Trenton Smiley contributed the AdTech Tools With Trent column in 2022 and 2023. At that time, he was director of marketing and communications at Capital Area District Libraries in Michigan. Today, Trent is the director of customer messaging at Midwest Tape, which runs the hoopla digital media service.
Looking back at the major changes or advancements I’ve seen in library marketing since MLS launched in the late 1980s, I feel the first one is the realization by many libraries that marketing is much more than creating a bookmark or flier. It’s essential to achieving their mission of serving their communities—especially the underserved populations. Plus, the increase in library marketing professionals in the industry throughout the years illustrates that libraries feel the marketing function is worthy of resource investment.
The second major change is the evolution of digital marketing. Back in the day, the primary promotional vehicles were printed material—mainly distributed within the library—and calendar listings in the local newspaper. Now, the library website is an important portal to the endless service offerings both online and in branches. Digital marketing tactics include email, video, audio, social media, pay-per-click, SEO, and content marketing, which all help to expand libraries’ promotional reach and deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.
There’s still a lot to achieve, though. Over the next 5–10 years, libraries need to be more deliberate in how they promote themselves to their target audiences. There will continue to be more choices available in the marketplace, and, unfortunately, library funding will continue to be an issue, so more care must be taken in understanding who the target audience is, what they want, and how the library can help. |
