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Current Trends and Promotional Strategies for Libraries And Its Services By Virginia I. Caintic Director, Learning an

2. Definitions of Promotion. 1. It is a communication used to inform, persuade, and or remind people about an organization or individual's goods, services, image, ideas, community involvement, or impact on society (Zikmund

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Current Trends and Promotional Strategies for Libraries And Its Services By Virginia I. Caintic Director, Learning an

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    1. 1 Current Trends and Promotional Strategies for Libraries And Its Services By Virginia I. Caintic Director, Learning and Information Center University of Mindanao, Bolton Street, Davao City

    2. 2 Definitions of Promotion 1. It is a communication used to inform, persuade, and or remind people about an organization or individual’s goods, services, image, ideas, community involvement, or impact on society (Zikmund & d’Amico, 2001) 2. It is a term used to describe “sales” communication –the messages and vehicles are used to let the customer know what products and services are available. It includes advertising, direct marketing, personal selling, sale promotions, and public relations.

    3. 3 Definitions of Promotion 3. It is anything libraries do to let the community know who they are and what they do! 4. It is to keep the product in the minds of the customer and helps stimulate demand for product. 5. It is the 4th “P” of the marketing mix.

    4. 4 Purpose of Promotion To increase customer awareness both of the products and knowledge about the products desirable features and benefits.

    5. 5 Benefits of Promotion Increase usage Increase value in the organization 3. Education of users 4. Change perception

    6. 6 Through promotion it allows the users to know what are the library resources and services that the librarians have to offer.

    7. 7 What are to be promoted in the Library? Library Collections Exhibits New services Programs/Collaboration Outreach activities Virtual library More good ideas

    8. 8 What are the LIBRARY PRODUCTS? Library products include physical goods, services, experiences, events, persons, places, properties, organizations, information, and ideas.

    9. 9 In the library, a product or service is anything that the library or information service is offering, or could offer, that would be of benefit to the users and potential users.

    10. 10 LIBRARY PRODUCTS Services Resources Programs Events Facilities Instructions

    11. 11 What are the LIBRARY SERVICES? Provision of resources and encouragement for lifelong learning. 2. Provision of a place for a all ages to gather and learn. 3. Offering adult, young adult, and children’s programming. 4. Development and circulation of collections of print and multi-media materials. 5. Provision of local, regional, state-wide, and national access to resources. 6. Provision of reference and research resources, services, and collections. 7. Offering of remote services such as 24/7 reference, customer account handling, genealogy information, and access to eBooks

    12. 12 LIBRARY SERVICES… 8. Provision of access to online local information resources and databases, and guidance in selection of Web resources. 9. Training in use of online and print resources to contribute to information literacy. 10. Promotion of information, social, and cultural literacy. 11. Working with local schools to support curriculum 12. Introducing children to reading 13. Working with literacy programs. 14. Maintenance of archives of local historical resources

    13. 13 “We often take these products for granted or assume that the users place the same value on them that we do”. “Try looking at library products from the users’ viewpoint. If you’ve been working in a library for a long time, refresh your memory! “

    14. 14 “Concentrate your promotion efforts where they will achieve the best results!”

    15. 15 Visit a library that you’ve never used before and consider these questions 1. How’s the signage—can you tell by looking around what services are available? 2. Is it easy to find stuff? 3. Is it clear where you should go for help? 4. Can you find every department without having to ask? 5. Do you understand the arrangement of the collection? 6. Is it easier at the bookstore? 7. Are you comfortable? 8. Do you enjoy being there?

    16. 16 ELEMENTS OF PROMOTION Personal selling. Face-to-face interactions with one or more prospective users, for the purpose of generating increased activity. In a library context this will include the so-called “academic detailing” – one-to-one meetings with new or existing staff to brief them about a specific project or service. Advertising. An informative or persuasive message carried by a nonpersonal medium and paid for by an identified sponsor whose organization or product is identified in some way. Public relations and publicity. Programmes designed to promote and/or protect a company’s image, or those of its products, including product literature, exhibitions and articles in professional or in-house newsletters.

