Steal These Ideas: 11 Free Marketing Strategies to Try Today

Lindsay Sarin, Andrea Snyder and Julie Strange

• all from Maryland
• Julie blogs at strangelibrarian.com
• marketing is something we all do: not big and scary
• #STIMcil
• marketing is about how you want to present yourself
• need to build your marketing strategy from the ground up (need a good foundation, like a house)
• know where you stand: assess
• start with your staff: have an honest conversation and listen
• look at your numbers...need to know starting point
• ask the user
• i am not my users: i am an information professional...remember the peeps don't think like us
• focus groups are great: but have a third-party moderator
• sometimes the truth hurts
• find out what you need to assess
• create a blueprint: with clear goals
• clear the decks
• be aware of how many messages you are putting out at once
• too many bookmarks are not good!!!
• ditto w posters
• choose the essential and eliminate everything else
• examine the things you like from others' and figure out the elements of their success. replicate
• create your message: what do you want to convey?
• keep the message simple: eg EPL: Spread the words.
• good idea to generate slogan ideas: tweet your lib peeps
• have an idea with staff: get prizes and treats for my MGS brainstorm session: also everyone put 20 ideas on postits and stick them on the wall...make it fun and make it happen
• collect ideas from outside the lib world: get outside the bubble
• right person, right place, right time
• need to keep your current customers happy: word of mouth is fab
• reduce pain-causing stuff: work like a patron...pay attention to how people are using your space, resources etc.
• ask patrons what bugs them about your space / materials / virtual services
• listen, pay attention and fix it
• use your library like a customer and pay attention to little things you can change to make a big difference
• renovate when necessary
• be brave
• "get carded" campaign with giant lib card and local celebs: new pic released each week
• did during lib week/month
• good idea! share with ppp
• stuffed animals sleepover: evening story time, bring your stuffie, stuffie sleeps over, staff takes pics of what stuffies do at night (Teddy Bears photocopied their bear bottoms!) Picked up next day.
• ideas:
• ask patrons to take pix of their lib books on vacation with them
• flat stanley + lib card
• brain storming is fab :)
• give people something to do
• phrase things in active language "Like us on FB"
• tell peeps why your stuff is applicable to them (...this is why you need MGS...)
• *review this pre-mgs brain storming session!*
• immerse yourself in something outside your comfort zone and pay attention while you're there
• get into the community: shameless library promotion
• be a real person, not a building
• create elevator speeches
• keep your librarian brain on at all times
• ifttt.com
  
• like hootsuite...check it out...can link w google calendar
• assess the results
• debrief after everything: talk to staff and patrons about what worked and what didn't...and learn from that (schedule to do re mgs tag line...six months?...a year?...also wrt ebook help + iHelp and any other initiatives)
• tool kit: decide what you want in your tool kit and build it (ideas etc...)
• stealtheseideasmarketing.tumblr.com
• tips and todos and slides, also resource list: check it out!
• also area to submit your own ideas!!! Fab!
  

eBook Issues and Challenges Debrief

Chad Mairn, Chief Technology Officer, Novare Lib Services

• ebooks are not new but the devices have recently swelled in popularity
  
• libraries are about community, not books
• 3rd party ebook vendors are expensive: lots of *stuff* involved...licensing, drm etc...worrisome that these vendors might move to direct to peeps model (like netflicks)
• Douglas County Library has a home-grown system...shows big players that libs *can* do this on their own
• over 50% of peeps purchase books due to being introduced to authors at the library
• big training piece: um, yeah! Role of library staff to train users how to get the ebooks on their devices
• libs need to understand econtent privacy issues, and how to explain to users
• will tweet link to document about privacy...check it out
• new advances: colour e-ink
• libraries need to advocate for open access
• most authors not motivated by money (esp text book authors)

Ken Roberts (Chief Lib: Hamilton PL)

• desire for a discovery layer, to integrate material from a variety of sources in to the lib's opac: people just want the info
• we don't organize hard copy material by publisher, so why should we organize e-stuff by publisher?! (don't have all the Simon and Schuster books together on the shelf!)
• libs need to understand publishers needs (why they provide certain models)...libs need to present our evidence much better, and so do the vendors
• check out mediasurfer...allows peeps to check out ipads and other devices (they are wiped / cleaned when returned)...nifty
• need to think about what the ebook will become: graphic novels / apps / and more...need to plan for that
• information is beautiful WOW! super cool! visual interpretations of data / info...appeals to visual learners (show it to G!)...and share with others (link on FB)...very nifty

Buffy Hamilton, Creekview High School

• The Unquiet Librarian
• k-12 perspective
• (fabulous southern accent!)
• experience with school kids: ereaders removed stumbling block of "wow that book is HUGE I could never read that!"
• school administrators want to see data-driven results ...evidence-based is pervasive!
• easy management of content is needed
• there is no "one size fits all" solution

Matt Barnes, VP Marketing at eBrary

• "questions I hear a lot"
• ebooks at the intersection of people, business and tech
• people: the human factor...how ebooks are used
  
• money: the business factor...how ebooks are being bought/solc
  
• progress: the tech factor
  

Benchmaark Study: Library Spending and Priorities 2012

Results presented from Unisphere's 2012 b"enchmark study of funding trends in academic, public and special libraries.

