Program Description
Designing and developing a service is only one part of the implementation process. Equally important to the successful execution of any service is marketing, making the service known to potential users. For members of the Michigan Research Help Now Virtual Reference Collaborative, marketing Ask-A-Librarian has involved group efforts by the collaborative as well as individual efforts at each institution. This presentation begins with a rationale for marketing, explaining why it is necessary and what it accomplishes. It then focuses on the multi-faceted marketing and promotional needs of Virtual Reference whether the institution is large, small or in between. The audience for Virtual Reference is diverse and successfully reaching this audience requires an on-going strategic and focused effort, a marketing plan. The presentation includes discussion of the ways members of the Michigan collaborative have worked together to market the service as a whole, looking at how this has evolved and changed over the 10 year history of the collaborative. It also outlines the marketing strategies used at different institutions. Traditional methods of marketing will be explored as well as the use of social media such as Facebook. Along with looking at differing marketing strategies, the presentation will review ideas on reaching varied audiences: faculty, on-campus students, off-campus students, online students, and those at satellite campuses. Format for the presentation involves lecture and small group discussion. The presentation seeks to challenge participants to develop a marketing plan and to consider new and creative means of outreach.
Start Date
25-4-2014 11:00 AM
End Date
25-4-2014 11:50 AM
Making It Prosper: The Role of Marketing in Developing a Successful Virtual Reference Program
Designing and developing a service is only one part of the implementation process. Equally important to the successful execution of any service is marketing, making the service known to potential users. For members of the Michigan Research Help Now Virtual Reference Collaborative, marketing Ask-A-Librarian has involved group efforts by the collaborative as well as individual efforts at each institution. This presentation begins with a rationale for marketing, explaining why it is necessary and what it accomplishes. It then focuses on the multi-faceted marketing and promotional needs of Virtual Reference whether the institution is large, small or in between. The audience for Virtual Reference is diverse and successfully reaching this audience requires an on-going strategic and focused effort, a marketing plan. The presentation includes discussion of the ways members of the Michigan collaborative have worked together to market the service as a whole, looking at how this has evolved and changed over the 10 year history of the collaborative. It also outlines the marketing strategies used at different institutions. Traditional methods of marketing will be explored as well as the use of social media such as Facebook. Along with looking at differing marketing strategies, the presentation will review ideas on reaching varied audiences: faculty, on-campus students, off-campus students, online students, and those at satellite campuses. Format for the presentation involves lecture and small group discussion. The presentation seeks to challenge participants to develop a marketing plan and to consider new and creative means of outreach.