Marketing Strategies for
the Use of R4L Resources
Overview
• Discussion of the concept of marketing
• Strategies for the implementation of a marketing
plan
• Development of a R4L resources marketing plan
for your institution
note: this module includes material from the
Publicizing e-Resources at Institutions
presentation of ITOCA (http:www.itoca.org)
Why market R4L resources?
• Many information options for customers on
the Internet; want R4L resources to be key
options; can be specific, several or all
programs – depending on users
• To educate users about full potential of this
resource - to enrich curricula, research and,
for HINARI, clinical practice
• To increase the use and justify the support
by the publishers (currently committed
through 2019)
Definition of Marketing in
Libraries
“A planned process to identify, attract,
satisfy and gain support in a way that
furthers the goals of the library and the
parent institution.”
Sterngold, A. Marketing for special libraries and
information centres: the position process. Special
Libraries: 1982:17(4)254
“Marketing is a way of thinking which has
to pervade the whole approach of the
library staff. It has to do with predicting
and providing services that people need
and with providing services of the best
quality.”
Wakeham M Marketing and health libraries Health
Information and Libraries Journal: December
2004:21(4)237-46
Marketing R4L Resources is
• a whole process centered around the needs of
the institution’s users
• to identify what users want and communicate
with them (or)
• supply R4L related resources to the various
user groups
• teach users skills to be self-sufficient
• encourage the use of these resources over a
long period of time
• a strategic tool of management
Five variables of marketing
•
•
•
•
•
product
price
place
promotion
evaluation
Product
The library or information organization provides
services:
• an information resource
• place to work, meet or study
• place to read, browse
• Internet and email outlet
• place to photocopy or for other activities
• other
For this module, we are focusing on R4L
(HINARI, AGORA, OARE and ARDI) resources
Marketing segments
• ‘Marketing segments’ is another phrase for
‘client groups’ – to identify and differentiate
• Common groupings for health libraries include
geographical, occupational, employer or status
• Groupings also can be by information needs
and/or skills
• Senior management is a marketing group –
support is essential
• All these groups will have information needs that
can be fulfilled by R4L e-resources
Role of staff
• All staff promotes service when they interact
with users
• Staff creates relationships with users based on
the quality of service
• Regarding R4L resources, the role of staff is to:
– identify potential users and their information
needs
– customize and package services for
identified groups
– train users to be self-sufficient
Exercise 1
• List your library’s or organization’s client
groups
• For these groups, identify what
information needs R4L resources can
supply
• Outline two or three ideas for promoting
the use of R4L resources to some of
these groups
Place
The ‘place’ should be
• welcoming and tidy
• modern, well designed and centrally located
• contain sufficient hardware and bandwidth for
R4L and other e-resources
Regarding R4L resources
• the ‘place’ is a ‘digital library’ - the website and
the various links
• the access should be distributed throughout
the institution
Exercise 2
Describe your library or organization’s:
• physical environment – strengths and
weaknesses
• manpower
• resources for Internet access
• needs – physical and virtual (electronic)
Price
• Libraries do not promote themselves in terms
of price
• Pricing options include:
– free (hidden additional costs)
– visible (a reasonable option)
– full (users probably can’t afford)
– make a profit (not realistic)
• Regarding R4L resources, the ‘price’ is ‘free’
but there are many ‘hidden costs’
Promotion
Promotion or ‘marketing communication’
• is the key element to marketing
• must be clear and state what is being promoted,
why and to whom and what the effect is
• is not synonymous with marketing in which
significant data gathering and analysis are done
• is a tool of the overall strategy
• is campaign to communicate with a specific
group of users about a specific service/resource
(R4L resources)
Promotion includes
• Institutional or Library websites
• Training workshops, seminars or meetings
• Direct mailing – targets limited audience
and personalized
• Advertisements, banners and posters –
attempts to reach a wide audience but with
a simple message
Promotion includes (2)
• Leaflets and newsletters – reaches a wide
audience, can convey considerable
information; limit to one topic
• Events – reaches a wide audience; can
convey considerable information and
allows interaction between staff and users
• Word of mouth – referrals by teachers or
colleagues and library staff particularly
with users
Evaluation
• notes if the library or health information
center has been successful in achieving the
objectives of marketing – the promotion and
use of R4L resources
• confirms if the users’ needs have been
correctly identified and met
• measures performance objectives:
• data on institution’s use of various R4L
programs’ resources
• instructional assignments using these
resources
Marketing on Website
Exercise 3
• What promotion tools would you use to
market R4L e-resources?
• What would be the role of your unit’s
staff?
• How would you evaluate your potential
marketing plan?
Successful marketing
• May include active bidding for funds from institutional
and outside sources
• Can take up considerable staff time and staff may need
training
• Will involve tools
– surveys
– attendance at meetings
– becoming involved in projects from other parts of the
organization
– talks with visitors to the library
– focus groups
Surveys
For marketing, a survey can be defined as
‘a detailed inspection or investigation that
includes a gathering of a sample of data or
opinions considered to be representative
of a whole.’
The Free Dictionary:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/survey
Keys to surveys
• Write a good introduction
• Ask questions that provide the information you
need
• Ask important questions first, then demographic
ones
• Organize the questions in logical groups
• Use easy-to-understand language
• Avoid technical terms, jargon and acronyms
Keys to surveys (2)
• Use even number responses (a,b,c,d) so that the
respondent cannot use a neutral answer
• Be sensitive to the feelings of your respondents
• Thank the respondents
• Keep survey short, simple and to the point
Questionnaires and survey designs – a free
tutorial http://www.statpac.com/surveys/
Exercise 4
• List 7-10 questions you would want to
include in a survey of R4L resources
users.
• How would you distribute this survey?
• How would you use this information to
increase the use of R4L resources?
Summary of marketing
strategy
•
•
•
•
Clear and to the point
Avoid using technical jargon
Keep it Simple (KISS)
Packaged appropriately to suit
audience
Ongoing strategy
• Create ‘listening posts’ for feedback
– word-of-mouth, help desk, suggestion box, surveys
• Periodically
– analyze effectiveness of communication strategy;
continue to evaluate
– write report and present findings
• According to findings
– fine tune communication strategy to meet user needs
– there is always a better way to do things
• Marketing of R4L resources is an ongoing
activity!
Updated 2014 06
Appendix 1
Marketing Strategy completed by:
National University of Samoa – Nursing
Lecturers, December 2013