Word-of-Mouth Marketing for Libraries

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Aug - Oct, 2006

Whether they call it "buzz," "viral," or "relationship" marketing, everyone from Advertising Age to The New York Times is talking about word-of-mouth techniques for getting your message across. Audiences are tuning out traditional promotions, and word-of-mouth is replacing marketing "push" with more persuasive"pull."

If you're looking for a smart, ethical, and inexpensive way to:

  • Get people talking about your library in positive terms,
  • Identify and harness social networks that can spread your library's message,
  • Build a community around an existing library service, or
  • Use technology to convey your message,

then this course is for you! Word-of-mouth marketing is a simple technique for spreading the word about any kind of library in all kinds of situations.

Workshop Description: This fun, all-day workshop will help you rethink library marketing and give you the tools to make the most of your most valuable resource – people! During the day you will participate in activities, exercises, and discussions that will culminate in a guided action plan for your library. Your instructor will provide handouts and case studies to get you started in making the most of word-of-mouth marketing.

Preliminary Course Outline:

  • Marketing Defined – It May Not Be What You Think
    • The marketing mix
    • Old school marketing/neo-marketing
  • What is Word-of-Mouth Marketing and Why Should I Care?
    • Word-of-mouth, viral, and buzz
    • Potential for the exponential
    • When word-of-mouth is not effective
    • Word-of-mouth and special populations
    • The people who make it happen - "influentials"
  • Making the Most of Social Networks
    • Using feedback – even when it hurts
    • Networking in organizations
    • Perfecting your "elevator speech"
  • Electronic Word-of-Mouth Marketing
    • Email
    • Link building
    • Permission marketing
    • Measuring
  • Case Studies - Adapting Successful Word-of-Mouth Techniques in the Library World
  • Action Plan for Your Library's Word-of-Mouth Campaign

Who Should Attend: Anyone from the California library community with an interest in marketing their library.

Prerequisites: None

Check-in: 8:30 to 9 AM Instruction: 9 AM to 4:30 PM

Available for contracting: 
No