It's easy to let the idea of doing more collection promotion sound like…a lot. And sometimes, when something sounds like a lot, it's hard to remember that small changes can make a big difference. All you need is to do one small change, let it become a habit, then another, then another. When you look back over the course of a year — suddenly you've upped your communications game in a substantial and measurable way.
Curious to hear more? Here are some small ways to take something your library is already doing and make it just slightly different so that you are doing more.
Do more with NextReads
Does your library send NextReads newsletters? These newsletters are fantastic on their own — we've certainly seen their usage increase during the past year, both from libraries sending more and from readers opening and clicking more (we all need reading suggestions!). If you've got a spare hour on a slow reference desk shift, check out how to turn NextReads newsletters into a browsable carousel of books on your website. It will automatically update, making your site (or homepage) a place patrons can go to browse a curated list of recommended reads that refreshes regularly. It's hard to top that!
Do more with RSS feeds
This suggestion is especially for Stacks customers. Your RSS feeds are a great source of connection for email newsletters. With a recent product release, you can now use the RSS feeds from your news updates, events, blog posts, etc., to create content in your LibraryAware newsletters. Learn more about how this tip can save you time and let you do a little more with your communications in our product release.
Do more with custom newsletters
One of the hidden treasures of LibraryAware is the newsletter opt-in page. That opt-in page allows your patrons to choose what kinds of promotions they want to learn about rather than being limited to what their borrowing habits suggest. Don't let the thought of everything your library offers overwhelm you here; start small. If you have a regular programming newsletter, consider making one for the children's room, highlighting storytimes, promoting summer reading, providing back-to-school resources, etc. Extend the life of your storytimes with links to the books read during them, information about the songs sung, etc. Maybe include a link to instructions for the take-and-make craft you've got available. Of course, the parents in your community will want to get the newsletter, but maybe also some of the grandparents looking for ideas for when they can (finally!) see their grandkids. You might also find that teachers are interested in it for the book recommendations and craft ideas.
Do more with social posts
It can be hard to think of fresh, engaging, regular content for your social media. Let our LibraryAware designers give you a boost. An easy way to get started is to search LibraryAware for "reading questions." You'll see a bunch of templates with questions like, "Book you hated? Go!" to prompt your followers to chat amongst themselves about books.
Our LibraryAware designers can also help you to promote books. They've created ready-to-go social media posts promoting some of the NoveList librarian's favorite recommended reads lists, like For Fans of Bridgerton, as well as holidays like Earth Day and heritage months. Search book and limit to widget to see all of them, or add the ratio you need (like 1:1 for Instagram) to the search to narrow it down. As always, these are customizable to your library needs.
Remember that you only need to start with one new idea and build from there. As you do, NoveList and LibraryAware have your back.
Jennifer Lohmann is the Director of Sales and Marketing. She's currently listening to The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Kune.
