Other sessions from LMCC 2017

Space Study: 

Akron University Library survey's the in building users simple coded paper survey, delivered by library student employees who they pretrained to deliver the survey. Surveys were returned to a drop box near the exit doors.

Results    





Used the survey to change things, refreshed study rooms, added comfy bean bag chairs, udpated charging stations, scientific calculators for checkout, mobile whiteboards. Also updated signage on quiet floor.

Human Centered Design for Building Signage





Library Lingo is not User Friendly Single service point titled "Central Services Desk" changed to
"Main Desk"

"Design is the silent ambassador of your brand" - Paul Rand Comprehensive design applied to signage at the Fondren Library: The building in color identified sectors


Elevator wrap with wayfinding floor map

Color scheme applies to study rooms in specific buildings

Front door vinyl

On color wall

Used Hexagon to match floor and desks More wayfinding

More signage used across buildings

Handouts to match signage

Walk through the building to find out how your signage works. Another wayfinding

A comprehensive directory near the entrance

Always do a print test of font size and color
Less words = more likely to be read/used

Resources 
Useful, Usable, Desirable by Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches
Service Innovation Handbook by Lucy Kimball
UX for the Masses website
Usability.gov 
Guerilla UX Research Methods by Russ Unger and Todd Zaki Warfel
Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug

Marketing Keynote by Gina Millsap - LMCC 2017

Gina Millsap is the chief executive officer of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. 

Began with great funny library promo video from the Topeka and Shawnee CPL:  https://youtu.be/IfNfnL64rOQ

 More of marketing materials based on this video are found https://tscpl.org/books-movies-music/checkitout

Notes:

Your Brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. -- Bezos

This library hired an outside firm and nine months later fired them.

They broke many of the rules of creating a plan.

Created core values including:

• Excellence 
• Accountability 
• Literacy 
• Freedom 
• Teamwork 
• Curiosity 

Brand is what people feel about the library not what the library has

 

Their new brand is Stay Curious

 Additionally they created Project forms/tickets Web based event registration

Notes from the Marketing Plan Track - LMCC2017

My favorite slide from the conference:



Indeed


Random thoughts:
Try content marketing (the stories of your library, services)

Define both your users and non users

Use surveys to learn about them

"We have something for everyone" is too broad Ask what they want, it allows you to tell them you already have it.

Define the competition

 Create partnerships

Choose actions with measurable goals

Promote products/services then assess, get feedback

Policies/procedures for events

Treat the media as a separate target market

How do you want communications

Multiple choice answer surveys

Focus groups with prizes or gift cards

 Talk benefits not products

 Don't overlook internal marketing/communications

   




Be sure the Triangle is aligned in values:
Customers (patrons)  Providers (employees) Organization (management)

 

Keynote: Libraries, Crises, and Social Media - LMCC2017

Keynote Speech by Shel Holtz of www.holtz.com

Shel Holtz is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology, a consultancy that helps organizations integrate the Internet into their strategic communication efforts.

Nobody expects their library to end up at the center of a firestorm, but it happens. How you handle it can affect everything from the public’s perception of your library to the budget allocated to it. In today’s social-media-connected and mobile-dominant media environment—where local engagement rules—the rules of crisis communication are changing.

My takeaways:

Preparation for a crisis, aka how to avoid them
1. Discuss possible issues and risks
2. Engage in communication before it becomes a crisis
3. There is no such thing as a pr crisis, it is an operational crisis
4. Characteristics of a crisis
   a. Lack of policy
   b. Lack of training

Respond when you find yourself in crisis
1. Respond quickly, accurately, and professionally
2. Be honest
3. Acknowledge mistakes and errors
4. Perceptions should be treated as facts
5. Stay out of public confrontations

Pay attention and respond with your values.

Be Human, Be Visible

Change the focus of the conversation

Crisis Example

Example of an entertaining and engaging crisis http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-29656674

Donor signage ideas from the Dallas Zoo

I like how they honor everyone who donates to the zoo!  And it is a fabulous zoo.

 A giraffe:






Another sign

 





The Hippo exhibit walkway







On the way to the Family section http://www.dallaszoo.com/exhibits-experiences/lacerte-family-childrens-zoo/





And another section





All very cool ideas.  - Jenny

Print Marketing

Notes from a workshop

Creating Print Content

Define your audience
i.e. college bound students

Define their information gathering needs
* majors, social life, financial aid...

