4 Library Marketing Strategies Every Special Librarian Can Use

“At its most basic, library marketing is about helping people in your service population understand that the library has helpful things for them and driving them to use all of that goodness.” – Kathy Dempsey

Like many librarians, I have no formal education in marketing. Over the last 15 years or so, I have frequently wished I had taken at least one marketing class during my formal schooling. This may be something I end up doing in future, because I think it would be very valuable. Marketing has become a core component of librarianship, and knowing more about it would often make my job easier. I suspect many of you feel the same.

Instead, I’ve had to learn on the job and through self-education. While librarians excel at finding resources and self-teaching, I still wish I had the opportunity to take a structured marketing class with curated content. However, since that has not been the case for me, and perhaps for many of you, too, I want to share a few marketing strategies I’ve learned over the years that I’ve found particularly helpful.

1. Understand Your Audience

This principle operates on two levels. When you truly know your audience, you understand their needs and desires, allowing you to customize resources and services accordingly. Additionally, knowing your audience enables you to communicate in ways that truly connect with them.

2. Communicate Strategically

Rather than overwhelming inboxes or spreading efforts across numerous social media platforms, concentrate on where your audience actually engages and determine the most effective format for different types of information.

For instance, if your audience primarily uses email for work communication, library updates via email make perfect sense. However, if they rely heavily on Slack, a dedicated channel for quick updates would be more effective.

3. Make Data-Driven Decisions

Monitor user analytics, including email open rates, webpage traffic, website bounce rates, and reference desk inquiries. Use this data to refine your marketing approach. Consider whether you need to adjust your communication methods, restructure website content, or modify service offerings based on what the numbers reveal.

4. Leverage Personal Testimonials

Digital marketing frequently features influencers and individuals sharing personal narratives as part of promotional campaigns. Though I am not suggesting libraries should incorporate influencers into their marketing strategies, I recognize the power of authentic personal accounts in motivating action.

When community members share how the library has made a meaningful difference in their work or lives, it encourages others to engage with library services and resources.

Why Library Marketing Matters in Special Libraries

Though this list of marketing strategies is far from comprehensive, I hope these recommendations prove useful in your daily work. I encourage you to continue exploring new approaches for promoting your library’s resources and services. Libraries risk losing users without intentional marketing efforts.

By better understanding your audience, communicating strategically, collecting and reviewing data, and sharing user stories, you can make your library more visible and indispensable.

Further Reading and Resources

• Marketing Ideas for Special Libraries: A post I wrote in 2022.
• Marketing Your Library: The Benefits for Special Libraries: Another post from Lucidea.
• Marketing Libraries Journal: “Marketing Libraries Journal (MLJ) is a peer-reviewed, independently published, open access scholarly journal that focuses on innovative marketing activities libraries are engaged in.”
• Marketing Strategies from the American Library Association: Includes guidelines, templates, and links to other resources.
• Marketing Library Services by Kathy Dempsey: An article published in Information Today that includes great insights (things I would want to learn in a formal class!).