Creating Your Marketing Plan
Successful promotions begin with planning. Schedule the time you need to evaluate, organize and execute promotions. Define the objectives of the promotion and allocate the proper resources to ensure its success. Consider planning for a year, is a monthly event realistic? Is a quarterly promotion possible? Are there daily or weekly occurrences that the library can piggyback on, like a newsletter or blog? You know your culture and your resources best, so tap into those!
Reflect on the past and ask questions such as “What worked really well over the past year?” and “What did not work well?” It is also important to outline the obstacles that you faced during the past year and what you anticipate your obstacles to be moving forward.
Brainstorm with others involved in the implementation. Once key goals are identified, be sure to have measurements in place as well as timelines for critical projects. Also, be sure to allow for flexibility within your plan in order to incorporate marketing opportunities that may arise throughout the year as well as any changes in organization plans.
In today’s business structure an important part of marketing is the creation of a brand. The brand can define the look and feel of the library and it gives instant identity to library work product. If implemented fully, the brand becomes a living signature for the library and can be included on promotional items, e-mails, newsletters, reports and anything else which leaves the library. Remember, the more the organization sees what you do, the more your value is quantified.
For more detailed explanations and step-by-step guides, consult these sources:
