It’s a truth universally acknowledged that if you post a digital resource or database on your library’s website, no one will ever find it.
We’re joking (sort of).
Depending on the library website, digital resources may be easy to find, or patrons may only find them by happy accident. Libraries also need to manage their budgets, meaning they want a return on investment based on patron usage.
We can help! Read on for tips to promote your digital resources, including a new video for you to encourage your patrons to use NoveList Plus.
Thoughtfully consider website placement
A website is a visual representation of a library’s priorities. Through trial and error, libraries figure out what their community is interested in based on traffic and engagement. Certain offerings always rank high in importance, like the catalog and program calendar. So, how can you make sure your digital resources get noticed?
Make navigation categories clear. If a cardholder doesn’t know where a resource is, will they know they’re missing out? We encourage libraries to make their digital resources more visible on their websites through thoughtful categories (which in turn will help increase usage of your resources and increase that return on investment). The old rule that “content shouldn’t require more than three clicks to locate” is outdated, but consider the use of big drop-down menus, with clear categories of resources and services, and avoiding the long A-Z lists with no explanations.
Spell it out. If a library must have a long A-Z list (and we recognize that these save space), we'd encourage a little explanation. If the patron knows what the resource is, then they have a reason to click the link. For example, when you include “NoveList Plus” in a bullet list of resources, add a short blurb explaining that they can use it to find their next great read.
Put NoveList Plus on your homepage. With the NoveList Plus Search Box, you can add Plus to the busiest page on your website. You can learn more about adding a search box here.
Actively promote your resources
Here are three more ways to make sure your community of readers can find what they need when they need it!
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Send emails. Promote your digital resources to your patrons in your newsletters, especially if the resource is relevant to the recipients of your email list. For example, if you’ve got a new digital resource on ancestry, tell your Genealogy Club all about it!
You’ve got a wide audience of readers on your subscriber lists. Be sure to include NoveList Plus in your emails. To make this easy, we invite you to use the new video below as part of your promotions. If you need some technical help, head to the NoveList Plus Promotion Kit for instructions. Also, we give you permission to use the image at the top of this blog to help you promote the video. Download it here!
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Share it on your socials. Anything you feature in an email can be re-purposed for a post on your social networks. Social media is a great way to reach new readers, too. That's an audience that needs to hear about how you can help them.
You can use the new NoveList Plus video in your social posts. It’s social-friendly at a little over a minute long. The NoveList Plus Promotion Kit has instructions along with talking points to make an engaging post.
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Make a flyer or bookmark. A print piece is smart because your library users can take it home! It will remind them to use your resources even when they’re not in the library building. Make them eye-catching and easy to read. If the resource is mobile-friendly, use a QR code to send people right to it (let them know on the flyer or books if they’ll need their library card to access the resource, too). LibraryAware customers can type "NoveList Plus" or "digital resources" into the search bar to get ready-made bookmarks and flyers. Get crazy and advertise your digital resources on your monthly program calendar, too!
If you make a flyer for NoveList Plus, create a QR code linking to the new video. It’s a great introductory tool and is fun to watch, too.
Leigh Gaddy is the Lead/Demand Generation Marketing Specialist at NoveList. She is currently reading The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
