One of the biggest advantages of creating Instagram Reels is that you can share them on Facebook, too. But what happens when that connection suddenly stops working?
A viewer of The Library Marketing Show recently ran into this issue, and after some troubleshooting, we found an easy solution.
In this episode, I share the fix and a few tips to help your library get the most out of its short-form video content.
Plus, kudos go to a library with an expansive new plan to reach young children.
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library
In this post, you will learn:
Relevance matters more than frequency. Libraries don’t need to send more messages. They need to send more relevant ones.
Data makes library marketing more newsworthy. Statistics and outcomes can transform promotions into compelling stories.
Trust is a strategic asset. Libraries can stand out by being a reliable source of information and expertise.
I recently downloaded Cision’s State of the Media Report so that my library could adjust our media strategy to get more positive press. But I found myself looking at the report as a larger lesson for my library marketing.
Cision surveyed nearly 1,900 journalists worldwide about how they work, the challenges they face, and what they need from public relations professionals. At first glance, it might seem like a report intended for public relations agencies and large, well-funded corporate communications teams.
But as I read through the findings, I kept thinking about libraries (of course!) That’s because the challenges journalists face look surprisingly similar to those library marketers face every day when reaching our communities.
People are overwhelmed with information. They’re short on time. They’re sorting through more content than ever before. And they are constantly trying to determine which messages deserve their attention.
The things that cause a journalist to ignore a pitch are often the same factors that make a community member ignore a library marketing message.
Here are the top five things I learned from the report about making my library’s message stand out.
Takeaway #1: Relevance Beats Volume
The report found that the number one factor that makes journalists respond to a pitch is relevance. Nearly 80 percent said they are most likely to consider a story when it aligns with their audience and coverage area. Likewise, more than 80 percent said they reject pitches that aren’t relevant.
That should sound familiar. Libraries often assume that getting attention is a volume problem.
“We need to post more.”
“We need to send more emails.”
“We need to promote this event harder.” (What does that even mean, really?)
But attention isn’t usually a volume problem. It’s a relevance problem.
The question isn’t whether your community saw your message. The question is whether they immediately understood why it mattered to them.
A generic announcement about a program might get ignored. But a message that clearly connects to a person’s needs, interests, goals, or challenges has a much better chance of breaking through.
Takeaway #2: People Are Drowning in Messages
Most journalists in the survey reported receiving more than 50 pitches every week. Many receive more than 100! Yet most say only a small percentage of those pitches are actually relevant.
That sounds familiar too! Your patrons are also sorting through dozens of emails, social media posts, text messages, videos, advertisements, flyers, signs, and notifications every day. They don’t have time to figure out why something matters. They need clarity and connection.
I recently implemented a new messaging strategy for my team to address this issue. I told them that we are going to stop leading with what we are doing and start leading with why our community should care. We are now going to be focusing less on announcements and more on why our work matters and the problems it solves for our community.
Here’s a simple way to reframe your library’s message to focus more on the value.
Instead of: “The library is pleased to announce…”
Try: “Parents looking for free summer activities can now register for…”
Or: “The Library is proud to offer resume workshops and mock interviews” becomes “Get the tools and support you need to actually land the job.”
One messaging strategy starts with the organization. The other starts with the audience.
Takeaway #3: Data Makes Stories Stronger
One finding that really stood out to me was that journalists said they want more data and research. Why?
Because data provides context. It helps explain why a story matters.
Libraries have access to more useful data than we often realize.
We know what people are reading.
We know how technology is being used.
We know what programs are growing.
We know where community needs are emerging.
Yet many libraries continue to market programs without sharing the larger story behind them.
So, don’t just announce Summer Reading. Show how participation has grown. Don’t just promote your digital resources. Show how community usage has changed over time.
Data transforms promotion into storytelling. And storytelling is more memorable than push promotions because it activates emotions, which makes the story stick in a person’s mind.
These data stories are particularly impactful for messaging aimed at elected officials and donors.
Takeaway #4: Trust Is Becoming More Valuable
One of the biggest concerns journalists identified was accuracy and misinformation. Credibility matters.