    17. 17 ELEMENTS OF PROMOTION Direct marketing. The use of mail, telephone or other non-personal contact tools to communicate with or solicit a response from specific customers and prospects. Trials and service promotion. Short-term incentives to encourage trial or purchase of a product or service, such as discounted rates for services over a limited time period. Sponsorship. Financial or external support of an event or person by an unrelated organization or donor, such as is common in respect of the arts, sports and charities.

    18. 18 Promotional Strategies

    19. 19 What is promotional strategy? Promotional strategy operates synergistically with market research in an iterative feedback loop whereby the constantly changing requirements of users are responded to by promotional activities that target (or even anticipate) these expressed needs. Such activities need to be managed. They can require the allocation and expenditure of resources, whether physical (promotional products) or intangible (staff time or use of existing facilities). As such they cannot simply be allowed to grow organically – they require shaping and direction via a promotional strategy.

    20. 20 OBJECTIVES OF PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY 1. To provide information and educate users 2. To increase demand, usage and value in the organization 3. To differentiate the product 4. To accentuate the value of the product/service 5. To stabilize existing activity levels

    21. 21 Factors that will help you to determine an appropriate promotional mix include: The availability of budget The marketing message The complexity of the product or service Market size and location Distribution of the product The stage in the product life-cycle Competition

    22. 22 Basic Promotional Strategies Push strategy – a promotional strategy whereby a supplier promotes a product to marketing intermediaries, with the aim of pushing the product through the channel of distribution. Pull strategy – a promotional strategy whereby a supplier promotes a product to the ultimate consumer, with the aim of stimulating demand and thus pulling the product through the channel of distribution.

    23. 23 Promotional campaign is a part of a firm’s promotional mix, just as a military campaign is a portion of a total war effort.

    24. 24 Major approaches to developing a promotional campaign: Image building – intended to communicate an image and generate user preference for a brand or product on the basis of symbiotic value. What do users think of when they hear the word library? Is it a positive image? Library users’ perceptions and feelings about libraries affect everything we do to market services. 2. Product differentiation – focused on some dimension of the product that competing brands do not offer or accents some way in which using the product provides the solution to a user problem.

    25. 25 Major approaches to developing a promotional campaign 3. Positioning – involves establishing the image of the library as it functions within the community. It promotes a brand’s competitive position, is often the focal point of promotional campaigns. Questions: What is the library’s “position”—how are you seen? Is the library considered an active and necessary part of community life? How is the library viewed in comparison to other agencies or institutions? 4. Direct response- a promotional approach intended to elicit a direct, measurable response, such as an order.

    26. 26 Methods of image building Branding – is an association of ideas, associating the library name, the name of library service or product (e.g. Term Paper Counseling), symbols, logos, or slogan (e.g. graphic of an open book, consistent design of publications, etc. These are elements give a product or service its own personality and establish an association in the mind of the user. Visioning – What is the library’s vision for the future? Has this been addressed in library planning and in the marketing plan? Communicate your vision of the library to the community, providing an image of the library as a changing organization that is art of an evolution in information access.

    27. 27 HOW DO YOU PACKAGE A PROMOTION?

    28. 28 Promotion Possibilities Create an outreach program for students, teachers, administrators, and the community. Develop a plan for promoting the collection including new acquisitions, curriculum connections, and older materials Create promotional literature for a particular area such as reading, information inquiry, or science literacy (i.e., newsletters, brochures, bookmarks, website, pathfinders, flyers) Develop plans for displays to highlight events and projects (i.e., bulletin boards, display cases, special center events)

    29. 29 How Do You Plan a Promotion? Analyze Needs. Seek out specific interests, needs, and problems in the learning community. Examine how these connect to your program’s mission and goals; Build Partnerships. Get others involved with your promotion. Consider curriculum connections. Reach out to other members of the learning community. To ensure success, be sure that you get a few people committed to the project from the beginning. Develop Activities and Resources. Develop the materials needed to implement your project. What’s the timeline? Who will do what, when? What advertising materials are needed?

