Put Down the Bullhorn!
Promoting Your Library Online
Laura Solomon
Library Services Manager, OPLIN

Today:
• Some marketing basics
• Re-thinking the library’s website
• Social media
• Facebook ads vs. Google Adwords
• Promoted Facebook posts
• Bits about branding—especially logos
• What does this mean to me, Laura?
Real me

Ever heard these?
• “I didn’t know you had video games!”
• “I can get a book from a different library?”
• “I can do ____ from home?”
• “You have ebooks?”
• “You mean it doesn’t cost anything to rent
a book?”

What is marketing?

INBOUND
versus
OUTBOUND

One size does not fit all

What are the tools?
• Print ads
• TV and radio ads
• Billboards
• Online

Don’t choose the tool first

Re-thinking the library’s website

“Kitchen Sink Syndrome”

Nobody’s reading

Banner blindness
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/banner-blindness.html

Design only
matters to the
user when it
gets in the way.

Re-thinking

$115,000
to
$200,000
ACK!

Consider these…
• Join our new Book Discussion Group!
[LINK]
• Be a member of our new Patron Advisory
Board [LINK]
• Try our new research database for your
next assignment [LINK]

Where’s the payoff?

Join our new Book Discussion Group! [LINK]
Can't stop talking about that
book you just read? Yeah, us
too. We’ve got a group for that:
[LINK]

Be a member of our new Patron Advisory
Board [LINK]
Looking for opinionated folks who
want to talk about the library.
Cookies at every meeting & a chance
to make a difference [LINK]

Try our new research database for your next
assignment [LINK]
Wikipedia not good enough
for your teacher? Show ‘em
you're a smart cookie and try
a free resource from us
[LINK]

44 percent of
companies to spend
more on web
marketing in 2013
Study, Sagefrog Marketing Group

Advertising online
versus

What is the goal?

Capturing intent at the right time

Not really about eyeballs

Awareness isn’t the prize

Better?

Adwords is tied to search results

It’s all done by bidding

Is it real?

Is free better?

“If you ‘re at all serious about
social marketing, and don’t
have a line item budget for
promoting Facebook posts in
2013, you need to add it
today.”
Jay Baer, social media expert, Convince & Convert

http://www.convinceandconvert.com/facebook/how-to-know-when-to-promote-a-facebook-p

https://adplanner.syncapse.com/

“A brand isn’t a brand
to you until it develops
an emotional
connection with you.”
Daryl Travis – Emotional Branding

http://themarketingspot.com/2009/01/basics-of-marketing-brand.html

Invest in a professional logo

Building does NOT equal logo

Marketing plan templates
http://bit.ly/PJjGj5

Don’t throw stuff into the wind

Self-serving is boring

Absolutely shameless plug
Coming Fall 2012

http://www.twitter.com/laurasolomon
http://www.facebook.com/laurasolomon
http://www.linkedin.com/in/laurasolomon
laura@designforthelittleguy.com
http://www.meanlaura.com
http://www.slideshare.net/laurasolomon
Thank you!
Stalk me here