Becoming an "Old Home Place" Library - Part Two - Marketing

Yes, it's about an emotional connection . . . and marketing

Take your library outside the "box": that is, the brick and mortar building you are housed in.

One of the best practices for marketing library services on a shoe-string is local cooperation that produces a positive image, creates a demand, and fulfills your mission. As a small or rural library you can only do so much with--or without--publicity. Sooner or later you will have to meet your customers face to face. Go to the lap of the public, or where the people are.

Here's how:

Strengthen ties locally with your schools and population centers to market your library services and increase community awareness. Don't forget your non-profits, the local hospital, jail, or social services office.

Attend public functions such as parades, museums, and local exhibits or festivals as a representative of your library. Go armed with brochures and business cards, as well as your "elevator speech". Set up a table to "sign-up" people for library cards.

Celebrate your library with an anniversary of some sort with an open house, exhibits, music, or a picnic on the front lawn. This is a great way to hook-in families or tourists for the day.

Merge with other information distributors such as regional libraries, school and academic libraries, and special libraries such as those within the hospital, a law firm, or your local churches/parishes to facilitate networking, teamwork, and just to make friends. Your mantra might be "You promote my library services and I'll promote yours!"

Pull in the local organizations fire squad, police fraternity, or VFW post. Offer them your front lawn or meeting rooms for community outreach and educational presentations. And when local organizations have their annual fund raisers, convince them that a speech from the local librarian would be of great interest to their members and guests. Get in there with a brief, but memorable account of how the library can satisfy their business and personal learning needs.

These are just a few ideas to get you started marketing on a shoestring. You don't need money, just a little extra time that could be distributed between co-workers on their available days. 

Our goal should always be to grow services and relationships. So, bring the family!



Brought to you by The Settlement Library Project:
Serving People, Broadening Perspectives, and Sharing Resources in Libraries.



Image:  http://www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/the-old-homeplace

Becomming an "Old Home Place" Library - Part One - Growing Your Library

Never forget: It's about an emotional connection

You and I realize that it is increasingly difficult for small and rural libraries to continue to survive. We know that a creative transition is necessary to ensure viability--one that includes translating into not only a center of information, but also one of local culture. Our goal should always be to grow services and relationships.

We also know that distributed forms of information have forced the central role of the library to modify. Individual communities with inventive and resourceful library boards and directors should be charged with developing some new strategy that will reflect the identity and personality of the community. This identity has the definite potential to create an "old home place" type of library environment for the locals. The idea is to build bridges where you can, and secure the faith of your residents. This will cement your small or rural library into their hearts making them come back and support your efforts. 

From the beginning, this blog has been about adjusting to, and implementing, this very specific modification. Here are the simple steps revisited:

Evaluate your customer's library experience

• Test your community: determine their opinions, ideas, thoughts, and information requirements.
• Then determine what services are most important for the pleasure and growth of your residents.
• Use this information to define the strategic direction you will need to take. 

Embrace new information technologies in your little corner of the planet

• Create a Vision . . . Tagline, Website, Brand, Advertising Strategy!
• Create a volunteer team that is tech savvy. 
• Create an advisory team that will keep abreast of current technologies and free informational Websites.
• Create a partnership with your local organizations, businesses, and groups to construct local educational opportunities, linked services, and cooperative skills. Get everyone involved!

Preserve the culture and historical value of your community

• Support and secure an emotional link through community history and memory projects.
• Focus on the personality of your town by reinforcing the identity of your residents.
• Begin a participatory archiving process for community pride. 
• Secure a community founded and funded informational, educational, and historical project that everyone can get involved with.

Experiment with creative spaces in your town

• Don't be afraid to ask: Capitalize on what's already out there by crafting small individual spaces within the community that draw attention and interest toward your library.
• Put up signage at the school, community college, fire hall, or VFW. 
• Be open-minded and creative concerning the use of your library space.
• Don't be afraid to start something! 

Brought to you by The Settlement Library Project:
Serving People, Broadening Perspectives, and Sharing Resources in Libraries



Image:  http://www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/the-old-homeplace

All Business is Show Business - Even in Libraries!

Book Review - Timeless for Marketing in any Field
All Business is Show Business: Strategies for Earning Standing Ovations From Your Customers and Employees by Scott McKain

Starred Review. Every day your library organization is in the spotlight. Your staff is performing and your supporters and customers will either love the show, hate the show, or worst of all, ignore the show. Scott McKain has discovered what film, television, and music industries have known for years:

To be successful, you must create an emotional link with your customers!

The traditional focus of the public library has revolved around passive free services complacent to changing times. This has buried the foundational and irreplaceable role of the library and its champion, the librarian, in the public eye. The business strategy of the public library has been that of economic principles to the point of poverty. To survive the advent of the internet and the push into the future, the library must now revolve around emotional principles as well as information literacy.

The challenge to the informational professional is clear in this entertainment age: create an information environment that ensures customer access to intelligence, and assures a positive emotional connection that will satisfy and gratify. Mr. McKain defines the purpose of any business: profitably create emotional connections that are so satisfying to customers and employees that loyalty is assured. Customers want to know that business, including that of the public library, has the ability to provide what they need in the way they need it.

