WLA 2008: Marketing as a Team Sport

One of the conference featured speakers, Peggy Barber, presented the session "Marketing as a Team Sport". This well attended session provided a great deal of information that every library could and should use.

Peggy was very kind to provide WLA with a PDF of her handout, so if you were unable to attend the session you can find a good deal of the information she presented to us online at: http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2008/postconf/documents/BARBER_Marketing_TeamSport_11.6.08.pdf
I will just provide a few of the added tips that she gave to those in attendance.

One of the key items that was talked about in the session was the communication plan. This plan should be a couple of page long and should plan for no more than a year out. The plan should consist of the following:

• Introduction
• how does the communication plan relate to the strategic plan?
• Goals
• the dream, this can just be one big goal
• Objectives
• should measurable/doable. Again start with a one year plan so that you can achieve your goal.
• Positioning statement
  
• this is your unique selling proposition, for example "our library combine big city service with small town friendliness. This is the point where you can begin to develop your brand.
• Key message
• what is the most important thing you want people to know about your library?
• Target audiences
• who needs to hear the message?
• make sure that entire staff can talk about the message
• Communication strategies
• How will you deliver the message to your audiences?
• Evaluation
• don't wait for the year to end, evaluate as you go.
• the entire staff should participate in this step as well

Peggy ended with pointing out that marketing has to start in every library.