Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library Five years ago, I was listening to an episode of a library podcast about Google Ad Grants, which offers $10,000 monthly advertising credit to qualified nonprofits. Thousands of nonprofits use the program. You apply once, and the grant continues indefinitely. Wow! Many libraries have taken advantage of this program since it was launched in 2004. Some of those libraries collaborate with a company called Koios, currently run by Maggie Carson and Peter Velikonja. Koios is a member of Google’s Certified Ad Grant Professionals group ..read more

Watch this video now #LibraryMarketing Show, episode 237 Google is at it again! The engineers at the search engine recently changed the way that they rank websites and search to make internet searching easier for the user. But that’s going to have some implications for your library. Don’t panic! We’ll go through the changes and what they mean for your library’s website in this episode. Plus, kudos go to a library that sent its annual report to a media outlet and got positive press coverage with an unbeatable headline. Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate ..read more

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library This week, I’ll be able to see the world’s largest bottle of catsup. (Ketchup? Catsup? Is there a difference?) When I learned that I’d be speaking at Reaching Forward South in Collinsville, Illinois, I Googled the area. That’s how I discovered the city is home to a 170-foot water tower shaped like a catsup bottle that just happens to be on the National Registry of Historic Places. It’s even got its own website and fan club. If you’re like me, you do some strategic planning when you go on a trip. You decide to rent a vehicle or resear ..read more

Watch this video now #LibraryMarketing Show, episode 236 Algorithm changes are an inevitable part of library social media. Normally, those changes spell bad news for libraries. But… LinkedIn just changed its algorithm and those changes are good news for libraries! (Yippee!) I’ll outline the three new and improved LinkedIn algorithm changes and how they will positively impact your library’s posts in this episode. Plus, kudos go to a library that brought a bunch of libraries together to create a viral video for Read Across America. Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want ..read more

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library This week, I’ll be able to see the world’s largest bottle of catsup. (Ketchup? Catsup? Is there a difference?) When I learned that I’d be speaking at Reaching Forward South in Collinsville, Illinois, I Googled the area. That’s how I discovered the city is home to a 170-foot water tower shaped like a catsup bottle that just happens to be on the National Registry of Historic Places. It’s even got its own website and fan club. If you’re like me, you do some strategic planning when you go on a trip. You decide to rent a vehicle or resear ..read more

Watch this video now #LibraryMarketing Show, episode 236 Algorithm changes are an inevitable part of library social media. Normally, those changes spell bad news for libraries. But… LinkedIn just changed its algorithm and those changes are good news for libraries! (Yippee!) I’ll outline the three new and improved LinkedIn algorithm changes and how they will positively impact your library’s posts in this episode. Plus, kudos go to a library that brought a bunch of libraries together to create a viral video for Read Across America. Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want ..read more

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library When Donna Forbis graduated from the 8th grade, her parents gifted her a 10-speed bike. Her mother decided she was old enough to ride to the Peoria Public Library‘s Lakeview branch.  “Back then, kids were not allowed in the adult stacks, so I was limited to my ‘side’ of the library,” remembers Donna. “I was very short (under 5′ tall), so even as a teen, I still looked like a kid. My ventures into the adult stacks would sometimes draw ‘looks’ from other patrons, but the library staff knew I was in search of mysteries I had not ye ..read more

Watch this video now #LibraryMarketing Show, episode 235 You’re not imagining it: Engagement on Instagram Reels is going DOWN. And it’s happening not only to libraries but to content creators from all industries. What is going on?! And is there anything we can do to reverse this trend? We’ll dive into it in this episode of the Library Marketing Show. Plus, kudos go to a library that’s been doing something that received coverage on a national television news program. Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for ..read more

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library When Donna Forbis graduated from the 8th grade, her parents gifted her a 10-speed bike. Her mother decided she was old enough to ride to the Peoria Public Library‘s Lakeview branch.  “Back then, kids were not allowed in the adult stacks, so I was limited to my ‘side’ of the library,” remembers Donna. “I was very short (under 5′ tall), so even as a teen, I still looked like a kid. My ventures into the adult stacks would sometimes draw ‘looks’ from other patrons, but the library staff knew I was in search of mysteries I had not ye ..read more

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library Interviewing a stranger about their library experience is intimidating for many people. If the thought of having an intentional conversation to elicit a sound bite you can use in a blog, video, social media post, press release, or other content sounds daunting, the post is for you. Why a powerful quote is important. Your audience wants to hear directly from the people impacted by your library’s work. Whether that is your staff, director, board members, or patrons, a good quote can drive home your work’s value. A quote can convey pass ..read more