This document outlines a presentation about developing public relations and marketing skills for promoting library services and programs. The presentation covers understanding the community and target audiences, developing marketing messages, and brainstorming PR plans. Attendees are encouraged to join library listservs and use various marketing resources and tools to effectively promote their workshops and services. Sample marketing strategies are provided, including different types of advertisements, social media use, and community outreach partnerships.

1. THE POWER OF
LIBRARY PR!
…skills for promoting your services
and programs
The Librar y Instruction Toolkit:
Ef fective Teach ing, Active Learnin g
June 5, 201 2
Dr. Cur tis R. Roger s, Communications Director

2. AGENDA
 Resources Review
 Understanding Your
Community &
Customers
 Developing your
Marketing Message
 Brainstorming Group
Project = BE CREATIVE!
 Wrap up

3. TAKE AWAY ONE THING FROM THIS
PRESENTATION…
If they don’t know
what you’re doing,
then tell them!

4. GREAT PR/MARKETING RESOURCES
Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog
 http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/
LIS News - http://lisnews.org/
PR Squared - http://www.pr-squared.com
The Marketing Blog
 http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com
Visibility @ Your Library -
http://www.pio.ala.org/visibility

6. YES, ACTUALLY JOIN A LISTSERV…
http://lists.ala.org/wws/lists
Join PR TALK!

7. ACADEMIC LIBRARY OUTREACH: BEYOND
THE CAMPUS WALLS
 How can and do academic libraries
par ticipate in this type of
outreach?
 What types of collaborations or
par tnerships are academic
libraries forming with
schools, public libraries, or
community groups?
 How do academic librarians
par tner with faculty or campus
depar tments on their community
projects?
 What role does ser vice-learning
play?

8. LIBRARY PUBLIC RELATIONS
 step-by-step guidance for PR
campaigns that make measurable
differences
 new tools, new examples of real -
life librar y publicity
successes, and new strategies for
promotions and communications

9. ADVOCACY, OUTREACH AND THE NATION'S
ACADEMIC LIBRARIES: A CALL FOR ACTION
 In the current fiscal
environment, college and
university librarians must
clearly articulate their value
to the teaching, learning and
research missions of their
institutions.

10. UNDERSTANDING YOUR
COMMUNITY
Are there segments of the
community underserved and
how do I find out where they
are?
Does my community want or
value my unique competitive
offering? How do I know?
Is there too much
competition? Who are my
competitors?

11. UNDERSTANDING YOUR
TARGET AUDIENCE
 What kinds of habits
does my customer have?
Where are they?
 How does my potential
customer get information
products and/or
services?
 What are my target
customer’s primary
motivations for seeking
out this kind of
service/workshop?

12. DEVELOPING YOUR
WORKSHOP MESSAGE
 Two parts: brief tagline/title &
marketing message/description
 Tagline/Title – short and right to the
point & BE CREATIVE!
 Marketing message/description
 An explanation of your target prospect’s
problem.
 An explanation about why you are the
only organization that can solve your
target audience’s problem.
 An explanation of the benefits people
will receive from your service.
 Examples and testimonials from
customers you have benefitted from your
service.
 Your unconditional guarantee.

13. 33 THINGS – PR METHODS
1. Newspaper ads 17.Magazine ads 33.Window display
2. Social Media 18.Special events
3. Poster s 19.Flyer s
4. Contests 20.Email
5. Playing card decks 21.Postcards/Rac k Cards
6. Seminar s 22.Doorhanger s
7. Television ads 23.Media releases
8. Signs 24.Fax broadcasts
9. Radio ads 25.Brochures
10.Banner s 26.Gif t cer tificates
11.Ar ticles 27.Word-of-mouth
12.Classified ads 28.Website
13.Newsletter s 29.Sign picketing
14.Charity events 30.Business cards
15.Networking 31.Catalogs
16.Billboards 32.Public speaking

14. BRAINSTORMING SESSION
 In groups, take ____ minutes to work through the
following items to BRAINSTORM and develop a Library
Workshop PR PLAN.
1. Develop a library workshop tagline/title and make it
CREATIVE!!!
2. Develop your workshop message/description but be brief
and to the point.
3. Who is your target audience?
4. How many people do you want to reach & over what
period of time?
5. What innovative methods will you use to get the word out?
 Each group will have time to report .

15. THANK YOU!
Dr. Curtis R. Rogers
Communications Director
803-734-8928
crogers@statelibrary.sc.gov