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Creating Marketing Plans on a small Budget

Creating Marketing Plans on a small Budget. A Toolkit and Proof it works!. Karen Thistle , Service Team Lead - Capacity Building, Ontario Library Service – North Douglas Davey , Chair of the Marketing Committee - Halton Hills Public Library. Agenda. Karen

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Creating Marketing Plans on a small Budget

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  1. Creating Marketing Plans on a small Budget A Toolkit and Proof it works! Karen Thistle, Service Team Lead - Capacity Building, Ontario Library Service – North Douglas Davey, Chair of the Marketing Committee - Halton Hills Public Library

  2. Agenda Karen • Why libraries need to engage in marketing planning • What that means for a small / medium size library • The Toolkit Douglas • The HHPL’s marketing plan • How the plan was developed • Implementation & Evaluation • Q&A

  3. Ontario Library Services - North Marketing Tool Kit

  4. Marketing- What are we really talking about. • Marketing is: • Increasing awareness of the value of a product or service. • The process of through which services are planned, values are assigned to services, services are promoted and through which they are delivered.

  5. For the Public Library Marketing is… • Making sure the public knows • Who you are • Where you are • What you do and • The Value you bring to the community

  6. Why Market a Public Library? • Raise profile in community • Library users • Library non-users • Community Stakeholders and Decision Makers • Promote the Library as a Community Destination Point • Directly promote services and programs

  7. Small and Medium Size Libraries… the quest for resources • Making the most of “free” opportunities • Using resources already in the library • Establishing a plan of action • Keeping it Realistic and Manageable

  8. The Toolkit • Created by OLS-North to assist libraries in creating a marketing plan for the library.

  9. Situational Analysis • To better understand Environment: • SWOT • Internal Environment • Mission Statement • Vision Statement • Statement of Values

  10. Understanding Services • What services does the library offer? • What value do they have to clients? • What services should be continued? • What services should be discontinued? • What services should be developed?

  11. Assessing Goals • What are the long term plans for the library? • (Strategic Plans) • What are the libraries goals over the next three years? • Which goals are priorities? • What are the libraries timelines in achieving these goals?

  12. Target Markets • Geographic, Demographic, Psychographic and Behavioral • Who is currently receiving the libraries message? • Who in the community is not receiving the libraries message? • Who in the community does the library want to reach?

  13. Understanding Competition • Who are the libraries competitors? • What are the libraries “threats”? • How does the library compete? • How can threats be turned around?

  14. Marketing Strategies / Budget • Direct Marketing • Advertising • Networking • Web Resources • Campaigns • Media • Events at the library • Public Displays

  15. Drafting the Plan • Library Background • Mission Statement • Services • Goals • Target Markets • Strategy • Timeline • Budget • Measures of Success

  16. Evaluations • What does success look like? • How will the library measure success? • Increased Public Awareness • Increase in library usage • Circulation increase • Program Use • Customer Satisfaction • Tools to measure success

  17. And now for the proof… Halton Hills Public Library

  18. Halton Hills Public Library

  19. Halton Hills Public Library • Halton Hills – Georgetown and Acton • 2 branches • Total Pop. 55, 300

  20. Who Created our Plan? • No marketing staff • The Marketing Committee • representatives from different departments and branches within the Library • input from other relevant staff • Met once a month during development

  21. Why a Marketing Plan? • To remain vibrant and relevant • To support current users and reach new ones • To direct our resources effectively • To meet the objectives of the Strategic Plan

  22. Steps • Called in an expert to teach us how to market our services • Decided to market ourselves via expanding and promoting our services • Research to get results

  23. Marketing – Then and Now • THEN = Broad-based marketing • traditional • focus is on product • NOW = Service-based marketing • modern • focus is on customer

  24. Service-Based Marketing • Shift the way we think about services • Instead of trying to please everyone, think about certain segments of users • What can you do for them?

