Why is it important to market your library?
Call a building a library and stock it with plenty of interesting books, and people will magically flock to it. Or will they?
Unfortunately, such a scenario might belong in the realm of fiction. People are busy watching the latest Netflix show, shopping at the mall, or just spending hours scrolling Instagram. Unless they were looking for a specific book, they might not even think of stepping foot into the library.
As a result, your library will need to engage in regular marketing campaigns to persuade people to put their screens aside, wander among your shelves, and get lost in a good book. And if funds are limited, you’ll be glad to know that marketing your library need not cost a ton!
In this guide, we’ll explore five cost-effective library marketing methods that will nurture a legion of library patrons:
1. Design an attractive logo with library logo templates
Don’t underestimate the humble logo. It may appear as a small image, but its colors and imagery tell a story of your library.
Just take this logo for the Hamilton East Public Library:
Here’s what the logo means, as explained by the web design agency that designed it:
- The colors green, blue, and orange represent fresh energy, trust and intelligence, and creativity respectively.
- The three kite shapes in the logo represent the library’s two physical branches and its online presence.
- The three kites also combine to create the shape of a roof, which represents the library’s tagline of “Ideas Live Here.”
So much meaning in a simple-looking logo!
Professional design services don’t come cheap, but you can DIY your own library logo with our collection of library logo templates. Choose your favorite, then customize it to reflect your library’s values.
And after designing your logo, don’t forget to display it! Show it off outside your library, on your library cards, or use it as your social media profile pic—anywhere and everywhere that you can think of.
2. Post book recommendations on social media
If there’s one thing that bookworms will always ask for, it’s book recommendations. After all, there’s no better way to celebrate the end of a good book than picking up another one.
As you run a library, you’ll naturally be seen as a book expert who will always have an awesome book rec up your sleeve. So why not share these on social media? Your audience will love to hear them!
For inspiration, take a look at this book recommendation Instagram post by Public Libraries Singapore:
The library has compiled a list of recommended classic and newly released fiction reads for its followers to check out. From children’s tales such as Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, to more grown-up stories like Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club, there is something for every avid reader.
And in a sign that the library’s followers find its post engaging, at least one of them has also responded with their own book recommendation (namely, The Witcher series!)
3. Create eye-catching flyers from flyer templates
Are you holding an event at your library, or commemorating a special book-related occasion? Then publicize these online with social media flyers. Use stunning visuals that will catch your followers’ attention, and mention key dates and details so they can bookmark the event in their calendar.
We especially love this Instagram flyer created by the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Hunt Library:
The flyer was created in honor of National Library Week in 2020, inviting followers to recreate the library experience from home despite the COVID-19 pandemic keeping libraries closed.
Want to make a similar flyer for your library? Our over 247,000 flyer templates and free flyer maker will help you get started! Whether you’re creating a flyer to announce the opening of a new library branch, the availability of some hotly awaited books, or even the holding of a play in your library, chances are you’ll find the perfect flyer template for your needs.
4. Upload short and witty videos
Libraries are often seen as places for quiet reading time, but this doesn’t mean they have to cultivate a stuffy and boring vibe. Show off the lighter side of your library—and your librarians—through shooting short and entertaining smartphone videos, and posting these videos online.
The librarians behind the TikTok account for the Ohio County Public Library are simply wizards at this. Do a quick scroll of the library’s TikTok feed, and you’ll find plenty of videos aimed at getting followers interested in reading.
For example, this video wittily depicts how you might behave when your friend is reading a book you had recommended to them ages ago:
And this video shows a typical book lover’s reaction to someone else dog-earing the page of a book (the horror!):
As of writing, the Ohio County Public Library has amassed over 94,000 likes for its videos, so its fans are clearly loving them!
5. Use a postcard maker to create and send library postcards
We know, we know. Postcards? Do people still send these outside of a vacation context? The answer is YES!
With most people communicating via email over snail mail nowadays, sending them a physical letter or postcard is a sure-fire way of getting their attention. And the Lake County Public Library did a successful postcard campaign a few years ago:
The library decided to raise awareness of its digital library services by sending postcards to library users. After mailing out its beautifully designed postcards, the library estimated a 1.8% conversion rate, which wasn’t too far off from the usual direct mail response rate of 2%. Success!
You can embark on a similar postcard campaign, too. With PosterMyWall’s free online postcard maker, creating pretty postcards is as straightforward as customizing your preferred postcard template in our drag-and-drop editor. You’ll have your postcards ready to be mailed out before you know it.
Bring your library marketing campaigns to life with PosterMyWall!
With social media (and the Internet in general) offering a ton of distractions, libraries have to work harder to get people into their premises and pick up a book. Use the methods above to ramp up interest in your library, and the titles you’ve carefully curated for its shelves, so that you continue to spread the magic of reading for years to come.
You’re going to need visuals and graphics for your marketing campaigns. Don’t worry, PosterMyWall has got you covered. We offer a huge selection of templates for practically any design need, which you can easily customize by inserting your own images and text. No graphic design experience is needed, so select a design template and start marketing your library today!
Qasim is a senior editor at PosterMyWall. Qasim is a reader and writer during and after work, and likes to explore a wide range of topics and niches. Outside of work, he likes to meditate, listen to good music and journal.
