singers. Mentioning “arias” can attract opera enthusiasts.
  5. Composer Names: Incorporate the names of renowned opera composers.

P.S. You might also find this helpful

A Guide to Uncovering the Best Channel To Message Hard To Reach Target Audiences Using ChatGPT

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Time Well Spent: How One Library Marketing Team Analyzes Metrics and Uses That Data To Prove Their Value

Ann Malthaner spent her childhood visiting the library where she now works, Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.

“My office is where the Children’s Department used to be,” recalls Ann. “When I started working here 18 years ago, some of the librarians from my childhood still worked here, and I remember feeling excited to meet them on my first day, almost as if I were meeting celebrities.”

“I consider myself very lucky that I have been able to work in a library. It’s not hard to market a product you love.”

Ann is the library’s Marketing and Public Relations Manager. Her team includes a full-time graphic designer, a part-time writer, and an assistant.  Her library has one location, which has a distinct benefit, according to Ann.

“It’s very easy to get information and collaborate with co-workers,” she notes. “I work closely with our director, and fortunately, our library did a strategic plan two years ago. It was quite a process, but it has made my job easier in that there is a clear path forward with our marketing efforts.”

Ann is a rare library marketer in that she and her team have been tracking metrics on her library promotions for nearly two decades!

“The metrics we gather have evolved over time with the advancements in technology,” explains Ann. “We are now able to gather more information about the tools we use to achieve our marketing goals. And the dashboards on targeted emailing, social media performance, and Google Analytics are very telling.”

The team’s February marketing reportDownload

That data not only informs the promotions that Ann and her colleagues create, but it also helps stakeholders to understand the value and impact of their library marketing.

“We share these reports with the Board of Trustees monthly to inform them about our work and how we make data-driven decisions,” says Ann. “This helps them better understand our department’s operations.”

“I used these reports to justify my department’s size and marketing efforts. Our reports also include the number of printed brochures, rack cards, bookmarks, and more we produce. I used this information to advocate for adding an electric trimmer, folder, banner printer, and our department’s industrial copier. I was able to justify these purchases when I compared them to outside costs and estimated saved staff time.”

Her team uses many tools to create reports and analyze monthly metrics, including their email dashboard, social media scheduling platform, and website analytics dashboard. The whole process takes about 8 hours from start to finish.

“You might think that sounds like a lot, but this is time and effort that’s well spent,” states Ann. “We analyze the results and plan our path forward with this information. We can see what’s working and just as importantly, what’s not. We can quickly adjust to make our time more productive and impactful.” 

“Every time your leadership team reads these, you are documenting the value of what you are doing. Their importance cannot be overstated.”

Those metrics come in handy as Ann plans marketing for the rest of the year. Her library recently purchased a bookmobile and is creating a new Outreach department.

“Our department is responsible for creating the bookmobile wrap, which is fun!” exclaims Ann. “We are in the process of a massive parking lot reconfiguration and addition. And we are also doing a tear out and reconfiguration of our circulation department.”

“Keeping our customers informed and up to date with these changes has been our first priority. And it’s our 100th anniversary this year. We have our work cut out for us!”

For inspiration, Ann just keeps her eyes open all the time.

“I’m always looking for great design and marketing,” says Ann. “It’s all around us! And there’s some bad stuff too. The trick is how to incorporate the good in your library efforts.”

P.S. You might also find this helpful

A Message for You and Your Supervisor on the Most Difficult, Complicated, and Important Step in Library Marketing

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⏱️7 Time-Saving Tips for Anyone Looking To Create High-Quality Library Marketing Emails That People Will Read!

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Last week, we discussed the pros and cons of email marketing automation. If your library chooses a program that requires a more hands-on approach to email marketing, this post is for you. These time-saving tips will let you create high-quality emails that resonate with your audience without spending all day on your emails. (Although, how fun would that be?!)

Time-saving Tip #1: Use templates.

This is the most effective way to save time when creating library marketing emails. If your email program doesn’t offer templates and you must make them yourself, here’s how to do it.

Decide on your buckets.

What kind of emails does your library need to send? Look at your library’s overall strategic goals and your marketing goals. Then, break your emails down into categories, like this:

  • Promote programs
  • Promote the collection
  • Promote services that bring people into our physical branches
  • Announcements like holiday closures, new services, renovations, service outages, etc.
  • Email to donors and legislators

Create one template for each category.