This is an area where libraries have a tremendous advantage. Libraries remain among the most trusted public institutions. But trust is only valuable if we actively use it.
That means sharing accurate information, citing sources, providing context, and helping community members make sense of an increasingly complicated information landscape.
Takeaway #5: Make People’s Lives Easier
Perhaps the most important lesson from the report is that journalists want sources who make their jobs easier. They want clear information, quick responses, and they want their subjects to respect their time. So do our community members!
The best library marketing doesn’t demand attention. It earns attention by being useful.
When your content helps people solve a problem, answer a question, save money, learn a skill, or improve their lives, your library marketing stops feeling like marketing. It becomes a service.
Final Thoughts
The State of the Media Report wasn’t written for library marketers. But it contains an important reminder for all of us.
Whether you’re pitching a reporter or communicating with your community, success doesn’t come from sending more messages. It comes from creating messages that are relevant, trustworthy, useful, and easy to understand.
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:
Every once in a while, a social media update comes along that feels like it was built for libraries.
Instagram is currently testing a new feature that could make it easier for users to find content they’re genuinely interested in. And many libraries are already creating the kind of posts that could thrive in this environment.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I explain what’s changing and what it could mean for your social media strategy.
Plus, we’ll give kudos to a library that received press coverage for its new bookmobile!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
More libraries are receiving Instagram collaboration requests. But figuring out which partnerships make sense isn’t always easy.
Some collaborations can expand your reach and strengthen community connections. Others may feel off-brand, unclear, or difficult to evaluate.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I share four questions to help you decide when your library should accept an Instagram collaboration request, how to protect your brand, and how to recognize opportunities that are genuinely worth pursuing.
Plus, a library marketer receives kudos for their work transforming their library’s connection to the community.
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
In this post, you will learn:
Emotion drives action. People are more likely to act on your library marketing if it makes them feel something.
Real stories on video don’t need to be polished. Authentic patron and staff experiences are some of the most effective marketing tools libraries have, and all you need is a cell phone!
Emotional marketing is not manipulation. When done ethically, storytelling helps communities understand the real impact of library services.
A few years ago, a library patron accused my library marketing team of “manipulating emotions.”
Honestly? She wasn’t wrong. We absolutely wanted people to feel something!
At the time, my library was building support for a facilities plan. Several of our historic Carnegie branches were not accessible to people with disabilities, and we knew we needed the community to understand why modernization mattered.
So we told a real story. We interviewed a veteran who physically could not enter the branch library in his own neighborhood.
We shared his experience in a short video campaign designed to help our community see the problem through a human lens instead of through budget spreadsheets and building reports.
After we published the video, one viewer messaged us: “How dare you manipulate my emotions and try to make me feel sorry for this guy?”
My response then — and now — is this:
Libraries should never apologize for telling meaningful stories.
Why Emotional Marketing Works for Libraries
One of the biggest mistakes libraries make in marketing is assuming facts alone will persuade people. We think that if we simply explain our services clearly enough, people will understand our value.
But audiences don’t make decisions based purely on logic. They make decisions based on emotion and then use facts to justify those feelings later. That’s especially true on social media, where algorithms reward content that sparks reactions, conversations, shares, and engagement.
People engage with content when it makes them feel:
Hopeful
Inspired
Seen
Empathy for someone else
Proud of their community
Connected to something bigger than themselves
That emotional response is what moves someone from passive scrolling to active engagement. And here is more good news.
Libraries Already Have Powerful Stories
You do not need a massive budget or a professional production crew to create emotional marketing. You already have the raw material.
Every library has:
A teen who found belonging through programs
A job seeker who got help building a resume
A parent who found support during a difficult season
A senior who depends on library staff for connection
A child who discovered a love of reading
A staff member who went above and beyond for someone
These stories are your most effective marketing!
Too often, libraries default to promotional language like:
“Register now!”
“Check out our new database!”
“Join us Tuesday!”
But audiences connect more deeply with:
“This program helped me make friends after moving here.”
“The library gave me confidence during my job search.”
“I didn’t feel alone anymore.”
That’s the difference between information and impact.
Emotional Marketing Is Ethical When It’s Honest
There’s an important distinction between emotional storytelling and emotional manipulation.