Panel:

• H. Frank Dervone, Purdue Univ
• David Lee King, Topeka and Shawnee County PL
• Mike Diaz, ProQuest
• Dick Kaser, Info Today
• Joseph McKendrick, Unisphere Research

"The digital squeeze: Libraries at the Crossroads"

• think BIG, start small, move fast
• Library Resource Guide benchmark study
• over 700 libs responded to the study
• books have maintained their budget share (from 2011 to 2012)
• public libs more optimistic than academic and special wrt next year's budget
• public libs in general don't do a good job of arguing for what they need: I need to do that for my dept...argue for what I need to improve virtual services...and do it at the right time for budget!
  
• libs are increasing investment in: ebooks, support for cloud-based solutions
• cloud based computing will grow, esp for smaller libs
• some ils systems are moving to the cloud (really?!...hmmm)
• David Lee King's lib had an MBA holding business librarian who helps peeps with business plans etc.
• cloud computing by libs is up from last year
• libs priorities for coming year: patrons are key
• shift to community-based services (irl or virtually)
• complete report online here...can also email info@dbta.com for a complimentary copy...would be interesting to see how tbpl stacks up esp wrt ebooks
  
• sector reports will be available over the next ten days -- public, academic and special libs reported on by size of institution
• 
  

What About eBook Readers?

#cildc #a302

• Chad Mairn, Chief Technology Officer, Novare Library Services
• doing a usability study on eReaders wrt text books
• open forum / audience discussion
• question about what % of budget allocated to ebook format...should it be part of "fiction"...does the content matter?
• also b/c ebooks aren't "bought" (w OD) it's more like a subscription, more like a database than a format...or are they "bought" w Advantage?
• need to be mindful that not ALL patrons have eBook readers
• someone mentioned we were having these conversations when audiobooks came out!

Leveraging Your Social Media to Gain Friends and Influence People

• Julie Theado, Social Media Manager, Columbus Metropolitan Library
• jtheado@columbuslibrary.org
• @columbuslibrary
• Columbus OH...big budget cuts in 2010...needed to tell story and focus social media presence
• big need to be consistent in their message
• needed to gain support for a levy
• Julie is happy to share their social media policy (email her for a copy)
• need to know your customers
• monitor, measure and respond (if nesc)
• used editorial calendars: scheduled messages (what they would say and when they would say it...all planned, not random)
• did FB, twitter, blogger outreach, youtube
• scheduled FB chats...including author chats w local authors (can you chat as your page?...hmm...look in to that)
  
• "Who Knew Wednesdays": weekly feature to promote...posted interesting questions that staff have answered
• also did FB ads
• Twitter: @LibraryJennifer @PatLosinski (executive director)
  
• followed media, legislators and customers
• held tweetup as part of the levy outreach: allows people to meet...twtvite is a twitter invitation tool
  
• blogger relations: did a blogger event, just before summer reading club kick off...invited local bloggers to attend in person, and then they all blogged about it...interesting idea...I should get to know TBay bloggers...they invited Mommy bloggers + did special story time for their kids
• bloggers have their own audiences which you can leverage
• lessons learned: know who you are trying to reach / know your audience
• write punchy and conversational: too much copy is difficult
• approach staff involvement with a strategy
• measure and monitor
• creating quality experiences with your customers in social media is more important than the number
• monitor what is being said about you online: Facebook Insights, Google Alerts, NetVibes.com, Twilert.com
• tools they use: hootsuite, google alterts, twilert, netvibes, issuu (check them out)
• what's next: pinterest
• if it doesn't create results, they stop doing it
• social media from destination to driver (ie driving traffic to web site)
• question about pinterest and copyright...take a look at pinterest...one thing this lib is doing is posting book covers and linking to their opac...similar to what I do with flirck display pix...take a look at it and explore...can you tell how many TBay peeps are using pinterest?
• need to read the pinterest policy (non-profit rules)
• think about following back those who follow us on Twitter...prob will make them more engaged

Creating Inspiring Services: Going Boldly Into the Present

• Michael Edson, Director, Web Strategy and New Media, Office of the CIO, Smithsonian Institution
• slides on slideshare
  
• "strategy is language that does work"
• the future is going to get stranger and stranger so we need to figure out how to deal with it
• the tool we use to span the gap to the future = strategy
• lots of good books cited ...check 'em out
• "the penguins are real": check out flying penguins video on youtube
• "the present if farm more interesting than people have noticed"
• so what do we do differently to take advantage of this?...
• old learning model: one teacher lots of students...new learning model: learning together...all teachers + students
  
