Taking Library Advocacy to the next step by using mobile technology.

1. Library Advocacy 3.0
NYLA Institute
Monday, February 28, 2011
Presented by Libby Post
Who You’re Learning With
• Libby Post, President/CEO of
Communication Services
– Work with libraries in NY and NJ on branding
to position them for growth
– Run branding/marketing campaigns, building
referendums, budget votes and charter
changes
– Train library directors and library boards on
how to run successful campaigns
1

2. Public Libraries We’ve Worked With
• Albany Public Library • Lewisboro Library
• Diver Library • Long Lake Library
• Elting Memorial Library • Mahopac Public Library
• Fairport Public Library • Penn Yan Public Library
• Finkelstein Memorial Library
• Pawling Library
• Gold Coast Public Library
• RCS Community Library
• Goshen Public Library
• Saugerties Public Library
• Grinnell Library Association
• Highland Public Library • Stone Ridge Public Library
• Hudson Association Library • Wallkill Public Library
• Irondequoit Public Library • White Plains Public Library
• Jervis Public Library • Wood Library
• Lagrange Library • Woodstock Public Library
Library System Training
• Division of Library • North Country Library System
Development, NYSED • Onondaga County Public
• Mid-Hudson Library System Library System
• Mohawk Valley Library System • Palmer Institute for Public
• Monroe County Library System Library Org. and Mgt.
• Nassau Library System • Ramapo Catskill Library
• New York Library Association System
• New Jersey Library • Suffolk Cooperative Library
Association System
• Nioga Library System • Upper Hudson Library System
• Westchester Library System
2

3. What We’ll Learn Together Today
• Why Be an Advocate
• What Advocacy Is All About
• How we can use the Web and Social
Networking to
– Reach new people
– Organize our supporters
– Reinforce your message
– Get results
In depth looks at:
• Branding
• Web 2.0
– Social Networking/Marketing
– Blogs
– E-mail campaigns
• Web 3.0
– Mobile marketing
• Mini sites
• Smartphones
3

4. Giving Credit Where It Is Due
• Wellstone Action
• ALA’s Library Advocate’s Handbook
• E-politics online (www.epolitics.com)
• Experience gathered working as an
advocate for over 30 years
Some Advocates We’ve Known
• John Brown
– Leading Abolitionist
– Anti-Slavery Advocate
4

5. Some Advocates We’ve Known
• Eleanor Roosevelt
– First Lady
– Human Rights
Advocate
Some Advocates We’ve Known
• Cesar Chavez
– President, United
Farm Workers
– Migrant Workers
Advocate
5

6. Some Advocates We’ve Known
• Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.
– President, Southern
Christian Leadership
Council
– Civil Rights Advocate
Some Advocates We’ve Known
• Harvey Milk
– Martyred San
Francisco Supervisor
– Lesbian and Gay
Rights Advocate
6

7. Some Advocates We’ve Known
The Online Revolutionaries in Egypt
Some advocates We’ve Yet to Meet
Any of these
people could be
you!
7

8. Why Be An Advocate?
• “If I am not for myself,
who will be for me?
And when I am for
myself, what am 'I'?
And if not now,
when?“
– Hillel
Why Be An Advocate
• If we don’t stand up for libraries, who will?
• If we do stand up for libraries
– Our staff will
– Our trustees will
– Our peers will
– Our patrons will
– Our community leaders will
– Our elected officials possibly will (if we make it
politically safe for them)
8

9. Why Be An Advocate?
• Stand up for what you believe in
– Frame the debate and determine the message
• Express your passion about libraries
• Become a leader
• Organize supporters
– Allow them to express their passion as well
• Develop strategies
• Execute and analyze
What Is Advocacy All About?
• Taking action to impact an issue
– Why you want to take action?
– What do you want to accomplish?
– How can you be best prepared?
– What resources will you need?
– Who will lead?
9

10. What Is Advocacy All About?
• Advocacy comes alive as a campaign
– Effective message that moves people to
action
– Series of tactics based on message and
resources
• Online and “on the street”
– Clear attainable goal
• Internal goal
• External goal
Key Components of
an Advocacy Campaign
• Strong leadership • Organize people
• Clear goals • Determine tactics
– Written plan – Online
• Strong, clear – “On the Streets”
message • Media
• Determine targets to – Public Relations
pressure • Celebrate
10

