Advertising and Direct Marketing

Is it worth it?

When to use what!

When do you use direct marketing, advertising, or specialty advertising? Before you decide, know the differences, consider costs and staff time involved, and determine what works best for specific target groups. Market research may indicate the type of promotion or advertising that influences decision-making for your users, or you may know from past experience which strategies will get results.

Direct Marketing

With direct marketing, promotion is directed at a specific target group, and the strategies may include personal contact, mailings, catalogs of services/resources, or telemarketing. Examples would be mailing a library calendar or newsletter to newcomers in the community or to everyone in a particular region, or sending a brochure describing business resources to all members of the local chamber of commerce. Commercial resources for mailing lists abound, but libraries have patron records, plus the easy availability of online resources such as phonebooks. There are also resources on the Web that list people by zip code or within a certain distance of a central point (see sidebar links).

As a direct marketing example, Massillon Public Library designs special flyers for kids in their Tots, Tales and Treats outreach program. Their bookmobile schedules are included in local area bank statements. They successfully advertised the Buy a Brick campaign, and received numerous queries and sales from the ads. Public service announcements were utilized rather than paid advertising.

Advertising, Specialty Advertising

Direct marketing may involve staff time, preparation of a flyer, and postage -- relatively low-budget. Advertising, on the other hand, costs real money! Advertising prices of print, radio, or television vary, but will reach different user groups. Library budgets, and sometimes library policies, may limit advertising to free public service announcements.

Specialty advertising is more common -- putting advertising messages on calendars, coffee cups, pens, hats, note paper, t-shirts, etc. These items are available through library supply catalogs for generic library or seasonal promotions. However, it may be worthwhile to use local resources to create items that will commemorate a local event, conference, festival, reading program, etc. Selling a calendar of library events for a modest fee is one example. Putting library hours and phone numbers on a refrigerator magnet is another worthwhile example.

Consider the costs.

It's important to get the library's message out to users about specific programs or events, or perhaps increase awareness of the library's purpose, but consider the cost. What will be your "return on investment"? If most of your response comes from those who already use the library, it may be cheaper and easier just to provide reminders in the form of displays, newsletters, bookmarks, or a news item on your web site.

When deciding on direct marketing, advertising, and specialty advertising, consider the time and costs involved, and the appeal to the target market.

Sketch a design for a flyer or write a letter to be mailed as promotion for the product/service you selected in your library marketing plan from Module 2 .

• Describe how you could get mailing information for the targeted group.
• See suggestions and examples in the links in the sidebar.

Publications, displays, and signage