Summer ReadingMarketing tips, ideas, and more!

Share your ideas and tips at: summerreading.ning.com

Marketing – why do it?

• Create awareness – if no one knows about it, what’s the point?

• Great opportunity to reach out to community, build relationships, and stress the importance of public libraries– This will allow you to have a solid foundation and support

for future projects, causes, etc.• Chance to build awareness about the unique role the

library plays in the community – highlight what you offer that folks can’t get anywhere else

Three Easy Steps to Plan

• Decide who you’re trying to reach• Create the message– Include relevant details– Use language your audience will understand– Does it need to be translated into more than one

language?• Assess your resources and determine needs– What existing communication channels can you utilize?– Do you need to reach out to the community for

assistance? If so, who do you reach out to?

Get Organized

• Create a marketing plan & schedule, by identifying:– The best vehicle(s) for getting the message out (library

web site, schools, local radio or news stations, social media, community partner resources, etc.)

– The kind of promotional materials you will use (fliers, graphics for web use, emails, posters, etc.)

– When to get the message out and how often

Implement & Follow Up

• Implement marketing plan– Revisit and make adjustments as needed throughout the

process• Evaluate marketing plan– What worked? – What didn’t?– Did we reach our goals? – Write down suggestions for next year

Promoting @ your library

• Poster/Flier contest– Have teens create posters/fliers to promote your SRP

theme • Ask them to create their own interpretation of the theme

– Hang up fliers around library – Hold a voting poll to determine winner– Winner receives a free book of their choice (or whatever

the library sees fit)

Promoting @ your library

• Create a SRP table display– Have interested teens create a SRP display board – Place display in an area with high visibility and patron

traffic• Create little “take home” postcards or fliers with info

about your SRP

Promoting @ your library

• Website and Social Media– Create a banner promoting your SRP and place on library

website – Create monthly reminders and announcements about your

SRP events on your library website, twitter, and facebook• Create a schedule for these social media announcements to

retain consistency – Create an online forum (or suggestion box in library) asking

for event ideas teens would like in their SRP

Promoting in your community

• Proclamation– Contact your local elected official and ask him/her to make

an announcement supporting SRPs • Press Release– Create a press release and send out to local schools,

education centers, local government, etc– Post press release on library website– ALA has a great Media Relations Handbook that is helpful

for planning public relation activities

Promoting in your community

• Public Service Announcement– Contact your local radio or news stations asking them to

help promote SRPs• Social Media– Tweet local schools, government officials, etc and ask

them to help promote TRW through tweets and retweets

Promoting @ your local schools

• Email local schools & ask them to promote SRPs– They can announce it on their intercom during their

morning announcements• Send local schools digital files of fliers they can print

out and put up around the school • Ask schools to promote SRPs @ libraries using their

outdoor announcement display

Promoting @ your local schools

• Ask local teachers to offer incentives for attending SRPs.– Write book reports for extra credit

• For example, one point for every 5, max of 3 points? – Teens could keep a blog logging the events they attend for

extra credit• Post pictures, blog posts, etc

SRP Resources

• YALSA Teen Summer Reading Programs Website• YALSA Summer Reading Manual• YALSA Free Webinar –

Don’t Get Lost in Translation: Connect with Your Teens Through Summer Reading

• YALSA Summer Reading Wiki• Collaborative Summer Library Program

Marketing & PR Resources

• American Library Association Marketing Resources Wiki

• American Library Association PR Resources Wiki• Public Relations Tools