    30. 30 4. Advertise the Promotion. Be sure that everyone is aware of the event or activity. Develop a press release, insert a note in the school newsletter, and create flyers. 5. Share your Success. An important element of promotion is communication. Be sure that people know about the success of your project. Use local newspapers, school newsletters, center website, and bulletin boards to share your success. 6. Implement the Promotion. As you implement the program be sure to collect data. Count people, conduct a survey, ask for comments, take photographs, and collect sample products. Example: You take photos of students as they do their Poetry Slam readings during National Book Week in the Library. 7. Evaluate. Consider the effectiveness of the program. Immediately revise materials for the next time you use this promotion. Plan for the future.

    31. 31 Promotional Strategies for Academic Libraries Ideas to Get You Started for the Students 1. Form a student advisory group or Friends of the Library group to advise and assist in developing programming and promotions directed at students. Take advantage of students who work in the library. 2. Seek to have a library message appear on student ID cards or provide stickers with the URL. 3. Put out a “Talk Back” suggestion box inviting students to ask questions or share what they like and don’t like about the library. Post frequently asked questions and answers. 4. Publish an “It’s an Information Jungle Out There!” survival guide for students. Distribute during orientation and other events.

    32. 32 Promotional Strategies for Academic Libraries 5. Distribute “tent cards” (similar to those often found on restaurant tables) featuring the library’s Web site/other services on tables in dining halls and the student union. 6. Have library messages appear on electronic message boards around campus. Explore getting electronic signage for the library. 7. Use “A-frames” or easels inside and outside the library to display posters or a calendar of events. Sponsor contests on- and offline. 8. Plant “footprints” around campus—all leading to the library. Publicize their imminent appearance and offer a prize such as a free pizza coupon to the first 50 or so students who check in at the Information Desk. 9. Provide and publicize an idea exchange on the library’s Web site for students to post their best tips for studying and using the library.

    33. 33 Promotional Strategies for Academic Libraries 10. Invite campus celebrities to appear on posters for the library. 11. Invite well-known graduates to do readings/give talks/make appearances at the library. Ask for their testimonials to include in ads in the student newspaper and other library publicity materials. 12. Print a coupon for free coffee/copies at the library’s café or bookstore or self-checkout receipts. 13. Run the library’s message in campus planners/calendars. 14. Give away library brochures and promotional items such as bookmarks, highlighters, or pens in registration packets and at orientation. 15. Host tours/sponsor a reception for parents and alumni during orientation or homecoming. 15. Enter a float in the homecoming parade. 16. Ask faculty to include a library message, e.g., “Got questions? Get answers! @ your library,” in course handouts. 17. Send brief and lively announcements of training classes, study tips, new materials, and other updates via e-mail distribution lists.

    34. 34 Promotional Strategies for Academic Libraries B. Tip for the Administrators and Faculty 1. Know their special interests—professional and personal—and provide them with items of interest. 2. Be a team player. Tie your library promotional efforts to those of the college/university as a whole, and let administrators know of your support. 3. Make sure they receive key publications, such as the library newsletter, annual report, announcements of new services, programming or initiatives of note. 4. Keep them aware and informed of collaboration with other departments, special outreach, and promotion activities. Invite their participation in programs and events when appropriate. 5. Be visible in major campus events such as Homecoming, orientation, and Alumni Day.

    35. 35 Promotional Strategies for Academic Libraries B. Tip for the Administrators and Faculty 6. Provide opportunities to increase both their visibility and the library’s by inviting them to speak or participate in special promotions, such as working at the reference desk, possibly during National Library Week or exam time. Publicize their involvement. 7. Give them more than numbers. Make a point of including success stories of students, faculty, and other researchers and how the library and its staff contributed. 8. Take advantage of forums, such as the Faculty Senate or Curriculum Committee, to deliver your message. Also seek one-on-one time when appropriate. 9. Serve on influential committees such as the Administrators Advisory Group or Staff Advisory Council. 10. Package and present your library’s special promotional items such as coffee mugs, sticky notes, or T-shirts.