The ideal template will have sections with space for text, an image, and a call to action button. Here’s a great example of a library marketing email from Eisenhower Public Library made from a template.

Populate and send.

When it comes time to send the email, make a copy of your template. Insert the copy, images, and appropriate call to action, and hit send!

Time-saving Tip #2: Keep your emails short.

Emails that include no more than 4 topics perform best. If you have more to say, you can always send another email!

Keep the text in your email to a minimum. Think of your text as a tease. You want to write 1-3 enticing lines that compel your recipient to do something, like register for a program or put a book on hold.

Time-saving Tip #3: Target your messages to specific audiences.

It takes time to write copy that’s generic enough to appeal to everyone in your community. By comparison, it’s easier and faster to write text and find images when you know exactly what your audience is looking for in your library emails.

And, by targeting your message, you are more likely to say something that matters significantly to your cardholders, which makes them more likely to act, which makes your email more successful!

Targeted email marketing for libraries is effective because it serves the right message to the right group of people. And it works for all kinds of messages.

Also, your library should make your emails opt-in. This ensures your emails are going to community members who want your content.

Time-saving Tip #4: Let the robots help you with your subject line.

You should never rely on Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT to do all the work for you when it comes to library email marketing. But they are a great starting point! Instead of staring at the wall trying to brainstorm ideas for the best subject line, ask the AI to get you started.

To show you, I ran this example using Microsoft’s Copilot.

Once you have a place to start, you can tweak the subject line to match the tone of your library. Move, change, or remove the suggested emoji. And then, run the subject line through one of the free analyzers below. Each has its own algorithm for predicting the success of a subject line. But all will help you get to a subject line that works for your target audience.

Time-saving Tip #5: Plan as much as humanly possible.

Plan your email campaigns in advance using an editorial calendar. This helps you stay organized and maintain consistency.

And, if you know ahead of time when you are sending emails, you can set aside time in advance to create them and get them approved. Have a few spare minutes at the beginning or end of your shift? Work on emails coming up in the next few months!

Time-saving Tip #6: Reuse and repurpose.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you create an email. If you wrote a social media post or a blog that did really well, steal the text you’ve already written and insert it into your email. Use the same image or graphics, sized correctly for your email of course, and hit send!

Time-saving Tip #7: Watch your metrics.

If you take an hour each month to analyze the performance of your library emails, you’ll soon start to get a clear picture of what works for your audiences. That will make you more efficient as you create your emails. You won’t waste time creating emails that your recipients won’t read.

Did I miss any tips? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. You might also find this helpful

Library Marketer Shares Her Ingenious Trick for Making Sure Her Community Sees Her Social Media Posts

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

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

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

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

My grandfather

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

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

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

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

The advantages of email automation

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

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

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

The disadvantage of email automation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do libraries do best? Personalized service!

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

This is particularly true when it comes to book recommendations.

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

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

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

Two more potential pitfalls of automated email marketing

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

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

The advantages of manual email marketing

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

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

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

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

The disadvantage of manual email marketing

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

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

P.S. You might also find this helpful

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

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Google Ad Grants Improve Your Library’s Chances of Being Found in Search: How To Apply and Manage This Incredible Opportunity

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Five years ago, I was listening to an episode of a library podcast about Google Ad Grants, which offers $10,000 monthly advertising credit to qualified nonprofits. Thousands of nonprofits use the program. You apply once, and the grant continues indefinitely.

Wow!

Many libraries have taken advantage of this program since it was launched in 2004. Some of those libraries collaborate with a company called Koios, currently run by Maggie Carson and Peter Velikonja.

Koios is a member of Google’s Certified Ad Grant Professionals group, which has been vetted by Google to manage ad grants. It is the only member of this group specializing in public libraries.

Koios has successfully applied for and managed Google Ad Grants for public libraries since 2017. That grant money has been used to promote catalog items, educational resources, passport services, business and career resources, summer reading programs, and more.

“Library marketing professionals know that different online audiences are reached in different ways,” says Peter. “Advertising with Google reaches everyone. That makes it the best way to reach new people, including, critically, the underserved.” 

Peter says paid search using a Google Ad Grant may represent 25 percent or more of a library’s overall website traffic, depending on the size of the library’s service population.

“Ads appear at the top of search results – where they are most likely to be seen,” explains Peter. “Since libraries are trusted institutions, people are more likely to click on an ad for a library than a commercial ad.”

