Marketing and Advocacy for Marine Information Managers with User Needs Assessment Presented by Linda Pikula NOAA Central Library Miami Region IOC, ODINECET Marine Information Management Workshop Capacity Building for European Communities in Economic Transition November 19-23, 2007 Oostende, Belgium

Course Objectives Upon the completion of this course students will have developed: Upon the completion of this course students will have developed: Skills and concepts that will allow them to assess and evaluate their marketing and advocacy program Skills and concepts that will allow them to assess and evaluate their marketing and advocacy program Appreciation for the value of conducting library marketing campaign Appreciation for the value of conducting library marketing campaign Familiarity with and appreciation of key current concepts and terms in library marketing and advocacy Familiarity with and appreciation of key current concepts and terms in library marketing and advocacy Skills and knowledge to conduct a simple user needs assessment Skills and knowledge to conduct a simple user needs assessment Skills and concepts that will allow them to prepare a marketing plan and also to apply advocacy knowledge to their Repository project Skills and concepts that will allow them to prepare a marketing plan and also to apply advocacy knowledge to their Repository project

What is Marketing?

Definition of Marketing : 1. Identifying unmet user needs User needs assessment User needs assessment Relationship marketing Relationship marketing 2 Producing products and services to meet those needs 3 Promoting and distributing these products * Susan DiMattia, Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science, 2005

How many of you thought it was just this? Promoting and distributing these products Unfortunately “In practice, the most commonly used element of marketing is still promotion..This view suggests a lack of understanding of the marketing process, of which promotion is ONLY one element” * Kelso,Helena. Australian Special Libraries

What is Advocacy? It is not just public relations It is not just public relations Advocacy is the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something Advocacy is the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something Advocacy asks the audience to take action Advocacy asks the audience to take action Components of Advocacy Components of Advocacy Networks Networks Intelligence Intelligence Creativity Creativity

ALA Advocacy Training OceanDocs Advocacy Training Pauline Simpson OceanDocs Advocacy Strategy, February 2005 and April 2007 We will cover this on Friday

Back to Marketing Plan: 1. Identifying unmet user needs User needs assessment- User needs assessment- Relationship marketing Relationship marketing

What is Relationship Marketing? It is a mutual interest between company (library) and customer. It is the demonstration of a deep and abiding regard for the customer, which can be displayed in the product and services sold. “Relationship marketing is the consistent application of up-to- date knowledge of individual customers to product and service design which is communicated interactively, in order to develop a continuous and long term relationship, which is mutually beneficial? ” “RM is the ongoing process of identifying and creating new value with individual customers and then sharing the benefits from this over a lifetime of association” Do you think this fits well with a library application?

What are your users needs? Go to OceanTeacher and take the User Needs Assessment there Another marine science example of usage and user analysis studies for the Wells Reserve Research Library (part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System)

Now that you recognize your user needs it is time to establish a Marketing Plan Why establish a marketing Plan? Class? Class? To increase general awareness of the library To increase general awareness of the library To build partnership with your users To build partnership with your users To increase patron usage of your library To increase patron usage of your library To institute a plan for ongoing evaluation of your services and products To institute a plan for ongoing evaluation of your services and products

The Marketing Plan Outlines outreach, media and market strategies for your specific target audiences- eg. Students, scientists, administrators, faculty Outlines outreach, media and market strategies for your specific target audiences- eg. Students, scientists, administrators, faculty Establishes your Goals and makes them have measurable objectives- give examples of measurable goals….. Establishes your Goals and makes them have measurable objectives- give examples of measurable goals…..

Components of your Marketing Plan 1. Best practices at similar institutions 2. go on web to find benchmark studies of other science libraries 3. Gather local data on user preferences and needs- you have done this in your needs assessment 4. Examine successful strategies at other institutions 5. Perform SWOT analysis – remember this from your Business plan? Strengths Strengths Weaknesses Weaknesses Opportunities Opportunities Threats – Barriers to performance Threats – Barriers to performance 6. Prepare estimated Budget for your activities 7. Establish ongoing measurement of your plan- be willing to adjust and change

Key elements to launch effective marketing and outreach: User survey User survey Segment users to target different groups with services relevant to them Segment users to target different groups with services relevant to them Build advocacy “buy in”from administrators for the library’s marketing efforts Build advocacy “buy in”from administrators for the library’s marketing efforts Tell the library story –show the staff how to communicate the library story-resources, services, value Tell the library story –show the staff how to communicate the library story-resources, services, value

Focus less on “Here is our collection” and more on “Here is what we can do for you” Find creative ways to involve your users “It is not enough just to be good at what you do anymore. You also have to be adept at communicating this and what that means for your customers” Melina Kenneway “Marketing the library: using technology to increase visibility, impact and reader engagement” 30 th UKSG conference, 2007

Bibliography: FLICC Marketing and Advocacy Bibliography FLICC Marketing and Advocacy Bibliography September, 2007 September, 2007 Dimattia, Susan S. Advocacy Skills: Communicating the value of librarians, July 27, 2005, SIRSI Dynix institute Dimattia, Susan S. Advocacy Skills: Communicating the value of librarians, July 27, 2005, SIRSI Dynix institute Kelso, Helen”, The marketing of special libraries to their parent organizations; A study of selected Melbourne institutions, Australian Special Libraries 28(3) September 1995 Kelso, Helen”, The marketing of special libraries to their parent organizations; A study of selected Melbourne institutions, Australian Special Libraries 28(3) September 1995 Besant, Larry X. Libraries need relationship marketing. LookSmart, March 2000 Besant, Larry X. Libraries need relationship marketing. LookSmart, March ACRL Developing a long-range and outreach plan for your academic library: the need for a marketing outreach plan by Elizabeth Kennedy Hallmark et al. C & RL News, February 2007 ACRL Developing a long-range and outreach plan for your academic library: the need for a marketing outreach plan by Elizabeth Kennedy Hallmark et al. C & RL News, February Knowthis.com Virtual Library: Free Marketing Tutorials Knowthis.com Virtual Library: Free Marketing Tutorials The One-person Library “Marketing to new employees The One-person Library “Marketing to new employees Melina Kenneway “Marketing the library: using technology to increase visibility, impact and reader engagement” 30 th UKSG Conference, 2007 Melina Kenneway “Marketing the library: using technology to increase visibility, impact and reader engagement” 30 th UKSG Conference, 2007

Bibliography (continued) Angier, Bevan et al Wells Reserve Research Library: a use and user analysis Angier, Bevan et al Wells Reserve Research Library: a use and user analysis Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship/ Summer 2006 Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship/ Summer

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