Mr. McKain defines seven performance “abilities” which encompass these ideas:

1. Access-ability
2. Approach-ability
3. Rely-ability
4. Customize-ability
5. Upgrade-ability/Dispose-ability
6. Enjoy-ability
7. Remark-ability

Mr. McKain discusses the importance of learning what your customers think and feel about your services; “word of mouth” advertising; establishing a short, attention grabbing High Concept Statement; the power of the “story;” and the changing impact of time and emotions on business. A must read for any library professional struggling with indifference from the board and the public: a first lesson in communicating the value of the library to customers; library worth and irreplaceability to the community; a strategy ensuring adequate resources, and the effective use of marketing and advocacy.

“No matter what your business,” says Scott McKain, “you are always on stage. Make your performance one that leaves your customers with a feeling of Wow!”

At 215 pages, All Business Is Show Business will help you to create the ultimate customer experience in order to differentiate your organization, amaze your customers, and expand your profitability and value. An essential.

Title: All Business Is Show Business
Edition: Hardcover – each book personally signed
Author: McKain, Scott
Imprint: Nashville, Tenn.: Rutledge Hill, c2002.
Description: viii, 215p.; 24cm.
Subject: Organizational effectiveness.
Subject: Consumer behavior.
Subject: Marketing – Psychological aspects.
Subject: Success.

Adult Non-Fiction
659.2 McK 2002 02/04

Name Calling: How about library Supporter?

To promote a higher concept of the modern library, perhaps we should start with a higher concept of its public.

What's in a name? Does it make a difference? Does it affect marketing? Is it ultimately important when considering branding? There seems to be a debate about name calling. What should the modern library and the new librarian call its public: Patron? User? Client? Customer?

The Merriam-Webster Explorer Dictionary defines a Patron as a chosen/special protector; a wealthy or influential supporter or a regular client or customer. A Customer is defined as one who patronizes or uses services; a buyer or purchaser; a regular or frequent buyer. On the other hand, a Client is a person who hires the services of a professional or someone under the protection of a patron. And a User is one who enjoys a presumptive right after long continued use.

There are elements of each of these terms which are acceptable and familiar when relating to library users. You could call the average library visitor a client or customer, but you couldn't accurately refer to everyone as a chosen special protector, or a wealthy or influential supporter per se. You might also call this person a customer because he patronizes or uses library services. But it would not be appropriate to call him a regular buyer or purchaser or an employer of library staff. Not to mention the term User conjuring up some negative images.

Because I do not feel any of these terms are wholly accurate to define this relationship, I decided to look for a different word; common yet definitive for this modern relationship which marketing has actually impacted.

As a result, I considered sponsor partly due to its being a synonym of patron, but found that a sponsor is one who accepts responsibility for another person or thing. I also came upon the term supporter: one that supports, backs up, assists. An advocate or champion. A common term, not medieval or stoic, nor squeamish. A nice sounding word which pretty well covers the personality of the frequent library lover/user. Perhaps library Supporter might encompass traits ideal for a new relationship between library visitors and library staff.

With the trends geared toward reviving, renewing and upgrading the library image and usefulness through marketing, perhaps terminology does make a difference. Creating a brand/image of the modern information giant and establishing that image is a real focus. And taking this image from the dark ages of memorizing the Dewey Decimal System to the Greek think tanks of the first librarians should be the future.

Perhaps it is time to forge ahead into that emotional bond; that connection between user and provider pursuing that element of dependency so necessary for the modern library and the new librarian to possess and nurture with its public in order to survive and thrive.

What's in a name is important. To promote a higher concept of the modern library, perhaps we should start with a higher concept of its public.

Image:ronjgiambalvo.wordpress.com/.../

Marketing DNA (2)

Best Fit for Small and Rural Libraries Part Two

"Changing Your Game: Aligning the Public through Customer Service"

What drives your community?
What skills does your library possess?
What is your best industry?
What is your passion?
It's not a marathon, it's a journey.
So find what best fits your library and make it real.

Here is how to articulate success creating that emotional connection by filling the community's needs.

Is marketing in your DNA?

The Settlement Library Project Presents Part 2 of Marketing DNA: Best Fit for Small and Rural Libraries from The Settlement Library Project

Music: Jesse Brock - Maury River Blues
This mp3 file was found at:hillcountrystringworks.com

Marketing DNA (1)

Best Fit for Small and Rural Libraries Part One

"Changing Your Game: Embrace Engagement"

What drives your community?
What skills does your library possess?
What is your best industry?
What is your passion?
It's not a marathon, it's a journey.
So find what best fits your library and make it real.

Here is how to articulate success creating that emotional connection by filling the community's needs.

The Settlement Library Project presents Marketing DNA (1): Best Fit for Small and Rural Libraries (part one) from The Settlement Library Project

Is marketing in your DNA?



Music: Jesse Brock - Maury River Blues
This mp3 file was found at:hillcountrystringworks.com