Check Out These LLNJ Marketing Skill Sharing Conversations

LibraryLinkNJ, the New Jersey library cooperative, hosts Skill-Sharing Conversations through a one-hour webinar on relevant library topics. Each conversation follows an agenda and is moderated by a talented colleague in the field to provide NJ libraries with a great opportunity to learn and grow together. And guess what? All LibraryLinkNJ members are welcome to attend! These webinars are great resources and we’d like to highlight five of the marketing-specific conversations that you may have missed. If you cannot attend a session or just need a refresher, all skill-sharing conversations and correlating slides are posted on the LLNJ website. Now let’s see what marketing best practices LibraryLinkNJ has covered so far!

Podcasts

Originally presented in May of 2021, this conversation was moderated by Jennifer Larsen, User Experience/Adult Services Librarian at the Sayreville Public Library. Sometimes the best way to learn is through podcasts! As many people transitioned to working from home, they turned to listening to podcasts for entertainment, continued education and professional development. Jennifer gave a presentation recommending useful podcasts for librarians by topic or by genre. Click here to watch the presentation.

Creating Podcasts

Once you’ve heard what a quality podcast sounds like, you might become inspired to start your own! Melissa Hozik of the East Brunswick Public Library led the conversation in July, 2021 on how to create a podcast. Melissa begins by discussing podcast content and how you’ll want to consider themes, live interaction vs. pre-recorded, the length, and the frequency of your podcast.. Then Melissa covers the hardware needed and how that might fit your budget, as well as software, editing and distribution. Lastly, she gives out pointers on how best to promote your podcast once it’s finished. Click here to watch the presentation.

Instagram for Libraries: Reels, Stories, Photos, & More

Welcome to the world of Instagram! If you’re looking to create content and grow your library’s audience through Instagram, this is the conversation for you. In August of 2021, Jessica Bielen of the Livingston Public Library taught us why libraries should be using Instagram and brainstormed the best ways to do so. Jessica explained how to utilize features such as reels, videos, stories and photos to further engage with your community. Afterwards, the discussion was opened up to all attendees to highlight examples of Instagram posts that have done well for their library, brainstorm new ideas and share accounts to follow for content inspiration.

Email Newsletters

Also in August of 2021, Kathleen Digiulio, Development Librarian at the Piscataway Public Library moderated the discussion around email newsletters. Kathleen covers why email newsletters are a great tool for library marketing, what type of content to include, and which email marketing platform to utilize. She also opens up the discussion to breakout groups for people who have questions or want to share email tips from their own experiences. Click here to watch the presentation.

Curating Library-Created Videos

Video marketing has become increasingly popular and Jonathan Upton, Library Catalog/Digital Content Support Specialist at Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium, had a number of tips to share in September’s conversation. Jonathan grouped the discussion into three core areas: figuring out what we’re creating, using best practices when organizing it and putting it in the hands of users. There’s a number of questions you must ask yourself when curating video content and this skill-sharing conversation covers them all! Click here to watch the presentation.

Stay connected to LibraryLinkNJ to learn of all upcoming Skill-Sharing Conversations so you don’t miss out on these great educational opportunities with the NJ library community!