Library Marketing Basics book talk

1. Library Marketing Basics ALA Booklist Webinar Friday Sept 13, 2019 Mark Aaron PolgerCoordinator of Library Outreach College of Staten Island, City University of New York (CUNY)MarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.edu

2. Agenda Introductions What is “true” marketing ? Quick review of definitions Why marketing matters? Conducting Market Research Segmenting Your Users Branding Marketing Campaigns Marketing Plans Advocacy as Marketing Web Sites as Marketing Tools Social Media as Marketing and Engagement Tools

3. Introductions…. Originally from Montreal, Canada Worked in libraries since 1988 BA, B.Ed., MLIS, MA in Sociology (Concordia, Western, Waterloo, Brock) No marketing background (self-taught) I am an accidental marketer I am an academic librarian in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. My duties include Marketing, Instruction, and Reference

4. What is “True” Marketing? 4Ps of Marketing Marketing is the process of connecting products and services to specific target audiences. Marketing involves studying different users and identifying their needs and wants. Marketing Cycle Conduct market research Divide users into segments Identify selective things to promote Promote using materials, events, campaigns, activities, paid advertising Use evaluation tools to measure effectiveness and/or impact Start all over again

5. Library Employees Usually Promote Price, Product, Promotion, Place • The Promotion Mix is comprised of: • Public Relations • Paid Advertising • Sales Promotions • Direct Mailings

6. The Marketing Umbrella Public Relations Communications Publicity Marketing Advertising Outreach Advocacy Promotion

7. Marketing Terms 101 Communications: the multiple modes organizations share meaning with their potential customers Public Relations: How organizations maintain a positive public image through strategic, planned communication Publicity: how customers perceive an organization’s “public” message Marketing Advertising: an organization’s (paid) strategic message

8. Marketing Terms 101 Branding: Feelings and mental images associated with the organization. The “spirit” of an organization. More than a logo! Promotion: an organization’s method in raising awareness to their potential customers Outreach: how an organization connects with a targeted audience, and the meaningful connections / relationships they cultivate. Advocacy: to be the “cheerleader” and speak positively on behalf of an organization (or person). The goal of advocacy is to influence others. Marketing

9. The Marketing Iceberg Principlebased on Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory (or theory of omission*) • * Smith, P. (1983). Hemingway's early manuscripts: the theory and • practice of omission. Journal of Modern Literature, 10(2), 268-288.

10. Why Marketing Matters • “if you build it, they will come”(source: Field of Dreams film) • We are in competition with Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. • Marketing is necessary to inform our users about our value and we need to learn how to find ways to connect our services and resources to them. • Some librarians think marketing is a bad word. They often associate it with pushy car salespeople.

11. We are already doing marketing-related activities • Promoting free textbooks in a library instruction class (WOMM) • Creating a flyer and/or bookmark • Showing the library web site in a class • Giving a library tour to incoming freshmen

12. Promoting a database in a reference interview • Creating a YouTube video to promote a library service • Conducting a web site usability study • Revamping the library’s signage with an audit

13. These are promotional activities, part of the marketing umbrella • Flyer • Bookmark • Poster • Advertisement • Mass email • Listserv post • Announcing an event • Press Release

14. Themes of “True” marketing • Market Research (studying your users) • Market Segmentation (splitting users into groups) • Marketing Plans (planning) • Assessment (getting feedback from users)

15. Market Research • Library marketing is often “upside-down”. • Assessment happens after themarketing activities (incorrect) • We must study our users first, then pursue marketing activities. • Marketing decisions should be data-driven.

16. Market Research- Data Sources • Primary data • Focus groups / Interviews • Questionnaires • Participant observation • Secondary & tertiary data • Census data • Community survey data • Reference books • PEW research center

17. Market Segmentation • We cannot reach all our users • Our users have different needs and wants. • We must segment our users • Four types of segments: • Psychographic • Geographic • Behavioral • Demographic

18. Market Segmentation In a public library, our segments include Children Teenagers (Young Adults) Senior citizens Trustees College students Homeless Persons with disabilities Friends of the Library (donors) Volunteers Staff

19. Market Segmentation In an academic library, we have the following segments Faculty Staff Undergraduates Graduate Students Alumni Community

20. Branding • Warm and fuzzy feelings about the organization • It’s the library’s “story” • Non-tangible qualities about your organization • Brand strength: why customers choose one brand over another • (Apple versus Android phones) • Brand loyalty: customers will continue to love a brand despite its downfalls (i.e. customers are loyal to Amazon even though they treat their employees terribly)

21. Brand Audits • Staff Questions: • What words come to mind that describe their library? • What are the Library’s strengths and weaknesses? • Who is our competition? • What are some images that best represent the library? • What do you think our users expect of the Library? • How is our library perceived by the public? • What do users like most & least of the Library?

