Marketing Overview

Introduction to Marketing the Library Module 1

What's in this module?

The Overview module is an introduction to the process of marketing and to the materials covered in the Planning, Product, Promotion, Internet, and Ohio modules.

Explore the marketing process

Are you a whiz at library marketing, but want a refresher, with links to helpful sites and some ideas from other libraries? Are you a pro at promotions, but a novice at assessing what different groups want from your library and targeting your services? "Marketing the Library" explores the marketing process.

Why market?

You're not the only information source in town anymore. You may not even be the only library in town because the Web offers access to many libraries! The availability of resources on the Web can change the way many users access information.

Public libraries often have better-than-Web resources and personalized assistance, but does your community know? Are you reaching everyone who could use your services and offering the right services? What's the best way to find out? What resources and services do users in your community actually want and have you asked lately? Marketing helps answer the questions!

Why libraries?

Some people need to know you're there. Others haven't visited for a while and need to know you're STILL there. A few others just want to know everything!

Libraries can benefit by letting the community know just what part of everything the library provides. Ultimately you want to match library strengths with users' needs. Marketing positions your library in the minds of the community as a "go-to" source for information and helps users understand what you have to offer them. Marketing builds good customer relations, and contributes to a positive relationship with media, businesses, local government agencies, and organizations.

A current catchphrase is "Go where the users are." This applies to delivery of library services and to marketing the library. New resources are available and new ways exist to market library services, communicate the value of the library, respond to increasing demands for mobile services, and meet the growing need to integrate delivery of services for users involved in online communities.

Often marketing is about changing perceptions -- ours and theirs! Everyone benefits when we find out what users really want, and when we let our community know everything that a library can do, in the library or on the Web.

What is marketing?