Manipulation relies on exaggeration, fear tactics, or dishonesty.
Ethical emotional marketing tells true stories that help audiences better understand real community needs and real library impact.
Libraries are uniquely positioned to do this well because our work genuinely changes lives every day. If your library helped someone succeed, feel safer, feel connected, or solve a problem, sharing that story is not exploitation. It’s advocacy.
The Best Way to Capture Emotion: Video
Video remains one of the most effective formats for emotional storytelling because audiences can hear tone, see facial expressions, and connect with people “face to face.”
But here’s the good news: your videos do not need to look cinematic! Some of the most effective library videos are filmed on a phone. What counts is not the production. It’s the authentic conversations.
If you want to start gathering emotional stories, try interviewing:
Loyal patrons
Volunteers
Staff members
Program attendees
Community partners
Ask open-ended questions like:
What’s your favorite memory involving the library?
How has the library impacted your life?
What would your community lose if the library disappeared tomorrow?
Tell me about a moment when the library helped you unexpectedly.
Why does this library matter to you personally?
Then stop talking and let them tell the story.
Don’t Forget Your Staff Stories
Library staff are often an untapped source of emotional content.
Staff members witness transformation every day:
helping someone apply for benefits,
finding the perfect book for a struggling reader,
assisting someone through a difficult life transition,
or creating a welcoming space for people who need connection.
Those stories matter.
Some of the best questions to ask staff include:
Tell me about a patron interaction you’ll never forget.
What moment made you proud to work at the library?
What keeps you motivated in this work?
What’s something the public doesn’t always see about library service?
These interviews can become:
Short social videos
Newsletter features
Website testimonials
Annual report stories
Posters and digital signage
Advocacy campaign content
One good story can fuel months of marketing content.
The Hidden Benefit of Emotional Marketing
Something interesting happens when libraries start telling emotional stories consistently: More stories start showing up.
When we launched our own customer impact video series years ago, staff and patrons immediately began sharing additional experiences with us.
People wanted to participate because they felt recognized and connected.
That’s one of the most powerful outcomes of storytelling: It builds community identity. People stop seeing the library as just a building or service provider and start seeing it as something deeply personal and valuable.
Final Thoughts
Libraries are emotional spaces. They represent hope, opportunity, safety, curiosity, nostalgia, belonging, education, and community.
Trying to market libraries without emotion is like trying to market music without sound.
So no, libraries should not feel guilty for creating marketing that makes people “feel all the feels.”
That emotional connection is often exactly what inspires people to support, advocate for, fund, and engage with the library in the first place.
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:
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library
When most libraries talk about branding, they’re really talking about logos, colors, and templates.
But branding isn’t only what your materials look like.
It’s how your library feels to the people you serve.
And that experience doesn’t center only on the work that your communications staff does. It comes from every single staff member. This is especially true for small or rural libraries and for large metro libraries.
A solid library brand will define your library in a crowded world. It’s the thing that makes people say, “I love my library.”
But many libraries struggle with branding. When I asked, “What do you need help with?” in the State of Library Marketing survey, one of the most common answers was “branding.”
So, we’re going to tackle that! This is the first in a three-part series all about library branding.
Branding Is Not a Logo
We’ll begin with this concept, because it’s the root of the problem.
Branding is often confused with:
Your logo
Your color palette
Your graphic templates
Those things matter. But they are expressions of your brand, not the brand itself.
In fact, research into library branding shows that a library’s brand encompasses multiple dimensions tied to user experience, perception, and emotional connection — not just visuals.
That means your library’s brand is shaped just as much by a storytime experience, a conversation at the circulation desk, the tone of a Facebook post, or signage in your building as it is by your logo.
Here’s the truth: Your library already has a brand! People in your community have an existing impression of your library. This is true even if you’ve never written a brand guide, your graphics are inconsistent, and your co-workers all seem to do their own thing when it comes to library promotion.
So, you’re not starting this journey from scratch.
Real Library Examples: When Branding Becomes Part of the Library Experience
One of the best examples of true library branding is the transformation of Rangeview Library District into Anythink Libraries.
