Category Archives: Marketing

Tweet About Your Library Work!

by Jessica Posted on February 23, 2012

Here is a message from FLA who is inviting all librarians to tweet about their jobs! They want everyone to be a part of their Virtual Job Shadowing Project! Take a look at the description below!

Tweet about your library work! The Florida Library Association (FLA) would like to invite librarians in all types of jobs to be part of our Virtual Job Shadowing Project (library school students who are currently employed in libraries can also participate). Choose a day between April 2 and April 14th to tweet your daily activities using the hashtag #libjobshadowFL. Inform potential (and current) librarians about your workday. Users can also visit the FLA Twitter page at http://www.twitter.com/libjobshadowFL.

Librarians have embraced the changes brought about by the internet age and we are creating new roles to become the information guides of this new century. Sharing our daily activities will help to illuminate the depth and breadth of our profession. We want to hear from all types of librarians, whether new or time-tested, about the roles you are creating every day.

For a list of our tweeters and the days they will participate, stop by the Virtual Job Shadowing Project Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/FLAVirtualJobShadowing. The FLA Virtual Job Shadowing Project is coordinated by the Florida Library Association Library Personnel Recruitment Committee. To volunteer to tweet about your workday, please contact Susan L. Smith via email: ssmith1@hodges.edu or phone (239) 598-6134.

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Can Twitter Help Promote Our Library Programs and Services?

by Jessica Posted on February 17, 2012

Twitter. Why is it so popular? When it first came out, I didn’t quite understand the concept. Why would we want to tell people what we are doing? That concept has changed and developed into something more interactive.

Twitter first launched in the summer of 2006 and has grown into a powerful tool for social media marketing.  Its is a FREE communication tool that allows you to send messages (under 140 characters) to a group of followers. People in the twitter community sign up to “follow” your posts. People use twitter in multiple ways, either to communicate what is going on at their library or to share information at live events like conferences or multi-location meetings. Twitter is a great tool to help promote the awesome programs and services happening in the library to your patrons and community.

How to get Started

  • register with your library name and start following library patrons and friends (send an announcement so people can follow you at your new twitter account)
  • customize your twitter page, place your library logo and a background image that lets your page stand out and be easily identified by your patrons
What type of material to post
  • how to find or access information online or in the physical library
  • upcoming events or programs at the library
  • ask for feedback on policy changes
  • update patrons on new material that just came in
  • point out highlights on the library website or catalog
Reaching a Diverse Audience Publish your tweets in multiple locations.
  • Facebook -you can set up an application to automatically post a tweet to Facebook (Facebook application for Twitter)
  • Website – you can install a Twitter Badge on your website home page that displays your tweets. This helps spread the word to folks who don’t have an account or didn’t know your library was on Twitter. A twitter widget for your website - Twitter badge
  • Blog – most blog interfaces have an option to tweet your posts. It’s easy and you get the message out in multiple locations
  • Social Buttons- don’t forget to place a twitter button or icon in unique locations like: your email signature, website, promotional fliers, newsletter, or inside the library

Encourage Use with your followers

  • ask questions – like “Who was at today’s Reading Club” or “What was your favorite book that you read this year?”
  • share links – like “Check out today’s article in the Tampa Bay Times” or “Check out this new book review”
  • re-tweet posts from other business in your community – this shows support in the community
  • reply when patrons message you – remember to use hashtags, these help categorize messages. So if you start talking about Battle of the Bands at your library use a hashtag like #battleofthebands, so other users can comment and follow these keywords
Helpful Pointers
  • Don’t over or under do it, you know what it’s like to get too many emails from the same person or not enough to forget about them
  • make sure you use the right lingo, you post a “tweet”
  • look for trends with your followers, what are they tweeting, who are they following
  • make sure to check for any mention of your library in other tweets, if your patrons are “tweeting” about your library you want to know!

Check out and follow some of our member libraries! Look for us too @Tblc

Sarasota County Library @SCLibrary

Hernando County Library @HernandoLibrary

New College/USF S/M – @JBCLibrary

Winter Haven Library @WinterHavenLib

PASCO County Library @PascoLibraries

Leesburg Library @leesburglibrary

Largo Public Library @LPLNews

USF Polytechnic @usfplib

Lake Library System @lake library

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How can I get that QR Code on my library materials?

by Jessica Posted on January 20, 2012

QR Codes, what are they? and what do they do? Quick Response codes link you to digital information on the web and connect the mobile device you are using to a website, text, phone number or SMS. You can read QR codes through almost any smartphone with an application that scans the code.