11. Strong Leadership
• Essential to have someone in charge
– Campaigns require planning, focus, discipline
and organization
• Decisions need to be made quickly and
decisively
• Everyone has a role to play
• Campaign leadership has control of
campaign decision making
Clear Goals
• Articulate vision
– Have a clear understanding of what campaign
is trying to accomplish
– Can not be all things to all people
– May not be able to talk about other important
issues
• Written plan drives strategy and tactics
• Define victory
11

12. Strong, clear message
• Clear, concise
• You define it
– Don’t let opposition define your message
• Internal message
– What you use to engage and motivate your base
• External message
– What you communicate in various ways to your
intended targets—policy makers, elected, etc.
Determine targets
• Who are you trying to impact
– Supporters (folks who don’t know they’re
supporters—yet!)
– Policy makers
– Decision makers
– Elected Officials
• Helps determine where you have or where
you need to build supporters
12

13. Determine tactics
• Personal visits with targets
– That’s what you’ll be doing tomorrow
• Letters, faxes, e-mails, postcards and phone
calls to targets
• Rallies and demonstrations
• Direct action strategies
– Book In: Pile up books in front of a legislators’ office
to show value of one visit
• Political theater
– Bread and Puppet
Determine Your Online Strategy
• Websites
• Blogs
• Social Media
– Facebook
– Twitter
– You Tube
• Mobile Media
– SmartPhones
13

14. Organize people
• Organize People
– Excite your base with your message
– Gain their commitment to act
– Give them specific things to do
– Constantly reach out and bring in new people
Use media
• Has to be coordinated
• Spokesperson determined
• Stay on message
• Media tactics
– Press conferences and other earned media
– Letters to the Editor/Op Ed pieces
– Editorial board meetings
14

15. Focus: Developing Your Message
• Can have great goals, innovative tactics,
know who to target
• But without clear, compelling message you
won’t be able to celebrate!
Focus: Developing Your Message
• Your message is the core argument
• Must be the foundation upon which all
organizing is based
• Bold, clear, concise
• People should feel their self-interests are
connected to the interests of the campaign
• Talk directly to people in plain language
15

16. Focus: Developing Your Message
• Do not be afraid to speak out forcefully
and with conviction
– Straightforward and honest
• “People yearn for leaders who are real,
who are willing to speak their mind, take a
stand and do what they think is right.”
– From “Politics the Wellstone Way”
Why Libraries Can Develop
Compelling Messages
• Because it can be grounded in the experiences
and circumstances of its intended audience(s)
• Because it can easily be based on values
shared by both the advocacy effort and its
audience(s)
• Because libraries are credible, can back up our
assertions with facts and our message can be
delivered by trustworthy people
16

17. What Makes a Message Good?
• Connecting a person’s interests and
values
– Start with what a person already knows and
thinks and then move them to where you want
them to be
• Want to inspire people to take action
– Depends on whether message leaves people
feeling hopeful, energized and that their
contribution will make a difference
Compelling Messages from Patrons
17

18. What Are Our Basic Messages?
• Libraries are an essential service
– Jobs and Opportunity
– Life Long Learning
– Quality of Life
– Community Empowerment
• Libraries are more important than ever
Basic Message: Libraries Are Essential
Library
Fire Police
Health Care Schools
18

19. Developing Your Message
• In 1992, when James Carville ran Bill Clinton’s
first presidential campaign the following phrase
was on the white board
KISS
Keep It Simple Stupid
Don’t over think.
Remember who your audience is.
Laying the Groundwork
• What does your library stand for?
• What is its emotional appeal/tug?
• What is your library’s brand?
19

20. What is Branding?
• Integral part of • Emotional branding:
marketing – Love
• Sets libraries apart – Hate
from other public – Hope
institutions – Fear
• Sum total of all • Libraries give people
attitudes, perceptions hope, a sense of
and beliefs about your community, a long life
library of learning
What is Marketing?
• All activities geared to raising the identity
and use of the library
• Libraries need to market
– Reinforces position as an essential service for the
community
– Reinforces that libraries are very relevant and haven’t
been replaced by the internet
– Positions library to garner community support for
voter initiatives
20

