Word-of-Mouth Marketing for Libraries Instructor: Ann Miller [email_address] http://otherannmiller.blogspot.com/ An Infopeople Workshop

This Workshop Is Brought to You By the Infopeople Project Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project supported by the California State Library. It provides a wide variety of training to California libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered around the state and are open registration on a first-come, first-served basis. For a complete list of workshops, and for other information about the project, go to the Infopeople website at infopeople.org.

Workshop Overview What is word-of-marketing and why you should care Making the most of social networks Electronic word-of-mouth marketing Case studies Action plans

What is word-of-marketing and why you should care

Making the most of social networks

Electronic word-of-mouth marketing

Case studies

Action plans

Introductions Name Library Position Burning desire that brought you to this workshop

Name

Library

Position

Burning desire that brought you to this workshop

What does the word “marketing” mean to you?

What does the word “marketing” mean to you?

Marketing - Textbook Definition: The activities of listening to customer needs, assessing the competitive landscape and then designing and creating products and services accompanied by messages that shape audience perceptions, leading to opportunities for revenue.

The activities of listening to customer needs, assessing the competitive landscape and then designing and creating products and services accompanied by messages that shape audience perceptions, leading to opportunities for revenue.

Translation Find out what they want Give it to them at a reasonable cost Tell them about it

Find out what they want

Give it to them at a reasonable cost

Tell them about it

Four P’s of the Marketing Mix Product Place Price Promotion

Product

Place

Price

Promotion

You ARE a marketer, now deal with it! From the blog, creating passionate users http://headrush.typepad.com

Old School vs. Neo-Marketing OLD Marketing department NEW Everyone’s responsibility Library controls Users have power Library’s content Users’ content Focus groups, surveys User feedback Advertising Evangelizing One way broadcast Two-way, iterative conversation

Exercise #1 Word-Of-Mouth Bingo

What is Word-of-Mouth Marketing? Activities that generate personal recommendations and referrals for your library, its services, or “products”

Activities that generate personal recommendations and referrals for your library, its services, or “products”

Why Should I Care ? Traditional marketing is becoming less effective information overload skeptical public “ narrowcasting”

Traditional marketing is becoming less effective

information overload

skeptical public

“ narrowcasting”

Potential for the exponential Message is recorded (somewhere!), no longer ephemeral Vital for “hard-to-reach” groups Affordable for libraries! Technology Pumps It Up!

Potential for the exponential

Message is recorded (somewhere!), no longer ephemeral

Vital for “hard-to-reach” groups

Affordable for libraries!

It All Begins With One-to-One One-to-one is: Trusted Timely Tailored

One-to-one is:

Trusted

Timely

Tailored

I Thought Viral Was a Bad Thing …? Word-of-mouth – person to person Viral – word-of-mouth enhanced by online interactions Buzz – Everyone is talking about it – message is no longer moving linearly

Word-of-mouth – person to person

Viral – word-of-mouth enhanced by online interactions

Buzz – Everyone is talking about it – message is no longer moving linearly

Word-of-mouth Is Not Appropriate When: Product is complicated Forced, fake, or bought Product is a dog

Product is complicated

Forced, fake, or bought

Product is a dog

Creating a Buzz Let’s give them something to talk about! The Wow! factor

Let’s give them something to talk about!

The Wow! factor

“ Six Buttons of Buzz” Taboo Outrageous Unusual Hilarious Remarkable Secrets (from Mark Hughes, Buzz Marketing )

Taboo

Outrageous

Unusual

Hilarious

Remarkable

Secrets

(from Mark Hughes, Buzz Marketing )

From David McCusker and American River College Library’s Chimes newsletter: “In an attempt to minimize the inevitable confusion between JSTOR and J-Kwon, we’ve prepared this handy chart for quick reference for you and your students:” Librarians can help you and your students navigate JSTOR. Full-text articles in JSTOR are available only to students, faculty, and staff of participating institutions. JSTOR is a “scholarly tool of enormous potential.” Issues of journals in JSTOR are never “out"; they are always available. Unfortunately, if you have any difficulties with J-Kwon, you are on your own. Full text J-Kwon lyrics are available to anyone with an Internet connection. It remains to be seen what potential this young mc may possess. Our fruitless attempts to contact J-Kwon suggest that he is frequently out and rarely available.

Librarians can help you and your students navigate JSTOR.

Full-text articles in JSTOR are available only to students, faculty, and staff of participating institutions.

JSTOR is a “scholarly tool of enormous potential.”

Issues of journals in JSTOR are never “out"; they are always available.

Unfortunately, if you have any difficulties with J-Kwon, you are on your own.

Full text J-Kwon lyrics are available to anyone with an Internet connection.

It remains to be seen what potential this young mc may possess.

Our fruitless attempts to contact J-Kwon suggest that he is frequently out and rarely available.

Exercise #2 Adapt a Case History

The People Who Make it Happen “ Influentials” Mavens Ambassadors Salespeople Connectors (From Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point)

“ Influentials”

Mavens

Ambassadors

Salespeople

Connectors

(From Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point)

Exercise #3 Are You a Connector?