Here’s what happened: The Rangeview Library District was considered by its community to be old-fashioned, small, and unappealing. In 2009, as part of its renewed branding efforts, the District changed the names of its libraries to Anythink libraries.
But the library did more than a name and logo change. They renamed every branch. The changed staff job titles to include “Concierge” and “Guide.” They reframed the entire library experience around creativity and curiosity.
It was a complete alignment of experience, language, and culture. And it worked.
The rebranding led to higher circulation and visitor numbers. The system was able to connect with users and pass a levy, which helped them build or renovate libraries. And they were awarded a national Medal for Museum and Library Service.
My own library, the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library, also went through a rebrand in the last five years. While our name change is not as significant (previously, we were The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County), we are transforming our connection to the community.
Yes, we created a completely new visual palette. But the core of our new branding is focused on our beliefs, which every library staff member is committed to living out through their work. Our beliefs are:
Empathy: We believe in everyone’s innate value and potential.
Enjoyment: We believe there is no prescribed path to knowledge, so why not make the journey fun?
Connection: We believe we got farther, together.
Community: We believe libraries are incubators of community.
That defined focus on those four beliefs is strengthening the connection our library has to the community, elected officials, and donors. That’s the power of branding.
Many libraries have also leaned into branding through physical experience and design. In fact, studies show that libraries are increasingly positioned as community hubs and cultural spaces, with branding tied to how people use and feel in the space, not just what they see.
Branding encompasses everything. The building, the programming, the atmosphere — all of it contributes to the brand.
Where Most Libraries Go Wrong
Most libraries don’t have a branding problem. They have a disconnect problem.
It usually looks like this:
Marketing creates one type of message
Youth services create another
Branches design their own flyers
Social media has a completely different tone
This creates a fragmented experience. And from a patron’s perspective, it feels like interacting with multiple different organizations instead of one library system.
So What Is Library Branding?
Here’s the simplest, most useful definition I can give you:
Your library’s brand is the consistent experience people have every time they interact with you.
Branding is not owned by the marketing department. Branding is created by the entire staff.
That means every flyer, every conversation, every program description, every social media post is either strengthening your brand or weakening it.
Coming Next
In the next post on April 27, we’re going to tackle the biggest challenge libraries face when it comes to branding:
How do you actually get an entire library system to act like one brand?
Meanwhile, if your library has worked on branding, I’d love to hear what worked, what didn’t, and where your staff struggled. You can let me know by commenting below or by emailing me.
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:
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Key Takeaways:
1. Hyper‑local social media works but only with empowered staff. By giving staff autonomy to create content tailored to each branch’s unique audience, the library sees more meaningful engagement than a one‑size‑fits‑all strategy could ever provide.
2. Incentives can spark huge engagement if the program is simple. Josh’s initial point‑based contest led to dramatic increases in reach, interactions, and followers at participating branches. But it also revealed the importance of designing challenges that align with staff capacity.
3. Start small, collaborate early, and refine as you go. Josh’s biggest lesson: don’t skip the research stage. Understanding staff time, motivations, and manager buy‑in is essential.
Josh Mosey lives in the same town where he grew up: Middleville, Michigan.
“My older brother and I used to ride our bikes to the library in the summer when we were kids and take part in the summer reading program,” remembers Josh. “I wasn’t as big a reader then, but I did enjoy the books on cassette tape that came with the physical books attached. When nothing new was available in that form, I’d pick a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ book, which I would read until one or two endings and call it good.”
“I was a notorious cheater when it came to counting books for the summer reading challenge back then. I’m making up for it now by reading voraciously as a grownup.”
Josh can get plenty of books, thanks to his current job as part of the six-person Library Marketing and Communications team and the Kent District Library. KDL serves 440,000 residents in Kent County, MI, excluding the city of Grand Rapids and a couple of smaller municipalities on the north end of the county. The library consists of twenty branches, one express library, and a bookmobile.
Josh is responsible for email and social media marketing for KDL. And the social media part of his job involves working with 20 “social media branch champions”. These are staff members appointed to create content and list events on their branch’s Facebook page.
