Through advanced virtual meeting technology, email, and social media marketing, there are a number of ways to get in front of your patrons. These innovations seem to have pushed former points of contact like mail or phone into a relic of the past. But why can’t we use both? It’s important to keep moving forward and be aware of marketing trends and best practices, but it’s really all about finding what works with your community. Not everyone is on social media and sometimes you don’t have every email address you need. Mixing traditional forms of outreach with newer technology trends can sometimes create the perfect recipe for success.

Snail Mail Campaign

If your library is looking to get a message in front of a wide audience of varying age demographics, then mailers might be the best option for you. Hear us out…it may be referred to as “snail mail” but it can be effective in piquing interest and directing people to your website or social media for more information. This classic marketing tactic also combats any digital inequities that there may be in your surrounding communities. You can reach patrons who might not have access to WIFI or smart devices, especially about the services your library offers to create digital equity for all!

Here’s how to get started. Make sure you have a mailing list for the patrons or future patrons you’re looking to target. As with any marketing or outreach effort, having a plan and a specific audience will yield the best results. Then find a way to present your information as clearly and succinctly as possible. Depending on your printing capabilities or budget, you can create one-pagers, infographics, brochures, lists, etc. Get creative with it and keep in mind what will connect with your audience.

Using traditional mail is not free, you will need to budget for postage expenses. You might want to consider a local partner that is already planning a mailing. They might allow you to slip a one-pager into their mail campaign, in exchange for the library providing some other service or cross promotion. Good old-fashioned bartering!

Include Digital Aspects

Creating the snail mail campaign is your “old school tactic.” You’ll probably find that you can’t include everything you’d like to share on a one-pager, and that’s when you’ll want to mix in some “new school trends.” Feel free to link to a webpage or even use a QR code for recipients to scan for further information. Of course, always list a phone number and contact information as an alternative to those who might not be able to navigate to your website or use a smartphone to scan a code. These links don’t have to lead to a page with more information, they can also bring people to a registration page, event page, etc. Whatever your call to action is, you can include it in your mailing campaign.

Measure Your Success

The hardest part about traditional marketing was analyzing the success of a campaign. Back in the pre-internet days, we didn’t always know how to gather data. How can you tell if someone opened and read your letter? That’s why combining both tactics is the best of both worlds. You’re sending more personalized outreach and you can see who is engaged by tracking QR scans, event registrations, or webpage visits. We know this because we just tried it for ourselves.

This past September, we sent a snail mail campaign to all K-12 schools in New Jersey. The contents of our campaign was a cover letter and brochures covering the statewide services that pertained specifically to this demographic. We included a webpage, QR code and promoted an upcoming Q&A webinar. In addition, we followed up via email to each school principal and sent a blast in the Department of Education’s monthly broadcast memo, utilizing both paper and electronic forms of communication for this campaign. We had over one hundred registrants for the virtual webinar, proving that our tactics were successful in getting our message to the right people. We encourage you to push the boundaries of library marketing and try out different techniques, because the right combination of communications makes all the difference.