Julia Gammon Head Acquisitions Dept Marketing Manager University

Julia Gammon Head, Acquisitions Dept. Marketing Manager University of Akron Press

Bull’s-eye: Hitting Technical Services’ Target Audience

How to Write a Marketing Plan Thinking Beyond the Book

What is Marketing? • “the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service” • Webster’s

What is Marketing? • The application of common sense to the business of proving a product or service for your customers • “For” customers vs. “To” customers • Marketing anticipates and meets customer demand

Writing a Marketing Plan for a Book • • • Print Run Budget Potential Audience Author’s Fame & Interest Topic Endorsements Interviews Press release Publicity • • Review Copies Ads Brochures Book Signings Events Conference Exhibits Prizes Organization sales

What is a Marketing Plan? • Road map for what you are going to do. • Details the actions necessary to achieve marketing objectives. • Can be product or service

What Marketing Is Not • Marketing is not selling because you have identified a need • Marketing is not advertising—it can be a method used in marketing • Marketing is not just for Marketing Departments—it is everyone’s job to help the organization adapt to the needs • Marketing is not about making money (unless you want it to)

Marketing Plan • • Prepare a Mission Statement. Conduct Market Analysis. Identify Goals & Objectives Spell out Marketing & Promotional Strategies. Identify & Understand the Competition. Establish Marketing Goals that are Quantifiable. Monitor your Results Carefully & Evaluate.

Do you have a mission statement? • Does it communicate the most important thing you want people to know? • Does it convey the unique benefits you offer? • Does it inspire enthusiasm? • Simple? Memorable? Would it pass the tee-shirt test? • Does the tone match your image?

Technical Services Mission Statement • • Information with a Smile! Information Before you Need it! We put the “Service” in Tech Services! We Aim to Please!

Linda K. Wallace “Libraries, Mission, & Marketing: Writing Mission Statements that Work”. ALA, 2004

Market Analysis: Who are your Potential Customers? • Market segmentation—what market are you trying to reach • Critical success factors (CSFs) • Identifying non-customers is important • Satisfying your customer’s needs is not enough: you must help them solve their problems.

Goals and Objectives: What are they? • • • What do you want to accomplish? Are there new services you want to add? Are there problems that need fixing? Do you want more staff or $$$? Do people know what you do?

Brainstorming Your Plan • What are aims and objectives? • Which are you currently meeting and how? • Assuming you are not meeting them, how do you propose to do so?

Marketing & Promotional Strategies • • • What will you do? How will you do it? Action Plan Memo? Meetings? Workshop? Ads? Newsletter? Website?

The Publicity Message: What to Say & How to Say It • Branding • Language—direct, no jargon, everyday vocabulary • KISS • Use Power Words • 15 second test • What do they do next? • Try before you fly!

Power Words • • • New Professional Reliable Proven Free Safe • • • Service Convenient Cost effective Special Flexible Valuable

What’s the Competition Doing? • Talk to other libraries • Check the literature • Search the web

Measurement & Evaluation: Should you do it? • • If you don’t someone else will! Build in measurements Is there an error in your plan? Mistakes = Corrective action = Improvements

Objections to Planning • • • “There’s not enough time” “There’s no money” “It might not work” “It might work” “It will only show up our weaknesses” “We’re so busy so we must be doing the right things”

Ohio. LINK’s Marketing Toolkit 6 Reasons to Write a Plan • Sets priorities • Saves time • Prevents missed opportunities • Promotes consistency • Illustrates the big picture • Makes evaluation easier

Ohio. LINK Marketing Toolkit http: //www. ohiolink. edu/ostaff/mar keting/

Assignments; Write a Marketing Plan For Technical Services • Three Groups: – Marketing TS to --Public Services – Marketing TS to -- Director – Marketing TS to -- Faculty