• think of yourself as an extraterrestirial space auditor! ...compares the stated mission of your org with your collective actions...
• do your ACTIONS match your MISSION?
• on ramps and loading docks: "most of the smart people work for someone else"...you need to let them on board / open the doors for a free flow of ideas / engage with your customers...how can you get stuff OUT and IN of your org
• edge to core: "innovation at the edges: a commons in the middle" commons of shared resources
  
• focus on mission: clearly understand the impact you want to have
• place the bet: what world am I living in...what impact does my country/city/org want to have in that world?...what should I DO today?
• think big...start small...move fast
  

eBook Issues

with LiB and two others (fill in later!)

• with all the e-STUFF...why are eBooks such a contentious issue?
• is it about sharing?
• sharing will always win: major cultural and social head start! Our monkey brains are built around it. Have to share to survive
• sharing is already happening
• "The notions of copyright and intellectual property rights are quaint and adorable." lol!
• This guy is really good...reading his notes but super articulate.
• show the reader you value them by giving up rights to them
• if you treat a book like a book, people will act and respect it accordingly
• libs need to embrace and carry forward the cultural importance of a book into the digital age

Sarah H-J the LiB

• likes stirring stuff up
• lies that lib ebook vendors told:
• ...they're broke
• ...300% is as bad as it's going to get
• ...(will get worse)
• ...how high does it have to go before we have riots in the streets?
• ...publishers are forcing vendors to prevent libraries from owning...not true...publishers don't care as long as they get paid
• lies librarians tell ourselves:
• ...everyone reads ebooks (not everyone likes them)...generally around 5 to 10 % of circs (check ours...I should know the %!)
• ...we read our contracts and negotiate hard (we need to understand the terms, and take classes on negotiation)
  
• ...without eBooks libs will die...so not true...we are SO much more than that
• we need to take what society has created and equalize it
• "Don't mess with the Librarians, we will take you down!"

Michael Porter

• slides on slideshare at LibraryMan (link)
• what made libs work?
• ...some things that worked in the past don't work anymore
• ...technology makes libs more relevant and useful
• communities needs libs to thrive
• libs need new solutions. Substantial highly functional practical solutions...also sustainable.
• the role we fulfill in our communities is precious, meaningful and beautiful
• libraries = content + community
• format evoution requires new infrastructure
• what are the real costs? Why mark-ups? What are the mark-ups used for?
• a group of libs have formed a non-profit...Michael is a rep...to work out this stuff: there are enough libs in the USA to GAIN / take power...we do have control in our hands
• libraries control the infrastructure: sophisticated new models
• Library Renewal
• we need to come together, use this non-profit as a tool to change things: take some ation
• Library Renewal has been doing a lot of research, building relationships and partnerships and working on solutions
• currently seeking funding to build the infrastructure
• bottom line: more money for rights holders and publishers, and huge savings for libraries

Tales from the North (ROFL really SOUTH!) eBook Publishers and Libraries: Win-win solutions

Ken Roberts, Chief Librarians and Michael Ciccone, Director of Collections, Hamilton Public Library

• also guy from eBrary
• working on agreements with publishers
• beginning to see a willingness from "big 6" publishers to use Canada as a testing ground for eBook models / assumptions
• Canadian Urban Library Council (CULC) is working on this
• look at CULC web site re work on eBooks and Public Libraries...are working to make a lot of info public
• Canadian Publishers' Council: the big six publishers
• learned: cautiousness, concern about impact of perpetual access, worry about business model, interest in Canadian options
• shared: alternate licensing models, discovery layer and repository concerns
• Canadian laws protect indigenous publishing industry: BUT only applies to PRINT, not electronic...interesting
  
• Canadian Pubs Council agreed that libs are important, are looking for a Canadian solution
• Association of Canadian Publishers: formed eBound to support digital publishing...want to know how to sell more to libraries
• talking to them about marketing to libs directly (b/c Content Reserve sucks)
• had lots of frank and open discussions
• very amenable to piloting different pricing models
• issues to resolve: storage (Canadian), delivery, security, tracking, integrated discovery layer
• bibliocommons has been working on eBook integration...does that just mean marc records?...or more?...other discovery layers will be able to do the same thing...does evergreen have a discovery layer?
• what does the discovery layer have that our opac doesn't? Do we need to re-visit?
• not a loan model: an access/licensing model
• fear of publishers of loosing money
• Hamilton proposed model: publishers tell lib what their average sales were for mid- and back- list sales in the city of Hamilton...and lib give them that amount of money, for complete access (simultaneous use) for ebook format for the library patrons...publishers said: well we won't loose money...sounds good...publishers agreed...for Random House. Need to work with other publishers. Amount is not that high. So how is HPL delivering the books? Easy model to expand to other communities.
  