“The social media branch champions have been around for as long as each branch has had its own Facebook page,” explains Josh. “They are chosen by that location’s manager as someone who either has time, interest, or expertise in that area. While I oversee the group, give tips, and create content they can use, the social media branch champions don’t take orders from me.”
Josh says the goal of our social media branch champions is to engage with their community, cultivate relationships with community members who might come to their events in person, and reflect the things that make their communities unique.
“Since the patrons at each branch can vary widely in interests and socioeconomic makeup, a one-size-fits-all mentality doesn’t work for our branch pages,” he says.
But this system has its challenges.
“Skills and interests vary widely from branch to branch,” explains Josh. “My graphic design background is borne out of the fact that my roommate in college was a graphic design major, and he let me play around on his computer with Photoshop. I’ve been able to do a lot with that over the years, but I’m a rarity among library staff members. Most folks have backgrounds in library science, literature, or education.”
“And while we have a comprehensive brand guideline and I’ve given the team examples of what a well-designed image should look like, some folks just don’t have the time, interest, or expertise to create on-brand, engaging content.”
And because this job likely falls under the “other duties as assigned” for many of the social media branch champions, they may not want to take on the frustrating job of posting to social media. So, Josh decided to incentivize social media work for this library.
“The incentives are based on best practices like consistent posting, interacting with local groups, sharing posts from the main KDL page, promoting branch events, and so on,” explains Josh. “Each of those activities is awarded a specific point value, and the points are calculated quarterly. At the end of each quarter, the branch with the most points wins a pizza party for their branch, a bookstore gift card for themselves, and temporary ownership of a goat trophy that says, ‘You’re the G.O.A.T.’”
Josh says the incentives worked well… at first.
“While some branches simply didn’t have time to put their numbers in (or participate, really), the branches that took the competition seriously saw massive increases in followers, interaction, and post views and likes.”
For example, Josh says the first branch to win was the Alto Branch of KDL. The results were as follows:
Views increased by more than 356 percent.
Reach increased by 811 percent.
Content interactions increased 334 percent.
Link clicks increased by 1,400 percent.
Visits to the Alto Facebook page increased 51 percent.
Follows increased by nearly 191 percent.
That sounds like a great leap. But when Josh solicited feedback from the branch champions on the incentive program, he discovered that most felt participation was just one more thing they needed to squeeze into their already busy routines, especially in the summer and fall. So Josh is making some changes.
“The program is going to change from a cumbersome Excel spreadsheet into a simple, physical Bingo sheet with twenty-five challenges that a branch can do monthly,” says Josh. “The more bingos a champion earns, the more chances they’ll have to win a prize. This should still get at the heart of what motivated the ones who participated while addressing the complexity of the previous version of the challenge for those who didn’t do much with it.”
Josh has some candid advice for anyone considering a similar incentive program for staff.
“I was too quick to go from the ideation phase into implementation,” confesses Josh. “I should have done a little more research into what my champions had time for and what exactly would motivate them.”
“I would encourage libraries that want to do this to sit down with the folks who manage their library’s social media presences, along with those folks’ managers, to increase the level of buy-in at the beginning.”
“Also, simpler is better. I was trying to get my people to do all the right things from the beginning, but I probably should have started smaller by focusing on two or three things each month until everyone had some momentum going for a bigger training and competition event.”
And Josh has one more, unrelated piece of social media advice for libraries.
“Don’t give up on social media posts that use words,” advises Josh. “Photos and videos are great, but it’s okay to make basic, nice-looking posts with nothing but words on them. It’s been working for us since I started in my role four years ago, across all our platforms.”
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:
My high school history teacher never assigned a textbook for class. Instead, every day, Mr. David Ulmer would pace back and forth in front of a room of students, explaining the events of the world in vivid detail as a story.
He would wildly gesticulate when the action got heated or dangerous, use voices to bring historical figures to life, and punctuate points with hilarious statements written on the chalkboard.
My classmates and I sat in rapt attention. We tried to take notes. But frankly, it was hard to tear your eyes away from Mr. Ulmer. We didn’t want to miss a single detail.
No one failed tests in Mr. Ulmer’s class. That’s because his teaching method was storytelling. Rather than pushing a bunch of facts, figures, and details at us, he made historical events personal, vivid, and memorable. Everyone remembered the details.