21. Use Your Annual Report
• Constantly remind the public what you do
– How many people came through your doors
– How many items were checked out
– How many programs were held
– How many people used public access computers
• Make the connection between the numbers and
your message
– We help people in times of economic stress
– Free Services
– Go back to the beginning of presentation, how does your library
fit the bill?
Marketing Tools
• Logo • Signage
• Graphic Standards • Name tags Outstanding
• Newsletters Customer Service
• Bookmarks • E-mails newsletters
• Posters • User friendly, easy to
• Post Cards navigate website
• Message on Hold • PowerPoint presentations
• T-shirts • Displays
• Public Relations
21

22. Visual Identity is Important
Traditional Marketing Campaigns
Are Still Important
22

23. Having a good looking, easy to
navigate website is also important
• Highland Public Library
• New York Public Library
• Fayetteville Free Library
• Port Washington Public Library
• Los Angeles Public Library
• San Jose Public Library
NYLA’s
On-Going Advocacy Campaign
23

24. NY’s Libraries: Essential Campaign
• Strong leadership
– Mike Borges, NYLA ED
– NYLA Legislative Committee
– Communication Services’ team
NY’s Libraries: Essential Campaign
• Clear goals
– External:
• Position libraries as essential to stave off further
state funding cuts
– Internal:
• Strengthen NYLA’s advocacy brand and operation
24

25. NY’s Libraries: Essential Campaign
• Strong, clear message
– New York’s libraries are essential to
• Jobs and opportunity
• Lifelong learning
• Quality of Life
• Community Empowerment
• Determine targets to pressure
– State legislature
NY’s Libraries: Essential Campaign
• Organize people
– Staff
– Trustees
– Patrons
25

26. NY’s Libraries: Essential Campaign
• Determine tactics
– Website
• Online petition
• Why is your library essential?
• Drive people to NYLA Advocacy Site
• SnapShotNY photo and video gallery
– Facebook page
• Constant communication driving folks back to Protect NY
libraries site
• Supporters sending e-mails from NYLA site
– Print materials
Time to Take a Break!
Be Back in 10!
26

27. The Next Step in Our Advocacy
Going Viral
With New
3.0 Tools!
Now, it’s important
to take the next step(s)
• Take advantage of some Not utilizing social
of the most cost-effective media in the 21st
Century is like not
and easy marketing having a website in
available the 1990s.
– Web 2.0 It screams—the
library is out of
• Social Networks/Media
touch, out of synch,
– Web 3.0 not technologically
• Mobile Marketing with it!
27

28. Do We Have 2.0 Supporters?
The only place to go is up!
NY’s Libraries: Essential
Facebook Page grew to
over 4,400 in just a
few weeks!
Do We Have
2.0 Supporters?
• 80-89% age 18-33
• 60-69% of 34-45
• 50-59% of 46-55
• 40-49% of 56-64
• 30-39% of 65-74
• 10-19% of 74+
– The fastest growth in internet
use are people 74 and older
• Blogging for all online
adults rose slightly overall
from 11% in late 2008 to
14% in 2010.
28

29. Do We Have
2.0 Supporters?
• Fasted growing cohorts
for social networking
activity is 46-64
Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
29

30. Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
30

31. Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
Smartphone Penetration in the U.S.
Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
31

32. Let’s Get Started on Web 2.0:
The Social Media Landscape
Does My Library Have
to Use Them All?
• NO!
• Focus on Social Networking, Social Media and a
bit of Social Sharing
– Blogs
– Facebook
– Twitter
– You Tube
– E-mail campaigns
• Drive supporters back to a dynamic website
32

33. Libraries and Social Networks
• Interactive e-playgrounds
• Web based tools that allows the library to
to meet, interact, collaborate, share info
and media with your audiences—
including your supporters
• Platforms for communication,
empowerment and advocacy!
Libraries and Social Networks
 Opportunity to engage your
supporters/patrons and build an interactive
online community for the library
 Create a Community
 Get Engaged
 Share Information
 Generate Calls to Action
 Advocate
33

