Multi-District Workshop, Part 5: Marketing

Marketing From the Inside—OUT!
Senior Edition!!!
Multi-District Workshop
September 9, 2009
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• BASIC PRINCIPLES

• Marketing Begins With YOU
• With Every Staff Member
• With Every Board Member
• With Every “Friend” of the Library
• With Every Customer You Serve
Marketing from the Inside--OUT
• Get Your Message Across Clearly
• Have it be Understood
• Have it Remembered
• Have it Reminded
• Have it in Different Forms/Formats
• Have it in Different Languages
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Senior Population

• 3 Generations
• Baby Boomers
• Older Adults
• Elderly
• Friends & Family
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Different Formats
• Different Ways to Market
• New Technology and Old Technology
• Print vs. Non-Print

Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Basic Marketing
• Programs Ratio: 1 Program=20 Marketing Hours
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Loyal Customer
• Marketing in the Library:
• Flyers
• Posters
• Bookmarks
• Check-out Slips
• Program Information Table
• Bulletin Boards
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Monthly Calendar of Events
• Newsletter
• News Releases to the Local Newspapers

• These tips would work for all 3 generations as long as they set foot in the library…..

• BUT
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Staff

• Word of Mouth in the Library
• Sharing Programs/Services with Customers without Asking
• Lobby Table Staffed
• Staff Roaming the Library…..TALKING to Customers……
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Don’t Forget SIZE! Yes, SIZE Matters!

• Catch Their Eye:
• Clear, Clean, Large Enough to Read
• Paper Color Can be a Problem
• Information in Alternative Formats, Upon Request, in Large Print, Voice, or Braille (Remember the ADA, Folks).
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Need to Have a Marketing Plan
• Do Some PR—The Do the Plan
• Who Will You Target
• Who Will do the Targeting
• How Will You Approach the 3 Groups of Older Adults
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Baby Boomers are Like a Hybrid! They are one foot in print and one foot, they think is in Technology!

• Other Options to Try:
• Local Cable (Seniors Love Cable!)
• Flyers, Posters in Places like Banks, Food Stores, Etc.
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Are There Any Newspapers with a Senior Column?
• Does Your Town have a Blog?
• Hey, Let’s Text Message Those Boomers and See if They Know What to Do
• Develop a MySpace or Facebook Page
• Library’s Web Site
• E-Mail News to Customers
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Some Observations…..

• Seniors Like to “Collect” Things, So Paper is Good
• Have PR Out Far in Advance…..But Not Too Far!
• Have it in a Variety of Formats
• Talk to Seniors in the Library, in the Community
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• ……..
• Develop a Mailing List of Key People in the Community. Let Them Know What’s Going On
• Know the Staff of the Local Paper
• Do a Little “Stand-up” in the Community
• Ask Circulation Staff to “Slip-it-in” Once a Week
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Write a Column for the Local Newspaper
• Work Cooperatively in Publicizing Programs with Senior groups, like AARP, County Area Agency on Aging, etc.
• Develop a “TV Show” for Your Local Cable Station on Senior Programs, Services
• Develop Programs in Cooperation With Other Groups—Double the Publicity
Marketing From the Inside--OUT
• Finally,
• Print vs. Non-Print Options
• In Library vs. Out of Library Promotion
• Print Size is IMPORTANT in Flyers/Posters
• Develop PR in Other Languages
• PR is Everyone’s Business! In Fact, it is the Library’s Business!