Your library will have the same impact by including storytelling in your promotional strategy.
“People are looking for a connection.” —John Michael Morgan, Business Leadership Coach
Here are the four things you need to know to start incorporating storytelling into your library promotions.
#1: You don’t have to do all the work.
When a cardholder talks about the way your library’s collection, programs, and services have impacted their lives, people will listen. Let your community share their story about their experience at the library.
One year during my time at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Library, we sent an email to a target group of library users. We asked them to tell us why they loved the library. I thought maybe 25 people would respond. I was so very wrong.
We got more than 400 responses! Some people wrote a few sentences, and some wrote paragraphs. That one “ask” was a gold mine of storytelling for more than a year.
We contacted many of the responders later to ask them to elaborate on their stories on camera. We used those interviews for fundraising, blogs, and newsletter blurbs. We pulled some of their quotes and had our librarians read them on camera, which we shared during Library Workers Week and other big events.
We used some of those stories to lay the groundwork for a levy, which eventually passed. And we used stories on social media. That drove our organic engagement rates higher and made our other organic posts more effective.
Your community is eager to share testimonials with you. All you have to do is ask.
#2: You can gather stories every day.
Make it a practice at your library for front-line staff to be on the lookout for stories as they work — not in a forced or formal way, but simply by noticing when a patron has a meaningful moment.
When those moments happen, give staff an easy way to jot down a sentence or two about what happened. And if they feel comfortable asking the patron directly, they can use simple language like, “I’m so glad we could help! Would you mind if we shared a little about this interaction? It helps other people discover what the library offers.” Most patrons appreciate being asked
If you frame this work as optional and low-pressure, staff don’t have to feel like they’re intruding. When I worked at the Cincinnati Library, I asked front-line staff to call me if they had an interaction with a patron that they thought would make a good story. One day, I got a call from a branch manager who said she just worked with a 12-year-old boy and his father, and they were willing to talk about their experience. That interaction led to this incredible video.
You can also ask volunteers, board members, and library friends groups to share their stories, as Deschutes Public Library did. These folks are often really passionate about their love for the library, and their stories will inspire others to volunteer, donate, and use the library.
#3: Stories don’t have to be long or complicated.
Your library stories can be a few sentences, a few paragraphs, or a few pages. There’s no formula for length. If you’re not a confident writer, or your patron feels uncomfortable sharing in detail, you can still find a great story within a few sentences.
Jacksonville Public Library shared the story of a father who got his high school diploma with the help of the library. It’s less than 400 words, but it’s powerful.
#4: Your library can share stories everywhere you do promotions.
Start by including one story in each of the places where you normally promote your library.
For instance, if you send a monthly library newsletter, include a story. You don’t have to delete any of the other things you normally promote in your newsletter. But slip a story into the mix.
Tease the story in your subject line to increase your open rates. A story will appeal to a wider audience. Once the subscriber opens your email and reads the story, they’ll be responsive to other promotional content in the email.
If your library has a blog, include at least one cardholder story on your blog every month, like Oak Park Library did with this extraordinarily moving piece. Your blog will grow in traffic and subscribers, which is good news for the other content you post.
One of the best places to share content marketing is in a video. And your subject doesn’t even have to be human, as you’ll see from this video by Broward County Library.
You can create a newsletter filled with stories. You can create a landing page on your website. You can share stories on your blog, on social media, in your videos, and in your print pieces.
“In a time of rapidly compounding technology generations, the most successful businesses will consistently deliver high touch to customer with one of our oldest traits—the telling of a story.” —Jim Blasingame, Small Business Advocate, Radio Show Host, Storyteller
One final note
As I was writing this blog, I came across this article by Martin O’Connor of University College Cork Library that I encourage you to read. It’s full of great tips on sharing the story of your library!
I also teach a course on library storytelling that is available as part of a Learn with NoveList Plus subscription or as a live or virtual session at library staff development days. You can contact me for more details.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Day celebrations. I am usually in bed and fast asleep by the time the ball drops.