Match print materials in look/style to the website

Print should supplement what is online

Print is expensive.  What is the most valuable thing for the student to know in their decision making process

Let students know what the next 4-5 years look like

Tone & Voice should be conversational.  Avoid institutional speak/jargon

Build belief in the brand/message

Be real

Clear, concise 'what do you want them to do next'
'what should they do next'

Share profiles not just the top but the interesting

Students & Parents are different audiences especially where images/photographs are concerned.

Students like
hand on
drone shots
study groups
residence halls 

Students do not like
fake lecture
stylized
too many shiny happy people
over representing diversity if it does not exist in the population

Donor signage ideas from the Perot Museum, Dallas

Donor wall



Donor wall 2



The bigger the gift...

Evaluation Season

It's that time of year when performance evaluations are written. I don't know about anyone else but I sometimes struggle with writing both my own self-evaluation and the evaluations for my staff. I'm always looking for better ways, different words/phrases, to create these documents.

 I think this is a useful article on how to write one for someone you supervise: Writing a Good Performance Review at Business News Daily

 Here's a useful article for writing your own: How to Write Your Own Performance Review from the American Management Association.

Or try this one:
Six steps to completing a great self-appraisal at TalentSpace.

And best of all, here's a list of useful phrases!  100 Useful Phrases for Performance Reviews at TinyPulse

 And remember, when in doubt Google it. Of course there are lots of books on these topics and I have found that when I'm really stuck I go upstairs and browse the Manager/Supervisor section HF for inspiration.

Session: Turning web traffic into foot traffic

Conversion

Visitor A  -----Customer B

Measure foot traffic

Click through rates from newsletter

Customer Journey map

Know the journey

What steps user needs to take

Where are they getting hung-up?

Work backwards

Web site what are they clicking on, then what, then at what point should they come to the library and what’s stopping them?

Foot traffic = why motivate them to come in

Place a hold – pick up a hold

Hours

Program

Visit                                                       Holds picked up

Holds                                                     Holds placed

Authenticate                                     Sign on click thru

Select                                                    place hold click thru

Search                                                  keyword results

Homepage                                          bounce rate

Direct                    Google                 refer google analytic

You can’t manage what you can’t measure

Advanced Class:

Dash,     Echo,     Fresh

                Hold – no funnel

Price does not equal Cost

Friction is costly

What would success look like?

2 strategies

1.       Reduce steps (shorten the funnel)

2.       Expand the top of funnel (reasons to visit library)

Reno NV (?)

Amazon -> shows library results???

Session: Auditing & Replacing Library Signage

Signs are living documents

Signage

Communicates

Promotes                            (promotional)

Provides direction            (directional)

Describes policies             (informational)

Bad signage

Too many

Poor placement

Inconsistent design (= confusing)

Punitive

Too much text

Clutter

Handwritten

Tape

Must have a controlled thesaurus for signage

Signs:

1.       In house (DIY)

2.       Permanent (institutional)

3.       Temporary (i.e. out of order)

4.       External (for the public)

Get buy-in from Dean to remove

                Outdated

                Punitive

                Text heavy

                Hand written

People are not going up to a sign to read the fine print

Literature says san serif for readability

Assessment = survey the employees for prefereed font, size, language

Buy in can be challenging

“24x36” no more than 5 words with real photos

Students feel offended by passive aggressive signage

Create design templates

Track location of signs

Be mindful of placement

Remove ½ the signs

Avoid glare (laminating)

No all caps

Co-brand & depart name

Bump points or touch points for signs

                Where decision points such as elevator or top of stairs

Used a red border onpolicy signs

Signs… the library is not a parking lot

Silent study (that’s all the sign says)

ADA: avoid glare, embrace contrast

Respect sign/campaign, not code of contact that looked like constitution

Signs on easels or holders not on walls, furniture

No fancy fonts

No posting on doors & walls

No visible tape

Signage Policy (LMAO) ACRL

1-2 people designated signage team. Get buy in if possible, at least from Dean

Data for buy-in/focus groups

Enforce policies or don’t have them.

Weekly signage stroll

Markaaronpolger.wix.com/hello

Session: Assessing Transformative Programming

Forget gate count

Facebook to geolocate people around the building

Loyola programs:

·         Haunted library – theater arts do it – storytelling

·         Story time for ELC equivalent

·         Therapy dogs

·         Art workshops

·         Speaker series (banned books)

·         Opening receptions for exhibitions

·         Faculty Pub Night

o   Call for proposals

o   9 faculty present

o   With pub food

o   7 years so far

Collaborate with many partners

Plan 5-8 months ahead

Think about assessment

Used to collect paper forms – still do

Word of mouth is best marketing

Reaching out to individual faculty members instead of flyers

1.       Be specific (will learn, change behavior)

2.       Measureable (no more than 2 indicators)

3.       Focus on what participants will do

Blooms taxonomy

Remembering

Understanding

Applying

Analyzing

Evaluating

Creativity

        How do we measure this?

