Transcript ppt - South Central Library System

Developing a Library
Marketing Plan, Part 1
Creating the Plan
Mark E. Ibach
Marketing & PR Coordinator
South Central Library System
What is marketing?
If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign
saying "Circus coming to the fairgrounds on
Sunday," that's advertising. If you put the sign on
the back of an elephant and have him walk through
town, that's promotion. If the elephant walks
through the mayor's flower bed and it makes the
morning paper, that's publicity. If you get the mayor
to laugh about it, that's publicity. And if you planned
the whole thing, that's marketing.
—Anonymous. From Library Administrator's Digest, November 2005.
Developing a library marketing
plan involves more than just
agreeing upon a definition, or
compiling a list of good ideas
that wind up collecting dust on
a shelf because you don’t have
the time, money, or expertise
to execute them.
Maintain perspective
• The marketing plan is a tool that you
control, so use it that way.
Before you begin
• Make sure your library has mission and
vision statements to guide your work.
• Consider using patron surveys or focus
groups at some point in the process.
• You have limited resources and limited
time, and you don’t want to waste either.
• Remember that your plan will be a road
map, and side trips often result in
unexpected dividends.
Identify the goals of your
marketing plan
Are you interested in:
• Marketing specific programs or services
to patrons?
• Marketing the library to the community?
• Planting and supporting the notion of
the library as an essential community
resources among users and nonusers?
Reminders while planning…
• Planning will become more critical as
budgets become tighter.
• We live in dynamic, evolving
communities, and our goals must evolve
to stay relevant.
• Recognize that there is much competition
for your patrons’ time and attention.
Initial planning steps
• Create a list of core library services, and
the community value of each.
• Compile a list of your library’s strengths
and weaknesses.
• Create a list of why people use the
library, and why they may not.
• Compile a list of the services, activities
or resources that compete for patron
time and attention.
Initial planning steps (continued)
• Compile a list of your existing marketing
strategies, whether they support your
overall marketing goals (and vision and
mission statements), and the time and
resources each requires.
Active planning
• Identify the holes in your current efforts
and develop ideas for new projects.
• Don’t worry about whether you have the
time, resources or expertise to
accomplish particular items. Just
identify items that further your goals.
What next?
• Identify which staff members will carry out
which projects.
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When will projects be implemented (timeline)?
How much time will each take?
Who has what expertise?
How much budget will be required?
• Don’t be afraid to be bold. Try some new
things. Take some risks!
Reality check
• It’s better to do a few things well than
take on too much, so now it’s time to be
realistic.
• Begin by identifying what existing
activities you can do without, and why.
• Modify other existing activities to save
time and money.
Remember your
marketing goals
• It’s important that you remain focused on
the goals you identified in your marketing
plan.
• You’ll have to make difficult choices. Be
ready to defend them to your staffs, your
library board, and possibly your patrons.
• Remember, what once was a novel
program now may be trite.
Finalizing your plan
• Evaluate your new proposals and
determine those you can realistically
implement.
Conclusion
• There are no wrong answers.
• You must do what is right for your
community and consistent with your
marketing plan goals.
• I can help.
Conclusion
www.scls.info/pr/presentations/05_07/
Mark E. Ibach
(608) 246-5612 or [email protected]
Questions?