“At an average of $2 to $3 per click, a library can potentially bring about 4,000 visitors per month to its website, mostly new people who were not necessarily thinking of a library but were searching for something. It presents a library with an opportunity to show up at the right time with the right information, to the right person.”

A sample Google ad for Passport Services at Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio.

And what does Google get out of this deal?

“Google’s primary motivation, we believe, is to perform a social good by helping nonprofits,” says Maggie. “But the program also helps Google fill unused advertising space. It’s like having an empty billboard – better to put something up for free than to leave it blank and potentially leave the impression that the space is not valued.”

A library can apply online here.

“First, you create a Google for Nonprofits account,” explains Maggie. “Google will verify your foundation or friend’s group nonprofit status through their partnering organization, Percent, after which you can submit an Ad Grants application. The process generally takes a couple of days or a week. For libraries that would like help applying, Koios will gladly guide you for free.”

Google Ad Grants are not competitive grants, but there are some details and requirements to be aware of.

“Nonprofits with 501(c)3 status are eligible, so a library should apply through their Friends or Foundation,” suggests Maggie. “Google will also review the library’s website for quality and security issues; it will reject websites that are not https-enabled or do not meet their quality standards.”

Once a library is accepted, someone from the library will need to do ongoing research and keep up to date on compliance.

“Google’s policies require active management of advertising accounts, which means they expect you to check the account at least once per month,” explains Maggie. “Google has a set of policies to follow, and they regularly issue updates to these policies or create new ones.”

According to Peter, it takes some ingenuity and persistence to get the full value from an Ad Grant. Google says the average spent is only 17 percent of the full value of the grant. Google does offer some automated options for account management, which may be the best choice for busy staff. Koios can also manage the grant.

“First, we apply for an Ad Grant on behalf of a public library,” says Peter. “It is not complicated, but we have experience working out glitches that may come up in the application process.”

“Then we set up the Google Ads account that comes with the grant – we do all that for free because we want libraries to use the resource, whether we are involved or not. After that, a library can manage the account themselves, or we can do it for a yearly fee.”

“Most libraries choose to have us manage the account because we can exercise it more fully. We promote a library’s online catalog, which contains hundreds of thousands of terms and concepts that can match the words and phrases people search for. It’s a sort of Big Data capability libraries don’t usually have.”

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library GA4 Web Traffic Acquisition Data, March 2024

Like most library vendors, Koios prices its services by the size of a library’s service population.

“Given the potential of receiving up to $120,000 per year in advertising credit, our subscription fee presents an excellent return on investment,” declares Maggie.

A screenshot of the Koios member dashboard for Barrie Public Library in Ontario, Canada, showing a 30-day view of 18 active campaigns.

If you’re interested in learning more about Koios and Google Ad Grants, email Maggie and Peter at info@koios.co.

P.S. You might also find this helpful

The Clever yet Simple Trick One Library Marketer Uses To Remind Her Community of All Her Library Offers Every Day of the Year!

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How To Create a Marketing Plan for an Entire Year Even if Your Library’s Strategic Plan Sucks or Is Non-Existent!

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

This week, I’ll be able to see the world’s largest bottle of catsup. (Ketchup? Catsup? Is there a difference?)

When I learned that I’d be speaking at Reaching Forward South in Collinsville, Illinois, I Googled the area. That’s how I discovered the city is home to a 170-foot water tower shaped like a catsup bottle that just happens to be on the National Registry of Historic Places. It’s even got its own website and fan club.

If you’re like me, you do some strategic planning when you go on a trip. You decide to rent a vehicle or research public transportation. You purchase airline or train tickets and book a hotel. You pick restaurants to sample and decide which tourist attractions you’ll visit.

Some people just land in a city and let fates carry them where they may. (No shade from me. You do you!) I prefer planning because I don’t want to risk seeing or experiencing the best the area has to offer.

A plan, on vacation or in the library, sets clear goals and outcomes. It ensures your time, money, and energy are spent on the most valuable things. It gives you direction and purpose.

Marketing for a library works best when the promotions are tied to a library’s overall strategic plan. But that’s not always as easy as it sounds.

What is the difference between a strategic plan and a marketing plan?

A strategic plan defines targets and objectives for the entire library organization, including facilities, human resources, reader services, youth services, outreach, and more.