Human library event

·         Learning outcome: participants will recognize and/or demonstrate importance of conversation as a means to addres issues of discrimination, prejudice and stigma

·         Survey to measure outcome

o   Did you learn anything about discrimination, prejudice or stima? If so or if not, what did you learn?

This survey question is a shows a demonstrable change to perception

Long Night Against Procrastination event

8 pm – am

Quiet, structured, comfy

8:00 registration

Study

Breaks

Chair yoga

Pizza

Coffe

Goody bags

Bubble wrap 5 minutes

·         Goal/Learning outcome – feel they made significant progress

·         Assessment

o   Rate elements of programs

o   What did you accomplish

o   What was the best part?

Programming Rubric

1.       Why did you decide to attend?

2.       What did you learn?

3.       Was there anything that surprised you?

4.       Demographic questions

5.       Thank you. To be entered into our drawing for $100 amazon year end card

6.       Join the mailing list

Make a big deal about end of year winner.

Feedback form on chairs at event

Session: Canva 101

Letterspacing (consistent fonts across all channels, cushion size)

Does physical signage too

How it’s done (color coded signage types)

Rules a different color i.e. 15 minute scanner limit

Infographics

Print vinyl stickers

White font on color photo

Transparent color block (blur filter in advanced)

Guided pathways model

Contrast (font & color)

Design school on Canva – tutorials

‘color picker’ browser extension

·         Unsplash.com

High res photos for all uses

·         Whatthefont

Identify font from photo

Session: A Marketing Approach

Digital is one channel not the only one

“Your brand is not your logo. It is all of the associations & projections your customers put on you either with your input or without it” – David Ogilvy

How do people experience you?

Worldes  organized space vs our spaces

Consumer oriented

                “bad library signage”

Clean & Clear

Professional

No one thinks a hoarder is a cutting edge thinker

Consistent signage

End cap displays = more sales

Plannagrams

Plan

Displays

a-c system wide

d branch

e community

f staff communication

standardize

help staff feel smart

help customers

Bags given to customers

Marketing is strategic (first

Vinyl signage

Get rid of little flyers

Handout one piece (calendar)

Black = chic

Wordmark = chic?

Geek chic

One click away campaign

Feature content no vendor

Hurting us from reputation perspective – need use style guide

Session: Positioning your Library Marketing for Success

Positioning your Library Marketing for Success

Cake not just icing

5 keys to library marketing success

1. Make marketing part of the strategy
  - not just 'can you make a flyer'
2. Set clear goals from the beginning
  - metrics and how will you define success of campaign
3. Support from the top is critical
  - seat at the table of leadership group, autonomy able to say no or yes to projects
4. Understand your audience
 - where does audience live, where do they get their information, opt in listserv
5. Understand the tools
 - start with a press release, define scope of the project in the press release

Examples of successful campaigns

A. Open House
Objectives: increase attendance, reduce library anxiety, show resources
$3000 happy video, happy tshirt give away

B. Blue Crew
Objective: increase reference statistics
To begin gather front line staff.
Customer service training, how we might portray them as a group to engage students, branded themselves as blue crew, library purchase shirts (a variety of styles and type) improved visibility and service point
Branded all services, chat, reference etc with blue crew
1 year campaign but they are still using the brand

Set metric from the beginning. Their goal was a 40% increase in statistics.  They achieved a 48% increase.

C. UndeadTech
Campaign for 2 weeks to find cables to get info off dead devices
Prepared staff to answer questions
Facebook ad

D. GRRM comes to Texas A&M
George R.R.Martin
Deeper than swords
Press release, invitation, dinner for 80 people at $400 each which raised money for campaign
Dinner included reception
Standard free lecture
Book signing
HBO actually helped and pre-screened an episode

E. Virtual Exhibit: Gebhardt Company Archive in Special Collections
Who is this for?
What are we hoping to get out of this campaign
How do we engage them

For foodies, donors

virtual exhibit, both in spanish and english, visually engaging, light on reading, bordering on edutainment, little metadata, guestbook, pinterest board.
http://webapp.lib.utsa.edu/Gebhardt/

What didn't work:
A. Embedded Peer Coaches
Office hours in library for peer tutoring
A case of 'make us a flyer'
needed to do more research prior to launching service

 -----

1. Advocate for seat at the table
2. Take the time to gather baseline data (set clear goals)
3. Make case with data & proven success
4. Do your audience research (10 people minimum)
5. Find tools audience use the most

Session: Libraries Learn from Ad Agencies

Libraries Learn from Ad Agencies
Spenser Thompson

Marketing - Sales - Fundraising ... connect the messages

"We are going to be campus/community focused and have spectacular marketing meetings"!