    36. 36 Promotional Strategies for Academic Libraries Special Tips for Faculty 1. Host a “published this year” party. Include librarians who have published. 2. Be active in faculty and other governance organizations. 3.Participate in a faculty mentoring program. 4. Cultivate professors who already use the library to become your advocates. 5. Hold a retreat for faculty willing to collaborate on a joint project. 6. Create a “Faculty Guide to the Libraries” with all the essentials: key contact names, phone numbers, course reserve procedures, etc. 7. Research and let them know about grant opportunities in their field. 8. Ask faculty to include the contact information of the library subject specialist on their syllabi. 9. Provide your business cards to faculty to give out when referring their students. 10. Lobby for a place on the curriculum development committee.

    37. 37 Promotional Strategies for Academic Libraries C. Multicultural Audiences Start by gathering information on your campus demographics and organized cultural groups such as African American, Native American, Asian American, and other student associations. Also research multicultural outreach that other departments and other libraries have done. Make a plan. 2. Solicit input and feedback from campus multicultural leaders. Assign a library staff liaison to work with student associations. 3. Form an outreach committee with representatives from various groups to give input on services and programming. 4. Incorporate multicultural outreach into established and emerging library services (e.g., instruction, reference, collection development, and digital library initiatives). 5. Develop events related to special collections of ethnic materials, e.g., African American or Latino Studies.

    38. 38 Promotional Strategies for Academic Libraries C. Multicultural Audiences 6. See Chase’s Calendar of Events for observances such as Latino Heritage Month, Polish Heritage Month, or Cinco de Mayo to build programming around. Also use opportunities such as National Library Week for multicultural outreach. 7. Tie events to issues of information access, knowledge construction, and culture. 8. Collaborate with other departments and organizations in developing and financing multicultural programming. Also work with community organizations if many students live off campus. 9. Use multicultural programming and outreach to promote librarianship as a career. 10. Establish a peer advisory or minority residency program. 11. Promote the one-on-one-assistance available @ your library. Assign librarians to mentor students. 12. Make the library a welcoming place for multicultural audiences with multicultural art in the library and name rooms and even entire libraries after authors, scholars, and leaders of different cultural traditions.

    39. 39 You don’t have to be a public relations expert to promote your library. You just have to talk about your library.”

    40. 40 Promotional Strategies for Public Libraries Attend local government meetings to urge city and county legislators to invest in libraries as a vital community resource, one that will save substantial tax dollars in helping people of all ages to be more literature and productive. Support library referenda in elections. Write to your state and federal legislators and demand that library service be viewed and funded as a necessary public service. 4. Share you concern with friends, family neighbors and co-workers. Many people are not aware of the funding problems libraries are experiencing nationally – or in their own communities. Encourage others to get involved. 5. Write a letter to the editor of your newspapers or call in to a radio talk show to express your concern.

    41. 41 Promotional Strategies for Public Libraries 6.Speak up for libraries at campus or community groups that you belong to –the PTA, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, League of Women Voters, faculty groups. Invite your librarian to talk about library services and needs. “If they don’t ask, we offer!” 7.Network in person at monthly Chamber of Commerce meetings, and electronically to stay in touch with city hall and other organizations with a short email. 8.Use direct marketing, mailing a calendar of events three times a year. “Patrons comment that they cling to these so they know what is going on at the library!” 9.Send press releases (randomly rather than regularly) to local media, and request a writer and photographer be send to cover stories. 10.Sponsor a table at the high school’s career fair or the hospital’s health fair. 11.Create regular exhibits and displays to keep a new and fresh look for the library.