A marketing plan outlines your initiatives to support your library’s strategic plan. It clearly defines the collection items, programs, and services you’ll promote, who you’ll target, and how you’ll target them to reach your library’s overall goals.

In a perfect world, every library would have a strategic plan with clearly defined objectives and goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely (SMART).

But…

If your library lacks a strategic plan, has a strategic plan that’s very vague without clear goals, or is in the middle of creating one (that can be a lengthy process), you may feel stuck and directionless. How do you know what you should be promoting?

What to do when you have very little direction

You can ask your library director or board of directors what they want to accomplish. Without a strategic plan as a guide, you must understand the director’s and the board’s goals.

Even basic statements like “We want to increase program attendance by 25 percent” or “We want to make sure every child has a library card” will guide your marketing.

If you don’t feel comfortable approaching senior leadership, ask your supervisor to step in. Stress the importance of a cohesive plan for moving forward in all areas of your library. This really is the cornerstone of your work.

Once you know the goals of your library, it’s time to create your marketing plan. 

Step 1: Define your marketing goals. 

Lay out exactly how you’ll help those overall library goals be reached.

For example, let’s say your library has a goal to partner with schools to ensure all third graders in your town are reading at grade level. Your marketing goal might be:

Increase the participation in our library’s 3rd-grade reading program by 25 percent within the next 12 months, as measured by the number of 3rd-grade students enrolled and actively engaging with the program materials and resources.

Step 2: Write down what you know about the community you serve.

Marketers call this a “situation analysis.” This will give you a starting point for your strategy. Ask yourself:

  • What does your typical cardholder do with their card?
  • Where do they live?
  • How do they view your competitors?
  • How does your library currently fulfill a unique position in your community?

Step 3: Create a list of all your tactics and assets. 

Write down all the channels you use to promote your library. This list should include every social media platform you use, every website your library owns, and every print publication you send out, plus emails, print collateral, influencers, in-person events, press releases, podcasts, and videos.

Step 4: Set goals for each tactic and asset. 

Let’s say one of your goals is to make sure job seekers in your community use career resources at the library. And let’s say you have a print newsletter that you send every quarter to all the residents of your community.

Look at the specific marketing goal you created in step one. Underneath that, you might write:

“In each issue of our newsletter, we will feature a cardholder who used our library’s services to advance their own career, such as by taking our GED course or using our online job resume builder. We’ll do at least one story on library work as a career. Every quarter, we’ll highlight a service or program that will help our cardholders reach their career goals.”

Step 5: Populate an editorial calendar for the next 12 months.   

Now it’s time to plan content topics and themes for each month that will work to reach your goals. Planning a calendar for a full year makes it easy to coordinate promotions across channels. And it will help your supervisor and coworkers to understand what you’ll be doing, when, and why.

You may end up moving things around as you go through the year. That’s okay!

Step 6:  Measure success and failure. 

Accurately document the results of every promotion you do. This will help you to adjust your strategy next year.

Sometimes you won’t have a clear understanding of what’s working and what’s not working until you see the actual results in numbers on a paper in front of your nose.

One final note of encouragement

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t reach all of your goals. Marketing is an experiment. Sometimes the stuff you do will work, sometimes it won’t. Don’t repeat the things that don’t work! Spend more energy on the things that do work.

P.S. You might also find this helpful

Branding for Your Library: Stand Out From the Crowd With Smart, Strategic Placement of Your Brand

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

 

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The Clever yet Simple Trick One Library Marketer Uses To Remind Her Community of All Her Library Offers Every Day of the Year!

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

When Donna Forbis graduated from the 8th grade, her parents gifted her a 10-speed bike. Her mother decided she was old enough to ride to the Peoria Public Library‘s Lakeview branch. 

“Back then, kids were not allowed in the adult stacks, so I was limited to my ‘side’ of the library,” remembers Donna. “I was very short (under 5′ tall), so even as a teen, I still looked like a kid. My ventures into the adult stacks would sometimes draw ‘looks’ from other patrons, but the library staff knew I was in search of mysteries I had not yet read!”

Donna’s love of the library never abated. She now works for the Illinois Prairie District Public Library. The library is small, with rural and suburban areas covering a service population of about 25,000 residents.

“We have fewer than 25 staff members (including our Director) servicing our six branches,” explains Donna. “Many staff members do double- or sometimes triple-duty.”