But I do feel a certain kind of hope as I wake up on January 1st every year. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the past year and set new goals for the next 12 months.
And so, I use that day to write this post, revealing the results of the annual State of Library Marketing survey. Your answers help me plan Super Library Marketing content and episodes of The Library Marketing Show for 2026
Here are the big takeaways from this year’s survey results:
Increasing physical visits is the most important goal for more library marketers.
Time and capacity are the biggest challenges library marketers face.
Frustration with social media effectiveness continued to grow.
Formal marketing planning remains elusive for nearly half of the respondents.
Facebook and Instagram are nearly tied for promotional use by libraries.
Most library marketers either have a budget of $5000 or more or no budget at all.
Basic methodology
The survey was fielded in September 2025 and received 125 total responses, a 15 percent increase in responses over 2024. Questions included multiple-choice and open-ended items about platforms, goals, budgets, planning, evaluation cadence, AI usage, and the biggest challenges facing library marketers.
Who responded
86 percent work at a public library.
8 percent work at an academic or university library.
2 percent work at some other kind of library.
Size of libraries
38 percent serve a population of 25,000 or less.
26 percent serve a population between 25,000 and 50,000.
14 percent serve a population between 50,000 and 100,000.
8 percent serve a population between 100,000 and 250,000.
The rest work at a large library.
Marketing experience and workload
88 percent of the respondents to this survey report having three or more years of experience.
60 percent of respondents say promotion is one of many responsibilities they have.
40 percent are working solely on library marketing.
Social media platforms used by libraries in order of popularity
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
TikTok
Threads
X
Budgets
More than $5,000: 32 percent
No budget: 22.4 percent
$1,000–$5,000: 16 percent
Not certain: 16 percent
$500–$1,000: 8.8 percent
$100–$500: 4.8 percent
Top goals for the next 12 months
Drive visits to the physical library location.
Reach non-patrons.
Drive the use of services.
Increase program attendance.
How effective do libraries consider their promotions?
68.8 percent say somewhat effective.
12 percent say very effective.
18.4 percent say somewhat effective, not very effective, or not effective at all.
The top five most pressing challenges for library promotion
#1: Time & capacity
41 percent of respondents stated they feel they lack the time or resources needed to perform their jobs effectively. This is a huge shift from 2025, when staff buy-in was ranked as the number one challenge.
As one person put it, “I’m often racing to complete all my tasks. I’m the only marketing person. I try to prioritize the items that are most important. It can be a challenge.”
Another said, “With additional resources, we could expand our efforts significantly. We are constantly busy, and despite an award-winning year of results, there remains the perception that we could always do more.”
But that respondent also shared some advice that I thought was profound.
“We’ve had to accept that marketing will always be a balancing act between capacity, expectations, and impact. At the end of the day, we focus on doing the most we can with the resources we have and ensuring that our efforts deliver real value to the library and the community.
I can assure you that marketers in many other industries with larger staff and budgets feel like they are also always short of time and money. But it shouldn’t be that way, should it? We can’t do our best work when we are stressed, burned out, and chasing success with our hair on fire.
So, this year, I’ll be looking for ways to help you prioritize projects, reuse content, and convince your leadership and coworkers to give you the resources you need.
#2: Social media effectiveness
This challenge rose from the fifth biggest challenge in 2025 to the second spot in 2026.
You can hear the frustration in this respondent’s comment: “The ever-changing algorithms! What worked in the past is dead, and we constantly have to learn new things.”
Another said, “I wish we had more time for the team to get training, learn from experts, etc. Also, a budget for apps and tools to make social media content creation easier and more efficient.”
To be honest, it is very hard to be successful on social media. You may have noticed I tried in 2025 to share more tips about ways to promote the library that did not involve social media. However, some of my most popular videos and posts are about social media.
You are telling me you need to use it, and it needs to work. I hear you, and I’ll focus more on social media effectiveness in 2026.
#3: Budget and resources
I often wonder if anyone ever really has enough money to do the marketing they want to do. I suspect the answer is no. But for libraries, and especially in 2025, the money, or lack thereof, was a huge issue.
With cuts to funding and the closure of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (and all its grants), U.S. libraries in particular faced huge difficulties finding the money to market effectively.