• same idea pitched to assoc of Canadian publishers...sounds good to them
• agreed to review that figure after a year: it's a pilot
• also agreed to BUY buttons on the lib's opac / bibliocommons...interesting
• another win for publishers
• do patrons still need to sign out the eBooks and have a limited loan period?
• not actually live yet

eBrary guy: Matt Barnes, VP marketing eBrary

• eBooks aren't print books
• all at the table need to understand others' perspectives in order to come up with solutions
• pioneered subscription ebook model
• it actually costs more for a publisher to produce an ebook than a paper book
• Patron Driven Access (PDA): cost effective way to expand access, purchase based on use (so patron gets a free 10 minute preview...if they want to use it then the lib buys it)...interesting...lib sets the parameters...generous triggers...expanded coverage for publishers
• bit of an ILL replacement...kind of like what we're piloting at TBPL...interesting
• all these models have worked together...mix and match roi max
• can combine patron-driven, short term loan and purchase models
• need more discussions to find the right model with which to move forward

Creating Innovative Libraries

with Susan Hildreth, Institute of Museum and Library Services

• Institute of Mus and Lib Services (IMLS)
• interested in VALUE of libraries
  
• IMLS was created about 15 years ago: analyzes trends, share best practices, provides policy advice, partner w other fed agencies (interesting...take a look at their work wrt VALUE project of OLA)...they do research
  
• primarily a grant-making agency: provide grants for libraries and museums
• IMLS is very well funded by the Obama administration
• link to her slides
• (talked to a librarian who works with the Army Corps of Engineers, here in DC...when I told her where TBay is she mentioned The Edmond Fitzgerald! Big Gordon Lightfoot fan!)
• 21st century users want to be involved + create their own content (move from living room to kitchen...again... :) )
• we need to be EMBEDDED in our communities...we have to go to them...(including virtually)...technology is a means to an end
• the mission of IMLS is to inspire libs and museums to advance innovation, learning and cultural and civic engagement. The provide leadership through research, policy development and grant-making.
• what do we have in Canada that is similar?...probably a mish-mash of gov agencies and organizations: find out
• helping to move libs from NICE TO HAVE to NEED TO HAVE
• libs need to be relevant and meaningful to their users
• check out free online assessment tools (and more at the IMLS Web site)
• four cs: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking...and ?! (communication?) (move from the 3Rs)...find out the 4th c!
  
• growing diy and maker culture
• people want to learn by doing: great op for libs...KITCHEN! ...maker spaces and places
• shifting physical needs from print to digital: space...to re-purpose / re-program...hmmmm...how can we make our newfound pace in to THE KITCHEN
• check out Chicago Public Library's YOUmedia Center...nice model for a Maker Lab...has been very successful: building skills and engaging kids
• promoting libs as strong community ANCHORS...nice! new buzz word!
• community anchor also wrt virtual:...ANCHOR is not nesc place-based...also online
• focus on how libs are impacting the workforce: "Opportunity for All" study about lib use (public access computers) to find jobs ..."career and employment needs"...four million peeps found work using a lib computer: major huge impact
• has a partnership with Dept of Labour
• "Connecting to Collections" report...focus on preserving and maintaining access to unique items
• "Digging Into Data" challenge...wrg BIG DATA...working on international protocols for managing research (look in to how Canada is involved)
• DPLA: Digital Public Library of America (look it up)
• research reports: take a look and see if any models for OLA value of libs work
• goal of "Public Management Excellence"...creating a culture of planning, evaluation and evidence-based practice...planning and evaluation vip to show what you're doing is making a difference
• "prudent risk-taking"...libs need to just do it!...perpetual beta mind-set...but when dealing with public funds you have to be prudent...fine balance! Need to learn from failure if you're going to grow.
• look at slide w flow chart of imls's Performance Improvement Model: develop, assess, inform, look at impact, reshape based on feedback
• DPLA: digital public library of America...at proof of concept stage...a future for libs in a could computing world...broad public access to info on a "free to all" basis: a huge vision...imls is a partner. Addressing need for libs to incorporate many types of materials beyond text. Has been development more extensively in Europe. Project managed by the Berkman Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard. Take a closer look at it. Sounds like a huge, amazing project. Early stages at the mo'
  
• What is the dpla? Collaborative effort...active online community of over 1,000 members. Anyone can sign up.
  
• working on open source code, linking meta-data systems
• frame of the DPLA is much larger than eBooks...more about wider e-content...boarder, longer-standing vision

Computers in Libraries 2012 (CIL)

• check out the Conference Web site
• and blog
  
• and twitter hash tag #CILDC
• lots of great ideas, slides and even streaming presentations
• learned about this new search engine: blekko (no spam, privacy, no ads, user-generated slashtags)