“My official title is Marketing & Events Coordinator, but I am also the branch manager for our Germantown Hills branch. I oversee all adult programming at our branches, and I coordinate with our Youth Services Librarian/Assistant Director on teen programming. I am responsible for creating nearly all of our promotional materials. What I don’t generate myself is usually shared with me to make sure it fits our style and brand before being shared with the world.”

It’s a lot of work, and Donna’s library still struggles to reach community members, especially regarding their programs and events. But Donna’s library is doing something that seems old-school yet innovative: A wall calendar!

“The idea for the wall calendar came from our Director,” explains Donna. “Several area outlets like banks and stores used to offer free wall calendars to their customers, but the practice has dropped off in recent years. While the world might be more comfortable with digital calendars, many patrons still want a wall calendar. Since the banks were not offering free calendars anymore, we decided to fill that void.”

“With a wall calendar, we can promote the library every day for a full year inside our patrons’ homes. We want our patrons to think of us as their go-to for research and resources, educational and entertainment opportunities, and a central community gathering spot. The calendar is a daily reminder that we are here for our neighbors.”

Donna and the rest of the library staff spent about three months working on the format and layout for the 8.5″ x 11″ wall calendar.

“The first version was nothing more than a stack of stapled papers, with notes on each page of a suggested layout,” recalls Donna. “Then I created an initial mock-up of the calendar in MS Publisher and shared it with our Director for critique. From her feedback, I shifted some photos around, added, and subtracted date-specific holidays, and determined what other information we wanted to include.”

“One topic of discussion was whether to have the library info pages at the beginning of the calendar or the end. My logic was, that if the info pages were at the end, behind the December calendar, they would be accessible to users all year long without taking the calendar off the wall.”  

The final calendar is a mix of fun content and library news. You can see it here.

“Our calendar is set up to highlight our branches, reading challenges, and some of our evergreen programming,” says Donna. “We also provide ways to connect with the library through a page filled with links and QR codes to get to our website, catalog, calendar, reading challenge platform, and social media channels.”

The library printed 725 copies and distributed them beginning the week before Christmas. Calendars were available at each branch and through some of the library’s community partners, including nursing homes and daycare centers.

Donna also promoted the availability of the calendars through the library’s regular marketing channels. And until just a few weeks ago, she posted a notice of the calendar’s availability in every library email newsletter. They managed to hand out nearly all their copies.

“We are very pleased with how it came out, and our patrons have been very appreciative,” remarks Donna. “When looking at it from a cost-benefit analysis, we spent a little under $2300 (plus shipping) for the calendars. That equates to roughly $200 per month in advertising spread across our community for a full year. And it is in a form that our patrons want and need. Even on a tight marketing budget, the expense was worth it.”

If Donna does the calendar again for 2025, she says she’ll have the final design done by Thanksgiving, so patrons have a longer window of time to pick one up.

And where will her next great library marketing idea come from?

“Inspiration can come from anywhere,” declares Donna. “I maintain connections with other library marketers through the Library Marketing Book Club, the regional Heart of Illinois Library Marketing networking group, and professional groups like the Illinois Library Association’s Marketing Forum.”

“One of my all-time favorite pieces of library marketing came from the Invercargill (New Zealand) City Library back in 2017, which was 2 years before I became a library marketer! They did a parody of a Hollywood Reporter magazine cover featuring the Kardashian clan at the height of their Keeping Up with the Kardashians fame. When I look at it today, I still laugh!”  

“I keep an eye on what advertisers in other industries are doing through organizations like Adweek, HubSpot, and other marketing tracking organizations. If someone on one of those platforms is writing or commenting about a particular piece of advertising, it may be worth noting.”

“As far as other libraries go, I am awed daily by my peers! Because of my ‘solo marketer’ limitations, whenever I see a library with a catchy video on TikTok, Reels, or Shorts, I am completely jealous! There are not enough hours in the day for me to learn how best to shoot and edit videos, get them uploaded, and do it regularly to build and maintain a following and get all my other stuff done!”

Donna has a piece of advice for anyone working on library marketing.

“Regardless of the situation, whether you have a program or promotion you want to try, need money or materials, or anything else – If you don’t ask, the answer will always be ‘No.’”   

“People generally want to be helpful and be of service, but often they don’t know the best way to do it. Tell others what you need and ask them for their help, and you might be surprised at the answer, even for the ‘impossible’ ask!”

