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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion

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Your Community Is Treating Your Marketing the Same Way Journalists Treat Bad Pitches. Here’s How to Fix That.

Historic black-and-white library reading room with patrons focused on books at a large table, surrounded by shelves. Text overlay reads: "How to Make Your Library Promotions MORE RELEVANT!" with the words "MORE RELEVANT!" emphasized in yellow.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

In this post, you will learn:

  1. Relevance matters more than frequency. Libraries don’t need to send more messages. They need to send more relevant ones.
  2. Data makes library marketing more newsworthy. Statistics and outcomes can transform promotions into compelling stories.
  3. 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. 

Want more help?

How Libraries Can Get Better Press Coverage: Real Tips From Former Journalists

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Navigate Library Alerts Seamlessly: 7 Proven Messaging Techniques

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

A few weeks ago, I received a question from a reader.

The email read, “My library has recently dealt with many unexpected closures and disruptions in service. Our AC went down during a heatwave, our drive-thru will be closed for three days due to road repair, our parking lot was closed for resealing, our meeting rooms are short on tables due to some faulty wheels, our entrance was temporarily closed due to construction, our catalog will be down due to a migration, our elevator is on the fritz… and the list goes on!”

“Our staff always want to make sure that patrons are informed and prepared for what to expect when they arrive, but I’ve been concerned about balancing our messaging.”

Ensuring your community has updates on broken equipment or services that are unavailable while continuing your normal promotions highlighting the library’s value is a common challenge. For my library marketing friends who are dealing with hurricanes, construction projects, unexpected power outages, and more, I’ve created this guide with recommendations on how to manage these situations.

Tip #1: Prioritize critical messages.

If your library is facing significant disruptions that impact a large number of patrons (e.g., catalog downtime, major entrance closures,), use all your available channels (website, social media, emails, texts, signs, etc.) to inform your patrons.

As you craft your messaging, be certain to use clear, conversational text. Give easy, step-by-step instructions for navigating these disruptions. And, always be sure to include a phone number or email where community members can ask further questions.

Let your community know how long the disruption will last. And promise to provide further updates. Your goal is to minimize situations where unexpected surprises could cause frustration or inconvenience.

Here’s a great example from Delaware County District Library, which sent an email to let people know its locations will close for a staff training day.

Tip #2: Use targeted messaging for less critical issues.

For less critical issues (like broken equipment or minor repairs), an “Out of Order” sign on the affected item may be sufficient. If it’s a piece of equipment in your MakerSpace, and you have emails for community members who have reserved the equipment, a quick email letting them know it’s unavailable is warranted.

You could also use your website or digital signage within the library to let patrons know about the disruption as they arrive at the branch.

Tip #3: Have lots of disruptions? Consider bundling your messages.

If you’re facing a situation like my reader where you have multiple outages, consider bundling updates. A weekly update post on social media or an email summarizing all current disruptions will inform your community without inundating them with multiple messages.

Tip #4: Create a “Service Alerts” section on your website.

A landing page where notifications about all service alerts are located makes it easy to keep all information about potential disruptions in one place. Like Vancouver Public Library, you can train your community members to look there for updates and point to this section when creating email or social media messages about new disruptions.

Tip #5: Ensure staff have messaging for in-person interactions.

Make sure you take the time to give your library’s front-line staff up-to-date information so they can proactively inform patrons and suggest alternatives when disruptions affect a visit. This helps staff manage patron expectations. It also empowers staff and makes them feel more confident as they interact with community members.

Tip #6: Consider adding humor to your messaging.

Humor can be an effective way to soften the impact of negative news, like service disruptions, without downplaying their importance. It can also make your messaging feel more approachable and lessen frustration.

For example, instead of a straightforward “The elevator is out of order,” try: “Our elevator decided to take a break—stairs are getting their time to shine!” Or, if your catalog is down, you could say “Our catalog is taking a nap for maintenance. It’ll wake up refreshed and ready soon!”

You can also use funny visuals, as Orkney Library did when they were forced to close an hour early for a whole week.

Finally, try pairing your disruption message with a positive point. For example, “Our entrance is blocked due to construction, but we’ve still got an open door to great reads.”

Tip #7: Pay attention to your community’s response to the disruption.

As with any library communications situation, pay attention to feedback from your community members regarding your communication strategy. You’re striking the right balance if patrons feel well-informed without being overwhelmed. If they complain that they’re getting too many or insufficient messages, adjust accordingly.