    42. 42 Promotional Strategies for Public Libraries 12.Work with the Friends of the Library and other groups, such as donating a basket of items to the Chamber’s annual Holiday Raffle. 13.Attend business community events, open houses, etc. 14.Use direct marketing effectively for annual reports or launching new services like expanded hours. 15.Limit advertising in print media and target it to the local service area. 16.Hold several internet training classes and classes on accessing online databases. 17.Establish good PR with special events such as the annual arts endowment event to raise the image of the library.

    43. 43 3. Electronic Journals Promotion 1. Introduction and demonstration of the new service in faculty meetings. 2. Close communication with faculty boards and decentralized automation units in order to be sure that the right software would be installed on faculty desktops and that printing facilities were available near the faculty rooms. 3. Distribution of flyers and posters. 4. Featuring articles in campus magazines. 5. Stickers on hard copy issues of journals to remind users these issues were also available in electronic form from their desktop

    44. 44 4. Web Site Promotion a. Publicize the URL b. Register your site with the main search engines. Alta Vista Lycos Excite HotBot c. Register with other search engines d. Register with web directories Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) is the most well-known and still the most popular web directory. Its registration process takes place over four web forms.

    45. 45 4. Web Site Promotion e. Ask for links on related sites. f. Use banner advertising. g. Sponsor content. h. Impress the community with your expertise. i. Publish regularly-updated content on your site. j. Use mailing lists to maintain a dialogue with your visitors.

    46. 46 As librarians, we should be actively marketing and promoting our library and services. The basic aim of marketing is to build strong customer relationships with the library users. Sometimes, promotion is not a one time activity, but an ongoing concern for innovating libraries.

    47. 47 CLOSING WORDS In closing, may I read the story from the Reader’s Digest on “Promoting Issues and Ideas” by M. Booth and Associates, Inc. “… if the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying ‘Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday, that’s advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.” If the town’s citizens go the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales.

    48. Thank you very much! Presented during the 21ST General Assembly of SOCOLA and Seminar-Workshop on Organizing & Managing Library & Media Center Services, held at the Educational Technology Center, Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, General Santos City, October 25-26, 2007. Virginia I. Caintic Director, Learning and Information Center University of Mindanao, Bolton Street Davao City v_caintic2000@yahoo.com Mobile phone: 09217142831

    49. 49 REFERENCES Basic Definitions: Advertising, Marketing, Promotion and Public Relations, and Sales. Retrieved on June 29, 2006 from http://www.managementhelp.org/ad_prmot/defintion.htm The Campaign for America’s Libraries @ your library TM . (2001). Retrieved on June 29, 2006 from http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/campaign/academicresearch/toolkitfinaltext2.pdf Kathuria, P. and Wales, F. (1999). Web site promotion. Retrieved on July 16, 2007, from http://www.limov.com/library/promotion.lml Nicholas, J. (1998). Marketing and Promotion of Library Services. Retrieved on July 16, 2007, from http://www.eso.org/gen-fac/libraries/lisa3/nicholasj.html Nims, J.K. (1999). Marketing library instruction services: changes and trends. References Services Review. ( 27): 249-253. Retrieved on October 10, 2007, from http:// proquest.umi.com Roes, H. (1999). Promotion of electronic journals to users by libraries – case study of Tilburg University Library. Retrieved on July 16, 2007, from http://www.hroes.de/articles/london99.htm The School Library Media Specialist: Program Administration. Retrieved on July 16, 2007, http://wwweduscapes.com/sms/advocacy/promotion.html School Library Website Activities/Promotion. Retrieved on July 16, 2007, from http://users.tpg.com.au/welwel/showpony/activities.htm Wenhong, Ju. . Marketing and service promotion practices in the LCAS Library Management. Bradford: 2006. Vol. 27, Iss. 6/7; pg. 336 Retrieved on July 16, 2007, from http:// proquest.umi.com Zikmund, W. G. and d’Amico, M. (2001). Marketing: Creating and keeping customers in an e-commerce world. Cincinnati, Ohio : South-Western College Pub.

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