CIL2008: Online Outreach for Successful Digital Marketing
Posted on April 9th, 2008 by ruth
Sarah Houghton-Jan, Senior Librarian for Digital Futures, San Jose Public Library
Program description on the CIL2008 website.
Presentation slides on LibrarianInBlack.net
Online marketing is a new topic in libraries. Has blossomed more than other marketing techniques.
Purpose of online marketing: to connect users with library services and library staff
- place teasers where the users are
- bring them to the library
- everyone’s patrons are our patrons
- in online marketing there’s no such thing as “Do you live in my town? No? Sorry, I can’t serve you”
Directories and tools for marketing the library on the Web
- Get listed in AskCity, Yahoo! Local, Google Maps, Microsoft Live Search Maps
- allows for posting of additional info beyond contact
- photos, reviews, multimedia, web pages
- allows for posting of additional info beyond contact
- Get listed in library directories
- Search engine findability
- search major search engines for variations of library’s name
- ensure that library site is at the top
- use major, minor, and metasearch engines
- buy online ads ($)
- Google Adwords, Yahoo! Smart Ads, Microsoft adCenter
- website search engine optimization ($)
- URLs
- have a short, easy to remember URL
- register multiple domain names ($)
- register URLs that patrons might type in if they don’t know the library’s URL
- Community Events Calendar
- post events in online calendar sites
- can be done by any staff… doesn’t require a librarian
- Link Love
- ensure that your library has a presence on local websites
- schools
- adult education centers
- community groups
- local book stores
- Find out who’s linking to your site
- link: [yourlibraryurlhere]
- ensure that your library has a presence on local websites
- Wikipedia
- list the library in Wikipedia on the appropropriate town/country entries
- use the external links feature to direct users to library website, resources, info
- iGoogle Gadgets
- create a search gadget for the catalog
- users can add the gadget to their opening iGoogle page (could be popular with regular library users, students)
- Blog search engines
- make sure library blogs are listed in blog search engines
- Feed Submitter submits feed to multiple sites so that it gets listed in several places
- Robin Good’s list of where to submit blog and feed to get it promoted and listed in appropriate directories2
- make sure library blogs are listed in blog search engines
- Geographic Blog Search Engines
- Social Review Websites
- to see what are users saying about the library
- allows library staff to respond to user feedback, questions, etc.
- responses should be written as if they’re coming from a person, not an institution
- Social Networking Sites
- Create a profile for the library in selected spaces
- Use bulletin, flyer, group, notification, photo features, walls ($ for some)
- Facebook flyers: $10=5000 flyers to targeted audiences
- Facebook application
- Library Success wiki entries on social networking software
- Hennepin County Library on Facebook
- Durham University on Facebook
- Stoneham Public Library on Myspace
- Contra Costa County Library on Myspace
- had a contest for teens to design Myspace icon
- Bloomington Public Library on flickr
- WiFi Directories
- Local blogs and forums
- get listed, monitor, and participate in conversation
- Blogs by City
- Blogdigger Local
- Metroblogging
- Feedmap
- technology and continuing education boards
- local forums and groups
- get listed, monitor, and participate in conversation
- Expert sites
- list staff as experts in free expert-finding tools (could earn $$$)
- more people use this type of online service than the library!
- AllExperts
- Ziki
- Illumio3
- Yedda
- FAQQLY
- Otavo
- Yahoo! Answers
- Answer Board Librarians
- monthly “Slam the Boards!” where reference staff answers questions to popular to answer board questions
- Email and RSS subscriptions
- newsletter software ($)
- get email addresses fromo ILS (depends on phrasing of Borrower’s Agreement)
- use paper signups and promotion
- Virtual reality connections
- library users spend a lot of time in these spaces… they may even be addicted!
- ask users if they frequently visit virtual spaces. If they don’t, it’s probably not time to set up a presence there.
- World of Warcraft
- Instant Messaging
- still a primary form of communication for many people
- free, easy, huge RO
- free!
- not longer a “cool new service”
- has permeated the market
- advertise with business cards that list all IM identities
- Text Messaging
- cell phones and SMS are more popular than ever
- offer circulation notices and reference services ($)
- Orange County Library System text alerts
- Interactive website
- make site interactive rather than static.
- library card registration
- sharing of opinions about library services
- ratings and reviews
- user online library identify
- make site interactive rather than static.
- Audio and video content
- users won’t search the library website to find multimedia content
- make content findable in multimedia directories
- YouTube
- Google Videos
- etc.
- tools
- Twitter
- microblogging
- be clear about messages being sent
- works best for sending out quick info
- see Guide to Twitter in Libraries by Ellyssa Kroski
- Casa Grande Library on Twitter
Interaction: BE REAL!
- initial entry should be slow and gentle… observe the conversation first
- identify yourself as a library staff member
- don’t intrude, but be available
- have authentic interactions
- don’t be heavy handed
- show what you know
A man, a plan, a library!
- Develop online marketing plan with a budget of dollars and staff hours
- Start with the easy things that you only have to do once
- Move on to the things that require ongoing maintenance
From the floor:
- Have a great website to drive people to. Sending people to a poorly designed website is worse than not being there at all.
- Chicago, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco [↩]
- Robin Good’s site has some great stuff! [↩]
- for Windows [↩]
Filed under: CIL2008, conference notes, library 2.0, marketing and outreach, social software, web resources