Although disruptions are not ideal for your community and your marketing, you will learn things about your audience! For example:

  • How do patrons use the library? Disruptions can reveal patterns of library use. For example, if many patrons express frustration over catalog downtime, it indicates that digital access is a high priority. Alternatively, if they’re more concerned about space (like meeting room availability), it shows how much they rely on physical spaces. You can use this information to inform future marketing.
  • Which channels work best for communication? Analyze how patrons respond to disruption notices. Do they respond more to messages sent via social media, emails, or to messages delivered in person? This can tell you which communication channels are most effective for your library’s audience.

P.S. You might also find this helpful

Libraries: It’s Time to Update Your Crisis Communication Plan! Here’s What You Need to Revise.

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The Magic of a Consistent Message: How to FINALLY Break Through the Noise and Promote Your Library

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

A few weeks ago, I walked through my neighborhood listening to the Library Marketing for Library Marketers podcast. Katie Rothley was interviewing a woman named Sarah Tolle, who manages content for a large Canadian agency. And Sarah said something that literally stopped me in my tracks.

“People take comfort in hearing the same story repeatedly. They like knowing that they know the story and that they understand you. And they anticipate the ending. “

-Sarah Tolle, content director for Black and White Zebra.

I was standing there on the sidewalk, staring at a squirrel gathering nuts from the front yard of an indiscriminate house, and I thought, HOLY SMOKES, this woman is dropping some truth bombs.  

Sarah was talking about the value of a consistent message. The timing of this episode could not have been more perfect. In my day job, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how library marketers can get the most bang for their buck.

Many of the libraries I work with are struggling to figure out how to do three big things:

  • Drive more visitors to their buildings
  • Get higher attendance at their programs
  • Get their cardholders to use their cards more often.

They’re working alone or with a small team, with very little money, and very little time. It’s an impossible formula.

Except, as Audrey Hepburn once said, “Nothing is impossible. Even the word itself says, ‘I’m possible.'”

And the secret to success may be found in the form of a marketing axiom that’s nearly 100 years old.

The Marketing Rule of 7

The Marketing Rule of 7 was developed by the movie industry in the 1930s. Studio bosses discovered that a certain amount of advertising and promotion was required to compel someone to see a movie.

It takes time and consistent marketing to make people aware of your library. One message, delivered on one platform, one time, is not going to be enough. We must work to make sure people are familiar with our library.

Now, I know what you are thinking. The Marketing Rule of 7 makes sense. But it’s also in complete contradiction to another marketing fact that is entirely a product of the digital age.

The Reality of Content Shock

Marketing expert Mark Shaffer, author of more than 12 books on marketing, defines Content Shock as “the phenomenon when exponentially increasing amounts of content intersect with our limited human capacity to consume it.”

In other words, there’s too much stuff to read and not enough time to read it. (Are we talking about my inbox or my TBR?  Or both?)

So how do we square both marketing truths? And how do we figure out a way forward so we can reach the goals of our library marketing?

First, the number 7 in the Marketing Rule of 7 is an arbitrary number. It could take somebody more than seven times the exposure before they become a loyal library user. Or maybe it will only take five times. Or two times.

Don’t focus so much on the number. Focus on the consistent message.

Because when your audience is overloaded with content, sharing one, consistent message, repeatedly, will break through.

Political candidates know this is true. When they’re trying to get elected or whip up support for a bill, they come up with a main message. They repeat it everywhere: on fliers, social media, in interviews with the press, in speeches, etc. They do this because they know they must repeat the message to make sure their constituents hear and understand it.  

How to Create a Consistent Message

Let’s say you work for a high school library and your goal is to get more kids to check out books to read for pleasure (because, let’s be honest, most kids do not find reading Catcher in the Rye all that pleasurable).

First, write a few lines that succinctly encapsulate the message you want to get across.

Read something for once just for fun! The library is filled with books that won’t give you class credit but will take you on an adventure you’ll never forget.

Now, use those two lines across your promotions: on bookmarks, posters, displays, and in morning announcements. Repeat it to kids who wander into the library looking for something to read. Do it all year long. By the end of the year (and probably sooner), the message will have sunk into the kids. That’s consistent messaging.

Next week: I’ll give you a four-step plan for repurposing any piece of content you create across multiple channels without losing your consistent, core message. (Yes, it can be done!)

More advice

How to Properly (and Legally!) Share Creative Content on Your Library’s Social Media Channels

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