You can use QR codes anywhere, even digitally. I have seen them in places I would never imagine, like on the back of a toothpaste bottle, to the front of a tee-shirt.  Since the novelty is still pretty new here in America, people are curious as to what it actually is and what it actually does.

QR codes are a great way to market your library. You can send students or patrons to a website, a mobile application, your facebook or twitter page, a library exhibit, staff directory, library video, or the library catalog. Place the codes in strategic places like outside a conference or study room, library stacks, print handouts or a library map. 

Website QR Code Generators 

KAYWA QR-Code Generator – I like this site because it allows you to change the size of the code without distorting the image.

QR Stuff.com – This site is pretty neat because it allows you to enter what type of data you want with the option to change the color from the normal black on white.

GOQR.Me -This is a very basic generator and easy to use. You can create a text, url, call, sms or vcard code.

Smartphone Applications

Apple Products: QRReader -app opens instantly to scan the code, you can also create a code from within the app

Android Products: QR Droid -app uses the camera to scan the code and you can create a code from a bookmark or contact

Here are some QR codes I created as examples, scan them and see where they take you!

 

 If you need help, don’t hesitate to email or call the TBLC office and I can walk you through it! – Jessie

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How Facebook Can Help Market Your Library

by Jessica Posted on January 6, 2012

Facebook LikeAccording to Facebook statistics, more than 800 million users have an active account. Facebook has taken social media interaction to a new level of communication. It provides an outlet to market your library for FREE, interact with your patrons or students, and share valuable information. Below, I will share why creating a page will help your library, the benefits, and what steps to take next.

If you don’t have a library page set up in Facebook yet, take into consideration all the benefits you can receive from having a library page.

  • Library patrons can “like” your page, allowing them to follow the library and receive any updates that you post.
  • Every time someone “likes” your page, all their friends see that they “like” your library. This leads to easy promotion that attracts other followers to your library Page.
  • Your Facebook library page will allow you to share information like hours, programs, special events, online resources, and updates. You can also post photos, videos, and applications (like searching the library catalog).
  • Anything you post on your library page is then sent into the “feeds” of your followers so they can always catch an update.

Here are some great perks of having a Library Facebook page.

  • You can share information for free. This is a good way to market the library at NO COST!
  • Patrons can communicate with each other through the library page, share thoughts about a book, or a master gardening class.
  • Customer Service – you can answer Patron questions and  promote library events, get feedback on classes, or promote local authors and community events.
  • Get Feedback: ask patrons what they are reading or  what authors they like (the more discussion, the more interaction, the better the results)!

If you have a library page and you are looking to reinvigorate your pages activity, think about a few of these ideas.

  • Add a Social Media button to your website and blog. https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/
  • If you have a mailing list, send out an announcement to “like” your Facebook page.
  • Add a Facebook link to your email signature (easy promotion every time you send an email).
  • Link your blog or twitter account to your Facebook page (this is an easy way to share information in multiple locations).
  • Post on your Facebook page “Help Us Get to 200 Likes” Set the goal to a higher number than what you have. Current members will share with friends, family, and businesses.
  • Post pictures from classes in the library or reading club. Make sure to tag and share them, with the patrons permission, then their friends who don’t know about your page will “Like” your page.
  • Place a link to your Facebook page on your other social media sites.
  • Add a “welcome” or landing page for new users.

Take a look at some of these pages. It will help you get an idea of what Facebook can do for your library!

Hernando County Public Library You can search the online catalog and join their mailing list.

New College of Florida Jane Bancroft Cook Library You can access the Ask a Librarian service right through their Facebook page, easy access for the students.

Pasco County Library System Check out the special app they have for Hours and Locations.

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System Check out their use of photo albums for Florida Library Snapshot Day and the Hispanic Heritage Contest, fans love to see photos especially of things they have participated in.

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The Networking Librarians

by Jessica Posted on September 30, 2011

The School Library Journal recently held the 2011 Leadership Summit. With more than 200 librarians and educators in attendance, the group celebrated success stories, achievements in their libraries, and engaging communication.

I read an article written by Debra Lau Whelan summing up the events at the conference. What really caught my attention in the article was the way 2 school librarians networked to connect their libraries, students, and lessons.  John Schumacher who works at Brook Forest Elementary School in Illinois is a school librarian and Shannon Miller who works at Van Meter Community School in Iowa is a district teacher librarian. Last week at the conference they presented “Networked Librarians Take Reading Promotion to the Next Level“. The slideshow displays lessons, communication through social media, and the way they bring their classrooms “together”.