Tapping Into Social Networks Who are three “connectors” you can use to spread your message? “ Salespeople”? Mavens? Ambassadors?

Who are three “connectors” you can use to spread your message?

“ Salespeople”?

Mavens?

Ambassadors?

Spreading the Word Listening not telling Use the feedback loop- even if it hurts In person Comments on blogs or website Review websites

Listening not telling

Use the feedback loop- even if it hurts

In person

Comments on blogs or website

Review websites

Audience expectations Customized Content driven Creative Connected

Customized

Content driven

Creative

Connected

Napa Valley Register – comment on a story

The Long Tail Distributing more of niche market items

Distributing more of niche market items

Networking in Organizations Staff Library volunteers Service organizations Participate in your community

Staff

Library volunteers

Service organizations

Participate in your community

Networking Tips Build it before you need it Never disappear – keep your event, conference and meeting calendar full Don’t keep score Passion is contagious – pursue yours Conferences - help the organizer or be the organizer Follow up – email, send articles, etc.

Build it before you need it

Never disappear – keep your event, conference and meeting calendar full

Don’t keep score

Passion is contagious – pursue yours

Conferences - help the organizer or be the organizer

Follow up – email, send articles, etc.

Introducing Yourself to a New Network Your “elevator speech” clear, concise, compelling no mumbo jumbo end with invitation for interaction

Your “elevator speech”

clear, concise, compelling

no mumbo jumbo

end with invitation for interaction

Exercise #4 Words to Avoid

You Can Only Go Up From Here… http://www.elevatorspeech.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=videos

http://www.elevatorspeech.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=videos

Not so good… Hi, my name is Ann Miller and I am head of Collection Development for Boring Public Library. My job is to expedite the workflow of our catalogers and cataloging techs and to purchase digital and print collections that provide reciprocal and parallel functionality with the other partners in our consortium.

Sample “Hooks” Americans go to the library 16% more often than they go to the movies. There are more libraries in the U.S. than there are McDonalds. California libraries spent an average of $25 per capita for one year of public library service. That’s less than the cost of one book. Our library buys over 25,000 items every year. That’s over 2,000 new books, movies and music CDs that are on our shelves every month. Our library has 60 computers with high-speed Internet access. That’s $360,000 work of Internet access for free.

Americans go to the library 16% more often than they go to the movies.

There are more libraries in the U.S. than there are McDonalds.

California libraries spent an average of $25 per capita for one year of public library service. That’s less than the cost of one book.

Our library buys over 25,000 items every year. That’s over 2,000 new books, movies and music CDs that are on our shelves every month.

Our library has 60 computers with high-speed Internet access. That’s $360,000 work of Internet access for free.

Your “Elevator Speech”: What can you say in the time it takes for an elevator ride ? Exercise #5

Electronic Word-of-Mouth Email newsletters Link building Blogs, wikis, social networking, etc.

Email newsletters

Link building

Blogs, wikis, social networking, etc.

Writing for the Web Reading online is different than print Users: skip intros scan headings Register first words of headings Average 51 seconds reading an e-newsletter http://www.useit.com/alertbox/newsletters.html Eye-tracking heat map

Reading online is different than print

Users:

skip intros

scan headings

Register first words of headings

Average 51 seconds reading an e-newsletter

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/newsletters.html

Email Newsletters Publish for pennies Opt in Privacy policy Measuring email marketing good: Opened better: click-through best: forwarded

Publish for pennies

Opt in

Privacy policy

Measuring email marketing

good: Opened

better: click-through

best: forwarded

Example of an E-newsletter Report

Library Blog: Why? Build relationships Listen, get feedback Preview new services Build communities Solve problems Collaborate to create new and better library services

Build relationships

Listen, get feedback

Preview new services

Build communities

Solve problems

Collaborate to create new and better library services

Qualities of a Blogger Time and commitment to blog Well-informed Opinionated Truthful Good writer Authentic voice

Time and commitment to blog

Well-informed

Opinionated

Truthful

Good writer

Authentic voice

Link Building The “usual suspects” – schools, newspapers, & cities Unexpected links – blogs, hobbyist groups, tourism sites, etc. “ Link bait” – using the outrageous or unexpected to drive people to your site

The “usual suspects” – schools, newspapers, & cities

Unexpected links – blogs, hobbyist groups, tourism sites, etc.

“ Link bait” – using the outrageous or unexpected to drive people to your site

Writing a link request Write to a person not just a title (webmaster) Start a dialog, be helpful Reference something in their site that shows you are an avid reader Be specific about how your site is relevant to theirs Give an example of what the link might look like

Write to a person not just a title (webmaster)

Start a dialog, be helpful

Reference something in their site that shows you are an avid reader

Be specific about how your site is relevant to theirs

Give an example of what the link might look like

Contra Costa County Library on MySpace

Individual Librarian on MySpace

Boston Public Library on Wikipedia

Libraryman on Flickr

St. Joseph County PL on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrtYdFV_Eak

Wikipedia Discussion about Boston PL

LibraryThing.com

Second Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrtYdFV_Eak

Exercise #6 Write Your Action Plan

One thing you learned today?

Evaluations