1. Online Marketing Strategies
and Plans
Society for Scholarly Publishing
June 7, 2007
Melanie Schaffner
Marketing and Sales Manager, Project MUSE®
http://muse.jhu.edu

2. A Brief History of Project Muse®
• 1993 – Johns Hopkins University Press and Milton S. Eisenhower Library
explore options for producing 40+ JHUP journals electronically, seek grant
funding to pursue prototypes
• 1995 – With grant funding from Mellon and NEH, JHUP and MSEL produce
Muse pilot project with eight journals published online in full text
• 1996 – All 40 JHUP journals produced online and pilot offer of subscriptions
to the MUSE “collection” is offered to libraries in the fall. Several consortia
(Oberlin Group, VIVA) serve as beta testers for interface and consult on
development of consortium pricing plan
• 1997 – First full year that MUSE collection subscription is offered, license and
usage terms set out by MSEL/JHUP governing board
• 1998 – Grant funding expires, Muse is self-supporting
• 2000 – Journals from other university presses are added to Muse collection,
libraries and consortia are offered choice of several packages of journals
(complete collection, discipline collections)
http://muse.jhu.edu

3. Project MUSE Today
• MUSE collection now covers nearly 350 full text titles
from 70 not-for-profit publishers, in the humanities, the
arts, and the social sciences
• Over 1,300 subscribers worldwide
• ~25% of customers are international, more than half of
new business originating overseas in previous two years
• Majority of subscribers are university and college libraries,
plus community colleges, high schools, variety of special
libraries
• Global marketing/sales staff of three, one full-time
customer/technical service representative
http://muse.jhu.edu

4. Online Marketing Goals
• Promote product awareness
• Generate trials
• Increase sales
• Support current customers
• Increase usage
• Promote customer retention/upselling
http://muse.jhu.edu

5. E-Communications
• Administrative email list
• Opt-in e-newsletter
• Journal alerts
• RSS feeds
• Listserv postings
– Be cautious of posting policies
– Seek out specialty/international lists
http://muse.jhu.edu

6. Administrative E-List
• One contact at each subscribing institution
(designated at time of order), others may opt-in
• Variety of informational announcements
– New title launches
– New features/functionality
– Pricing/policy/content updates
– Event announcements (user groups, meetings)
– Scheduled maintenance
• Conservative use, no hard selling
http://muse.jhu.edu

7. The MUSE Letter
• Opt-in e-newsletter, geared towards
frontline librarians
• Currently quarterly, expect to increase
frequency
• New titles launched, new features added
• “Tips and Tools” (search hints, instructional
tips, etc.)
• New subscribers and consortium partners
http://muse.jhu.edu

8. Journal Alerts
• Available via email or RSS
• Individual title
• Subject area
• Collection
• New titles
http://muse.jhu.edu

9. http://muse.jhu.edu

10. http://muse.jhu.edu

11. “For Librarians” Resources
• Special section on MUSE web site, downloadable
materials to help subscribing libraries conduct
outreach and instruction
– Instructional Guides
– Subject Guides, Subject Postcards
– Logos and web buttons
– Posters
– Signups for email alerts, RSS, e-newsletter
– PowerPoint tutorials (coming soon)
• Subscription management tools (view statistics,
download holdings list, enable OpenURL)
• Forms for ordering printed materials
http://muse.jhu.edu

12. http://muse.jhu.edu

13. Other Strategies
• Banner advertising
– Often available in package with print
– Send viewers directly where you want them
• Linking
– General/specialized A&I services
– Aggregator databases
– GYM
– Foreign language services
• URLs in all print collateral!
http://muse.jhu.edu

14. Thank you!
Melanie Schaffner
Marketing and Sales Manager, Project MUSE
melanie@muse.jhu.edu
410-516-3846
http://muse.jhu.edu