The Tips
Treat your services like commodities. Support them with appropriate budget and staffing for both developing and marketing "the product."
Have a communications plan. This plan should complement and extend your library's overall marketing plan. The look, tone and voice should be consistent with the image of your library.
Don't forget your most important audience. The most important audience when launching any new service is staff. All frontline staff need to be up to speed, know the lmc/it's resources and be able to answer questions.
Remember you're only new once. The launch of a service or program, is newsworthy because it is new and unique to your community and lmc. Be sure to take advantage of it. Get out those news releases. Call those radio and TV stations!
Focus on what's unique. Reference and other services provide an opportunity to focus on what people say they like best about libraries—the expert, personalized service that librarians provide.
Have a clear and consistent message. One that you use over and over again in all publicity materials, e.g. "Get answers in... Send your questions to…" Make sure your "sales force" (the whole staff, Board, Friends, etc.) understands the message and is prepared to answer questions. Remember, simpler is better.
Harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Prepare and encourage all frontline staff to put in a plug for the lmc at every opportunity. "Have you tried our new Ask a Librarian service? Let me give you one of these bookmarks with the our research tips." Ask 10 satisfied customers to tell 10 friends. Also encourage Friends and trustees to spread the word.
Track positive feedback. Provide an interactive form for customers to give feedback. Collect testimonials to use in your next wave of publicity. (Use names only with permission.) Remind your "sales force" to forward any positive comments they hear to the LMS.
Work the Web. Seek links with other Web sites of schools, government and other organizations to bookmark or link from their homepage. Offer an e-mail newsletter to keep customers informed of developments.
Evaluate. Evaluation is critical to any marketing effort. Provide an interactive form for customers to give feedback. Collect testimonials to use in your next wave of publicity. Track your publicity. Watch to see what works and what doesn't. Aim to do it better next time.
These tips were adapted from Linda Wallace and Peggy Barber
Library Communication Strategies
1830 N. Fremont
St., Chicago, IL 60614
Tel: 773-989-4514.
mailto:Librarycomm@librarycomm.com
Librarycomm@librarycomm.com.
