Promoting Programs, Events, and Services [3:48]

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About

Learn specific methods to market programs, events, and services in your library.

Transcript

Chances are you put a lot of time and energy into planning top-notch library programming, services, and events at your school. Marketing these aspects can make sure that this time is well spent and your library community is energized to participate. Let's take a look at how you can apply the marketing strategies we've discussed in previous lessons to programs, services, and events.

When it comes to marketing a program, you will want to understand the objectives of the program so you can market them. Be sure to leverage both traditional and online marketing techniques and connect them to the mission and goals you outlined in your marketing plan.

For example, come up with a slogan and a campaign logo and use this across print and social media outreach. When designing it, think about language and visuals that students will respond positively to. You can even enlist students to help with the design.

Use traditional marketing tactics—posters, announcements over the school broadcast system, newsletter notes—to draw attention to the campaign.

Support this with social media posts that include catchy visuals and the voices of students. As a part of your campaign, don't forget to record data so that you can analyze what was effective and what wasn't and apply that to your next one.

We will define services as ongoing and available to support stakeholders. What goals do you have related to the services you offer? Maybe you want to get more teachers collaborating with you. What about highlighting a past successful collaboration? On social media, you could turn the description into a dramatic story, adding onto it one day at a time for a week and utilizing cliff-hangers. Or, try delivering handwritten notes with a collaboration spark to a teachers' classroom. Again, if you can brand the service—in this case, collaboration—with the library logo, or even a new one developed specifically for collaboration, you'll build awareness of what the library offers.

Marketing events is probably already familiar to you. Events can be recurring or one time. Your library might feature events such as book fairs, author visits, open houses, program walkthroughs, maker faires, and, most likely, much more! Again, you'll want to combine traditional and social media marketing. Create handouts, posters, and announcements. Post details on social media. Create traction by posting questions related to the event, like 'guess what this is' or 'name this character.' Use hashtags liberally. During the event, be sure to gather photos, videos, and quotes that can then be used to promote similar events in the future. Remember to invite library stakeholders to your events, too.

You're now ready to finish your marketing plan and start putting it into action to promote the programs, services, and events in your library.

Activities

Complete Your Marketing Plan

Now it's time to tie all the elements of your marketing plan together. Read "Ladies and Fairies and Cats, Oh My!: Innovative Library Promotion" by Jessica Thompson in the Resources below, then complete the Reflect & Practice activity.

RESOURCES:

Template

Ladies and Fairies and Cats, Oh My!: Innovative Library Promotion

Article

REFLECT & PRACTICE:

Spend some time reviewing your entire marketing plan. Are there any additional action steps you want to add now that you've learned more about marketing programs, services, and events? Finally, return to pages 2 and 9 in the Marketing Plan Template and complete the executive summary and budget. You're now ready to share your marketing plan with your colleagues and administrators, incorporate their feedback, and then implement your ideas. Happy marketing!

Entry ID: 2174996

Additional Resources

Supporting Resources from Libraries Unlimited.

About the Authors

Rebecca J. Morris, MLIS, PhD, is teaching associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information. She earned her master's degree and doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh and her undergraduate degree in elementary education at Pennsylvania State University. Rebecca has published articles in journals including School Library Research, Knowledge Quest, School Libraries Worldwide, Teacher Librarian and the Journal of Research on Young Adults in Libraries. She is the author of School Libraries and Student Learning: A Guide for School Leaders (Harvard Education Publishing Group, 2015). Rebecca is a former elementary classroom teacher and middle school librarian.

Email: rmorris@schoollibraryconnection.com

Twitter: @rebeccajm87.

Stony Evans, MS, is an adjunct instructor at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. He earned his master's in library science from the University of North Texas and a master's in library media and information technologies from the University of Central Arkansas. He served as a teacher-librarian for 12 years. Stony received the Arkansas Library Association's Retta Patrick Award in 2017. He was a finalist for the AASL's 2017 Sensational Student Voice – Social Media Superstar award. He was selected as the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media's Library Media Specialist of the Year in 2013. Visit his blog at librarymediatechtalk.blogspot.com, email him at stony12270@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @stony12270.

Jane Cullina, MSEd, is the professional development manager for School Library Connection and ABC-CLIO. A former children's librarian and humanities teacher, Jane earned her master's degree from the Bank Street College of Education in New York City and has taught in Boston, New York, Maine, California, and South Africa.

Jennifer Gibson, MA, earned a teaching credential and master's in technology from Chapman University, where she was an adjust faculty member for over seven years. With over 20 years of education experience, Jennifer fuels her vision, innovation and leadership by blending educational experience with professional development, educational policy, eLearning, and standards-based design to support educators in professional learning.

Select Citation Style:

MLA Citation

Editorial Team, SLC. "Marketing the Library. Promoting Programs, Events, and Services [3:48]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, October 2018, schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2174923?learningModuleId=2174884&topicCenterId=2247902.

Chicago Citation

Editorial Team, SLC. "Marketing the Library. Promoting Programs, Events, and Services [3:48]." School Library Connection video. October 2018. https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2174923?learningModuleId=2174884&topicCenterId=2247902.

APA Citation

Editorial Team, S. (2018, October). Marketing the library. Promoting programs, events, and services [3:48] [Video]. School Library Connection. https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2174923?learningModuleId=2174884&topicCenterId=2247902

https://schoollibraryconnection.com/content/course/2174923?learningModuleId=2174884&topicCenterId=2247902

Entry ID: 2174923