In 2026, I’ll continue to provide tips that libraries can use without spending a fortune.
#4: Staff and leadership buy-in
I can sense sheer frustration from many respondents that their coworkers and their bosses don’t understand or support their efforts.
”Staff view participating in marketing efforts as someone else’s job, and not important,” said one respondent. “We have a social media committee that writes blog posts and manages our social media platforms, but they see very little value in posting to social media and aren’t active in social media in their personal lives.”
Said another, “There is only so much you can do from one department. In the end, the branches must facilitate the promotions and participate.”
“Also, there is still an old-school mentality of marketing in the branches that does not conform to the professional branding needed to elevate marketing throughout the library system.”
“My challenges continue to be the lack of director-level support for formalizing a process to incorporate a broader focus on non-program offerings in our publicity campaigns,” laments a third marketer.
I’ll continue to look for ways to offer tips and strategies for library marketers facing this problem, which is related to the final big challenge…
#5: Planning and strategy
It’s difficult for library marketers to know what to focus on when there is no overall plan or strategy for the promotions or for the library, in some cases.
In fact, 47 percent of respondents said they have no formal marketing plan to follow. And even when they have a plan, library marketers face challenges without someone at the helm directing everyone and keeping the focus clear.
“We have one plan, but different people do it differently,” lamented one respondent. “There are a lot of different skill sets and thoughts about marketing. It can be hard to try to get some on board.”
Another shared this wish for 2026: “Convincing management that a strategy we all adhere to really would be more effective than being spontaneous.”
Look for more posts and videos in 2026 about how to convince senior leaders to create a strategy and, if that doesn’t work, how to make your own plan!
How libraries decide what to promote
When asked how they choose which programs, services, or resources to highlight, respondents revealed a mix of strategy and necessity. About a quarter said decisions are anchored in strategic plans or leadership priorities, often guided by directors, committees, or formal marketing calendars.
Another 25 percent rely heavily onusage data and registration numbers, giving extra attention to underused services or events with low signups. Cost plays a big role, too. High‑investment programs, outside presenters, and grant‑funded initiatives often rise to the top.
Many libraries aim for fairness by rotating coverage across branches and age groups, while others admit choices are still ad‑hoc or driven by staff requests.
A smaller but notable group prioritizes seasonal themes and cultural relevance, trying promotions to holidays or trending topics.
So, while some libraries have formal frameworks, many are still juggling competing priorities and making reactive decisions when time is short.
Lessons that changed marketing approaches
I asked a new question this year: What’s one thing you learned this year that has changed your approach to marketing and promotions?
The most common answer was rethinking social media volume. Many library marketers learned that posting less, but with more intention, can boost engagement and free up time for higher‑impact tactics.
Others embraced email segmentation and onboarding email series.
Video remains a priority, with several respondents focusing on short‑form content while acknowledging capacity limits.
Partnerships stood out as another bright spot: collaborating with schools, local organizations, or influencers amplified reach and built trust.
Interestingly, AI sparked mixed reactions. Some respondents experimented and found it unreliable, while others leaned on it for editing and idea generation.
Suggestions for improving Super Library Marketing and “The Library Marketing Show.”
I also use this survey to get feedback on what I’m doing now and how I can improve! Here are some suggestions that I’d like to respond to.
“More examples or case studies from libraries in different regions and cultural settings, especially those working with multilingual communities or limited resources.” This is a great idea and one I will work more diligently to fulfill in 2026.
“Maybe highlight some things that DIDN’T work. It both makes failure okay and shows that we can learn when things don’t turn out as we expected.” Wow, great idea! And I’ll try to find some examples for you.
“I appreciate the transcript you provide. Would it be too hard to use photos as examples of what you’re talking about during your kudos?” As soon as I read this response, I started doing it… I hope you noticed!
“I would just like to see captions on the videos so those of us in common workspaces can watch them without sound.” I do provide captions on all my videos on YouTube and LinkedIn. To turn it on, click on the “CC” button in the lower right corner under the video.
“Focus a little bit more on academic libraries and special libraries.” Great idea–I would love to do more of that in 2026.
Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 