22. Brand Audits • Customer Questions: • What words best describe the Library? • Why do you use the Library? • How do you feel when you use the Library? • Where do you go when the Library is closed? • How did you learn about the Library? • What is an appropriate image (or logo) for the Library? • What does the library’s logo mean to you? • What are your experiences with library staff?

23. Marketing Campaigns • Large-scale set of activities, events, materials used to promote a specific product or service • Uses a consistent theme • Has specific tangible goals and objectives • Project-based; there is a beginning and end.

24. Marketing Campaigns • Comprised of events, activities, materials in different media formats • Targets a specific audience • Uses a CTA (call-to-action) • (“Join now!!!” is an example of a CTA)

25. Marketing Campaigns • Uses multiple promotional channels • Uses clear, consistent messages • Follow up with assessment

26. Famous Library Campaigns (Advocacy, Awareness) • Campaign for America’s Libraries - @ your library • Libraries Transform • Banned Books Week • Library Card Signup Month • SaveIMLS Advocacy Campaign

27. Other Memorable Campaigns • Partnership for a Drug-Free America • Dove “Real Beauty” • Progressive Insurance • Geico insurance • Movember

28. Other Famous Campaigns • Liberty Mutual Insurance • Farmers Insurance • Where’s the Beef? • It Gets Better (Dan Savage) • Luke’s Diner “pop-up” cafes to promote Gilmore Girls reboot on Netflix

29. Library Marketing Plans • SWOT Analysis • Mission and vision • Identify your target audiences • Positioning

30. Library Marketing Plans • Set tangible goals • Identify Communication Tools • Return on investment (ROI) • Select Evaluation Tools

31. Advocacy as Marketing • Advocacy is connected to marketing, public relations, fundraising, and promotion. • How we speak on behalf of an organization to influence others for support • Library employees must learn how to be front-line advocates • Be the “cheerleader” of your organization

32. Advocacy as Marketing • Practice a 30 second elevator speech. • What are the most important things you want your stakeholders to know? • Media : speak on behalf of the organization, always be transparent, positive, think about the organization, not yourself. Don’t get personal. Ways to Advocate for your Library: • Friends of the Library • Library Foundations • Word-of-mouth marketing • Meet with legislators

33. Web Sites as Marketing Tools • Web site are least expensive marketing tools • Must be intuitive and user-centered. • Library web site as “virtual location” • Web site must also be “responsive” • Web Analytics enables us to study how users navigate our site

34. Web Sites as Marketing Tools • Usability testing identifies how user-centered a web site is • Card sorting helps us learn how users organize our web pages • Users often scan web pages in a “Z” or “F” pattern. • Web copy should be jargon-free, not text heavy, and use Sans Serif fonts. • Chunk text and make bulleted lists

35. User Experience (UX) Design • User Experience (UX) design mixes usability and the emotions of the user • UX is concerned with 7 issues; usability, usefulness, value, findability, accessibility, credibility, and desirability. • UX examines how users interact in physical and virtual environments. It applies to both web sites and physical spaces

36. Social Media as Marketing and Engagement Tools • Facebook: visual blog of an individual profile, plus options for organizational groups and celebrity pages. • Twitter: microblogging platform for marketing and sparking conversation through hashtags • Instagram: photo and video sharing through hashtags

37. Social Media Metrics and Advertisement • Facebook Insights • Facebook Advertisements (via Facebook Ad Manager) • Twitter Analytics • Twitter Advertisements (via Twitter Ads) • Instagram Analytics (via 3rd party web sites) • Instagram Advertisements (via Facebook Ad manager)

38. Social Media Guidelines and/or Policies • Components • Library Mission • Library’s Goals and objectives • Target audience • Persona and tone • Scheduling/frequency • Retweets/commenting/sharing • Dealing with hostile users • Hashtags • Generating content • Accessibility Issues • Engaging with Users • Assessment

39. Want to learn more? Check out the link below http://amazon.com/author/markaaronpolger

40. Other Ways to Find me! MarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.edu http://www.markaaronpolger.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/markaaronpolger http://www.twitter.com/mappynyc