P.S. You might also find this helpful

What’s It Like To Promote a Library With a Non-Circulating Collection? Marketer at a Cultural Institution Takes Us Behind the Scenes

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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Interviewing Techniques Anyone Can Use To Land a Powerful Quote for Your Library’s Blog, Video, Social Media, or Press Release

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Interviewing a stranger about their library experience is intimidating for many people. If the thought of having an intentional conversation to elicit a sound bite you can use in a blog, video, social media post, press release, or other content sounds daunting, the post is for you.

Why a powerful quote is important.

Your audience wants to hear directly from the people impacted by your library’s work. Whether that is your staff, director, board members, or patrons, a good quote can drive home your work’s value.

A quote can convey passion or a strong point of view. It can turn a story about statistics or complicated concepts into something understandable and relatable. A quote can also establish an emotional connection with the reader or viewer.

And, if your goal is to catch the attention of local media, a good quote can make your press release, blog post, or email stand out. Because…

The media knows when your quote is fake.

I worked in a local television newsroom for nearly 20 years before I became a library marketer. And I’m here to tell you… journalists can tell when you’ve made up a quote for a press release.

I understand why it happens. Your director or coworkers may tell you they trust you to put words in their mouths. It seems less time-consuming than doing an interview.

But the media can tell when you’re making it up. That’s why an interview, however short, is key to getting an authentic quote. So here are tips to make the interview process smooth and successful.

Prepare as much as possible.

If you are interviewing a co-worker, a board member, or the director of your library, take a few moments to see if there is any documentation that gives you clues about their background. Search their LinkedIn profile and board minutes. Do a Google search to see if they’ve ever done an interview. You may learn new facts about them and their speaking style.

Think about how you might structure your piece before you even write it.

That structure may lead you to questions to ask.

For example, readers may notice that I often start library profiles on this blog with some facts about my subject’s life before they worked in marketing. I ask people to tell me about their childhood library and their work before libraries, to build the scene and give a deep background on my subject. Use this technique for any interview leading to a blog post, social media post, or video.

If you are interviewing to get a quote for a press release, I suggest writing the press release before doing the interview. Leave spaces where a quote or two would grab the media’s attention and add context and emotion to the story you’re trying to pitch. Now you’re ready to write your questions.

Craft targeted questions that elicit insightful responses.

  • Use simple sentences and language.
  • Add intention to your questions. If you want someone to share a firsthand experience or observation, craft your sentence to gently lead your interviewee to that answer.
  • Ask open-ended questions. If you must ask a yes or no question, follow up with “Why?” to give your subject the nudge to elaborate.
  • Still stuck? Use your tools. ChatGPT can help you craft questions for your interview.

To show how this works, I typed into ChatGPT: “I am interviewing my library director about a new partnership that will help community members land a job or advance their careers. Can you give me some sample questions I might use to get a good quote?”

Here is the list of questions ChatGPT gave me.

  • Can you please provide an overview of the new partnership aimed at helping community members with job placement and career advancement?
  • What motivated the library to pursue this partnership?
  • How do you envision this partnership benefiting members of our community?
  • Could you elaborate on the specific resources or services that will be made available through this partnership?
  • In what ways will the library be collaborating with the partner organization to deliver these resources and services effectively?
  • How will the library measure the success of this partnership in terms of its impact on community members?
  • Are there any demographics or groups within the community that stand to benefit most from this initiative?
  • How does this partnership align with the library’s broader mission and goals?
  • Can you share any success stories or examples of how similar partnerships have been effective in other communities?
  • What steps will the library take to ensure that community members are aware of and can easily access the resources and services offered through this partnership?

That is a huge list! It’s a great start. All I would need to do is go through and tweak the questions to match the tone I want to set and to sound more like something I would say.

Now comes the fun part: the interview!

6 tips for conducting the interview

  • #1: Record the conversation.
  • #2: Talk a little about yourself to get the conversation started.
  • #3: Ask an easy first question to calm everyone’s nerves.
  • #4: Encourage elaboration on interesting points.
  • #5: Let the person talk. Don’t be afraid of silence.
  • #6: Paraphrase or summarize key points to nudge the interviewee towards a quotable response.

P.S. You might also find this helpful

Library Marketer Shares Brilliant 4-Step Plan for Getting Press Coverage and Building Personal Relationships With Media

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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