34. Libraries and Social Networks
• Enables us to go beyond the “library
advocates are as quiet as libraries”
• Establishes and reinforces our role as
leaders in library advocacy, freedom of
expression, and the last bastion of
democracy
Blogs
• Not as much dynamic growth but still an
important factor (youth are moving away blogs)
• Library blog
– Use to get your word out
– Create conversations
• Bloggers that are followed impact public opinion
– Can help spread the library’s message
– Consider having “blogger events” to lay out your
issues
34

35. Advocacy Websites
• We walk a fine line between using taxpayer
money for advocacy and not
• OK to ask folks to contact their legislators for
funding
• Not OK to ask folks to Vote Yes
• Set up separate Vote Yes sites
– Plugs ins for Facebook
– Have a presence on Twitter as well
• New site: www.stoptrashingmylibrary.org
Facebook
• Is extremely relevant—today and
tomorrow!
• Is cost-effective—FREE unless you take
out ads
• Enables you to build your advocacy
audience and keep them in the loop
• They can help you build even more
35

36. Facebook
• Easy to set up
• Create a page for the library
– Now people “like” your library (very 5th grade)
– No longer Fan Pages
• RCS Community Library
• Fayetteville Free Library
• Seattle Public Library
Facebook
• Enables you to
– Promote your issues
– Build audiences
– Keep folks up to date
– Drive supporters to take action
– Post links and videos
– Connect through Twitter
36

37. Facebook
• Social Plugins that you can put on your
library’s website
– Like Button and Like Box
– Activity Feed
– Life Stream
– Comments
• And more
Twitter
• Reinforce Facebook postings
– Facebook reinforces Twitter
• Short messages (140 characters), convert
website addresses to “tiny urls”
• Create a community followers
– Build on Facebook community
• They can retweet your postings
• Create greater presence and increase your
followers
37

38. Twitter
• New York Public Library
Tweetdeck
• Gives you the ability to post on multiple
social networks at once
38

39. So does Ping.fm
You Tube
• Post videos of testimonials from
supporters and patrons
– Lots of potential
– Videos are short, concise ways to convey
information and even have some fun!
• Queens Library
• Queens Library #2
39

40. E-mail Campaigns
• You have the e-mails list
• You have the information
• Use them!
• Drive people to
Facebook,
Websites to
take action
Making It All Work Together
• Promote Facebook and Twitter on your
advocacy and/or library websites, blogs, print
materials, individual e-mails and e-mail
newsletters
• Drive people to your website postings, You Tube
videos and blog entries on Facebook and Twitter
• Social Network logos are free to use
• Promote sharing
40

41. So When Did We Get to Web 3.0?
• When we got our Smart Phones!
Web 3.0—It’s All About The Phone!
• Users always have them and are quickly
accessed
– Not so with lap tops, iPads or desk tops
• We have the ability to take outreach and
advocacy to the next level
• Mobile-sites
• Targeted ads
• Text messaging
41

42. Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
42

43. Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
Do We Have 3.0 Supporters?
Smartphone Penetration in the U.S.
43

44. Mobile-Sites
• Academic Libraries have been on the
cutting edge
– Creating mobile-sites that have the same
interactive capabilities as regular sites
• Search catalogs
• Reserve books
• Explore calendar
Take Out Your Smart Phones!
• Adelphi University:
http://m.adelphi.edu/au2go/
• Cornell:
http://www.library.cornell.edu/mobile
• University at Binghamton/SUNY:
http://library.binghamton.edu/m/#_home
44

45. Take Out Your Smart Phones!
• New York Public Library: http://m.nypl.org/
• Orange County Public Library:
http://m.ocls.info/
Advocacy Mobile Sites
45

46. Advocacy Mobile Sites
Setting Up a Mobile Site
• www.winksite.com
– Free utility to set up a quick and easy mobile
site
• Register a domain name
– .mobi
– Design the site using XML/XHTML and CSS
46

47. Some Tips from ioninteractive.com
(and Re-Fashioned for Advocacy)
• Give your supporters the finger
– Should be able to access using just one finger
• Keep it Simple
– Short, concise copy
– Not a carbon copy of your website
– Use key messages
• Be Bold
– Keep it interesting, focused
Some Tips from ioninteractive.com
(and Re-Fashioned for Advocacy)
• Keep it on Purpose
– Mobile supporters have a specific reason
– Direct your message to take action
• Drive them to a website and send an e-mail
• Drive to Facebook
• Drive them to make a phone
• Drove the to take action!
47