  25. What is our Marketing Plan? In general, we followed these steps: • Segment the market • Develop representative personae • Develop service initiatives • Implement service initiatives

  26. Step One: Segmenting Our Market • What are our “hot” demographics? • Determined using info from demographic and other documents • Segment: Age (now part of registration) • Sub-Segment: Library use associated with that age Defining the segments

  27. What are our Segments? • Youth aged 8-14 • Adults aged 40-64 • Adults aged 65+

  28. Segmentation Worksheet

  29. Youth aged 8-14 Sub-segments*: • Youth who select library material for fun • Youth who select library material for school • Youth who use the library computers • Youth who use library as study space *These came from an earlier study we conducted

  30. Adults aged 40-64 Sub-segments*: • E-resource users • Small business users • Recreational users *These came from a desire to reach these groups

  31. Adults aged 65+ Sub-segments*: • Recently retired and active • Elderly and homebound • Recently retired with ability issues *These came from a comparison of mobility and stage of life

  32. Step Two:Developing Personae • For each sub-segment representative personae were created • Details of the personae were created by Marketing Committee members using a combination of personal experience and reasonable supposition

  33. Persona Worksheet

  34. Step Three:Developing Initiatives • A service initiative was developed for each persona • Each initiative matches its persona’s characteristics (age, etc.) and also its values (e.g. a healthy community)

  35. Initiative Worksheet

  36. The Initiatives • Youth aged 8-14 • Film Festival - fun • Exploration Stations - computers • Homework Help Zone - homework

  37. The Initiatives • Adults aged 40-64 • HOP-ping Titles – recreational /e-resouce • Information is Our Business – small business • Are you E-Ware Pt. 1 – e-resource • Are you E-Ware Pt. 2 – e-resource • Stay Connected – e-resource

  38. The Initiatives • Seniors aged 65+ • Coffee, Books and Conversation • Expand Your World • Silver Learning • Volunteer Connection • Are you an E-Ware Senior • Friendly Faces

  39. Step Four:Implement Initiatives • Each initiative has a detailed implementation strategy including: • Who will be involved? • How will it be promoted? • When/where will it happen? • How much will it cost? • What will be the outcomes?

  40. When Will the Plan Begin? • Half of the initiatives were to begin in 2007 • The rest to start over the next four years • An assigned Coordinator investigates the best possible timing for each initiative • Initiatives will be rolled out progressively to avoid staff overload

  41. What does the Plan cost? • Each coordinator will assess the cost of their initiative • No initiative should cause undue strain • Soliciting alternate funding has already begun

  42. How is the plan evaluated? • Each initiative will have a complete report created to evaluate the different aspects of the program

  43. Status of the Initiatives • Film Festival • Ran one film festival (Indiana Jones) and just began another (Creature Feature) • Approx. 10 teens per showing • Increased interest in / cachet of library • Moderate success

  44. Status of the Initiatives • Exploration Stations • Early Literacy Station - one up and running and one more on the way • Approx. 600 uses / month • Increased customer satisfaction, improved computer skills and literacy • Huge success

  45. Status of the Initiatives • Expand Your World • 9 displays targeted to seniors - displayed in prominent local spaces • Statistics are hard to track • Positive feedback – a success

  46. Status of the Initiatives • Coffee, Books and Conversation – Acton • 2 sessions have been held • 8 first session, 5 second • 2 circs / participant • Increased interest, patron satisfaction and interaction • Good success

  47. Status of the Initiatives • CBC – Georgetown • 3 sessions have been held • 12 each session (12 on a wait list + more) • Circ’d “stacks” • Library knowledge and appreciation • Amazing success

  48. Status of the Initiatives • H.O.P.-ping Titles • Available to public since Dec. 07 • No stats yet • Increased use, satisfaction and tech ‘cred’ • Success? TBA

  49. Karen Thistle 705-675-6467 ext. 206 kthistle@olsn.ca www.olsn.ca marketing@olsn.ca 705-675-6467 ext.507 Douglas P. Davey 905-873-2681 ext. 2508 daveyd@hhpl.on.ca www.library.hhpl.on.ca Questions? Contact Us:

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