"Marketing makes money for a company by turning more strangers into champions"
i.e. Apple users or Trekkies

* Marketing helps get people to the next step of their journey
* Great marketing is community focused no services focused. Fall in love with the User

Create and use personas to better understand your audience.  Social Sarah or Techie Tom
What kind of car does your audience drive?  Office park dad, soccer mom, millennial max. 

Marketing is Drama Driven not just data driven

A brand is ONE idea, no 'me too'

Examples:  Life  or Success or Trust. Showed the Life marketing campaign image for a public library.

Always be closing

Ask in meeting
What is the problem and how can marketing solve it?
What is it trying to achieve?
Narrowed focus enough?
What is library route?
What does person in charge of audience think?
What community?
We're tired of campaign but are users?  (don't rotate to a new one too quickly)
Do not compose slogans

Push back at meetings

Who are the ten people who need to be aware.  Don't do awareness campaigns

Don't crowd the message

Who are we talking to?  Why do they care?

Hubspot

Business goal would be funding librarians
Value the librarians

Libhub
Yelp (quiet place to study)
Foogle

We are not a book warehouse

5 things monkeys do
Chat
See themselves
Contact us
Like & Follow
Subscribe (create listserv notices for activities/events/information

Follow users to see what they are interested in

To vendors.  How are you going to help librarians succeed with your product?

Be old fashioned. Get out and hustle

Create bonds early in the relationship (high school? or at least freshmen)

Service strategy
Focus on community
Harmonize marketing sales fundraising
Passionate leaders
Marketing - good business
Marketing is also ears
Love the audience

marketinglibraries.com

Session: Market Research: Make it Better

Market Research: Make it Better

Good surveys can be very helpful

1. Who is gong to be surveyed?
2. How will the survey be conducted. There are pros and cons for each methodology:
  a. telephone
  b. mail
  c. online
  d. in person
3. Recruit respondents, lawn signs, postcards

Some questions reworded for better results:

1. About how many times have you visited the library in the past 12 months?  If you aren't sure, give us your best guess.
____ times

2. How often do you use the following service, select all that apply

Include null options such as no answer, or no opinion

Keynote by John Hayden

Library Marketing and Communication Conference
Keynote by John Hayden
From interruption to invitation

What is the product we're offering?

Marketing job description:
Not just to get the word out but to distribute information, get other people to get the word out.

"Would *I* really share this?"

Listen first before marketing
Demographic information is just not that helpful.
Instead create personas.

Who are your people?
What do they care about?
What do they want to do?

Use verbs!
Learn, connect, share

Book: "Facebook marketing for dummies"

Be Useful
* to each audience
* connect people to resources
* connect people to each other
* solve problems
* point the way

Be a conversation starter
Not just update Facebook and walk away, but start conversations.
* conversation - connection
* ask questions
* ask for stories
* ask for opinions
* ask for help
* seek to understand
* use regular themes

Example of doing it right: Cornell birds
* what's your favorite bird? Identify bird? Submit photos.

* use multiple choice questions

Example: waht's your favorite flavor of ice cream, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry

* use true false
* use caption contests

Be a storyteller
* what's the hook
* what's the payoff
* patron is the hero

Example: picture of cute dog with leaf on head (hook) emotional reaction. Patron wants to be part of the story. Ask, connect, grow, shinel. Story of person impacted by library

DO NOT post pictures of:
1. people standing next to each other
2. pictures with no descriptions
3. irrelevant

DO post pictures
1. people in action
2. show relationship
3. show results
4. show problems

Be a Conductor
* all channels playing together (marketing, sales , fundraising)
* editorial calendar is the sheet music (themes, what's the message, how all channels participate in message)
* patrons hate noise but love music

Be a Human Being First
* reply quickly & cheerfully
* listen & have empathy
* have a sense of humor

Welcoming Patrons
#1 Thank them sincerely (Say it better with a video on the thank you page)
#2 Reinforce impact they made (Remove the organization from the thank you)
#3 Ask what they thinK (Follow up with patron surveys, For instance what subjects? Gives some sense of control)

Onboarding
Welcome
Remind
Invite

Bring library to patrons

Live Facebook video
1. don't freak out
2. pick a topic people want to discuss
3. make an outline for your broadcast
4. respond to comments thoughout
5. recycle recording, slice it up and repurpose
 use transcribe.me.com to add to blog