48. Some Tips from ioninteractive.com
(and Re-Fashioned for Advocacy)
• Be Advanced
– Not your website, not constrained by website
design
– Can go from vertical to horizontal
– Mobile site=your campaign’s look and feel
• Be Compatible
– No Flash
– Yes Video
SMS or as we know it, Texting!
• SMS=Short Messaging Service
• Enables you to send text messages to
your supporters
– Opt-in
– Market your common short code
– Drive supporters to library/advocacy website,
to get them to take action, to build your base
48

49. Text Messages
• 95%-100% open rate
• Short and to the point
• Usually read in full
• Target your message to build your base
– Build your cell lists
Short Code NOT Short Bread!
• Short Code is the 5 or 6 digit code your
Supporters will use to
– Sign up for your text messages
– Respond to your text messages
• Vote for Jennifer Grey on Dancing With the Stars,
text Jennifer to 123456
49

50. Can Get Expensive, But
• Buzz411.org
– Free
• Clubtexting.com
– Pay as you go
MMS or
Multi-Media Messaging Service
• Kick your text messages up a notch with
– Color
– Sound
– Video
– Animation
50

51. Mobile Ads
• Not as expensive as you think
• You can set the budget
• You define your demographic
• You control the whole thing
Mobile Ads
• AdMob.com
– acquired by Google
• Explore other
providers
51

52. Making It All Work Together
• Promote 3.0 on 2.0 and traditional media
• Use SMS or MMS to drive supporters to
your
– Mobile Ads
– Mobile Site
– Facebook, Twitters other social networking
Online Advocacy Wrap Up
• Organize your supporters
• Communicate with them quickly and
effectively
• Spur them to action
• Mold policy
• Shift the direction of public discourse
Special thanks for Colin Delany of e.politics.com for writing a paper this
part of the presentation is based upon
52

53. Online Advocacy Wrap Up
• Ease
– All you need is an internet connection
– Little guys can look and fight like the big guys
• Speed
– Can learn about an issue in the a.m.
– Formulate response by noon
– Generate online response from supporters by
3 p.m.
Online Advocacy Wrap Up
• Reach
– Your supporters
– Media
– Bloggers
• Interconnection beyond e-mail
– Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, other social
networking sites
– Blogs
53

54. 5 Simple Rules
• What do you want to accomplish?
– What are the best tools?
• Be persistent, leave brilliance to the
genius next door
– Be relentless
– Use different tactics
– Repeat your message, over and over
5 Simple Rules
• Connect All Your Online and Offline
Advocacy Approaches Together
– E-mails should reinforce your message
– Don’t forget old fashioned methods
• Letters
• Postcards
• Tried and true grassroots efforts
54

55. 5 Simple Rules
• Make it Compelling
– Content and tone is key
– Action Alerts shouldn’t sound like policy
papers
– Write like a human being not a policy wonk
• Remember you’re selling an idea to get
people to act
Build Your Lists
• Collect e-mails
• Send action alerts that link to page
• Can be done in Outlook but the larger the
list the more cumbersome
– Mail Dog
– Constant Contact
– Vertical Response
55

56. Building Your Lists
• Have a sign-up button, for your e-
newsletter/action alerts, on every page of
your site
• Encourage your supporters to pass Action
Alerts on, have a sign up at the bottom
• Collect cell numbers for text messaging
How Often?
• Too many = burn out
• Too few = Who is this from?
• Two to four messages per month is just
about right
– Exception is when you’re in the thick of a
battle
56

57. Tip for Websites
(Not just advocacy)
• Make sure your site is
– Findable (easy website name)
– Navigable (easy to get around, intuitive)
– Relevant (useful information)
– Current (up to date info)
• Special Tip—always link your logo on
each page to the home page
Tips on Being Current
• Constant job
• Try to distinguish between time-sensitive and
evergreen content
• Avoid works like “tomorrow,” “yesterday” or “next
week” unless its in an action alert or press
release
• Keep a spreadsheet to track pages, their
messages and relevant dates so you can update
57

58. It’s a Brave New World
It’s Your Turn.
Make Your
Library
Stand Out!
58