John and Shannon write a blog together entitled “Two Libraries One Voice“. They use their blog to showcase the projects in their libraries and the collaborative work their students create. They keep in contact by using social media and connecting technology like Twitter, Skype, email, Google Docs, and text messages. John and Shannon’s libraries are more than 300 miles apart and in different states, but they still manage to connect and share ideas about their libraries.

This story of John and Shannon is a great example of how networking can help any librarian build more effective partnerships and relationships. Having the opportunity to share success stories of collaboration will always lead to a positive outcome. Networking can help you meet new people, bring together fresh ideas, and open the door to new opportunities.

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eBook Best Sellers

by Jessica Posted on August 30, 2011

This week’s New York Times Combined Print and EBook lists for Fiction and Nonfiction.  Please take a look at this document, prepared by Charlie Parker, based on availability of New York Times Best Sellers from OverDrive, the largest provider of popular ebooks for libraries.

Only Half of eBook Best Sellers are available to Libraries

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Ask a Librarian – Instant Invite

by Jessica Posted on August 8, 2011

Ask a Librarian has a great feature that will benefit users accessing your libraries website. Instant Invite allows you to set up when, where, and how Live Help will become visible to your patron or student.  You can create rules that will prompt the instant invite when they are on a library page. Some examples are time spent on a page, pages viewed, or searches conducted.

Visit Ask A Librarian – Instant Invite to learn more. Please contact us with any questions on how you can start offering a proactive chat option to your library’s online users.

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WOMM: customer service counts!

by smithm Posted on June 23, 2009

Word-of-mouth marketing is the best and most powerful way for you to get your message to potential customers.  (Click here for more info about WOMM in your library.)

The following post, courtesy of Alison Circle at LibaryJournal.com’s Bubble Room, explains how customer service — one of the most important pieces of word-of-mouth marketing — can make or break a customer’s experience.

Burst the Bubble: Bad Customer Service
June 1, 2009
Today I inaugurate an ongoing feature: Burst the Bubble. Things that make us sad in the Bubble Room — anti-brand experiences, failed marketing ideas or what-were-they-thinking concepts. I’m inspired today because of two diametrically opposite customer service experiences I had this weekend. Good, even outstanding, customer service is the watchword for libraries, so emulating what is good and avoiding what is bad is an excellent strategy.

Let’s start with how the bubble burst. Like many of you, I spend my weekends on home projects. Given that it is spring I am inevitably drawn to the garden store on a sunny Saturday. I like to support the local businesses, but boy do they make it hard for me. I literally had to hurdle multiple obstacles to get to the plants: trying to park, maneuvering my cart over hoses strewn in my path, puddles, even a makeshift board that an employee accidently jammed into my foot. That burst the bubble for sure! My cart was loaded down with 8 bags of mulch and I asked for help getting into my car. They said no. And when I asked for a paper towel to wipe the mud from the bags off my hands, the cashier handed me a single sad little paper towel.

Compare that with my experience the same day at a national chain hardware store. I was living every wife’s nightmare — my husband had sent me to the hardware with a long list of items most of which I had never heard of before (two gang old work box with fins and no nails). I approached the first employee I saw who escorted me through the entire store and gathered my items. It took ten minutes. Hummm. They also have a garden section. I’m very tempted….

Today’s public has high expectations for customer service, whether it is shopping, visiting a ball park or going to the library. And they have unforgiveable and long memories. To continue to keep their expectations inflated and not burst, we have to realize that every interaction every time is an opportunity to be on brand or not. It requires dilligence, commitment and awareness.

Click here to view the original post.

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Not What You Think

by smithm Posted on January 12, 2009

This post is courtesy of Library Journal’s Bubble Room blog, by Alison Circle.

This past November Chicago Public Library launched an ad campaign called “Not What You Think,” an admirable effort, but not quite successful in my mind. Here the campaign juxtaposes unexpected images with the headline: Not What You Think; and the subhead: It’s Free. It’s Easy.

First off, I’m not a fan of defensive positioning – meaning that you try to persuade your audience that your product is “not” something. It is defensive and concedes right out of the shoot that you have an image problem. First rule of advertising is to lead with your strengths.

Click here to read the rest of this post. It’s good stuff!

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