Post on 11-Jan-2016
Promotional Activities That Work1
Promotional Activities That WorkRichard Comley, Outreach Librarian OBMH
Athens Promotion at OBMH Library and Training promotion at OBMH The work of SCOL
Promotional Activities That Work2
General Principles…
Relevancy Give them something they need Catch the eye - Title encapsulates content Promote via a number of different avenues Exploit Context and Contacts Exploit links between things, and bundle Provide incentives Keep at it!
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A Bit More Detail…
Relevancy Make the Most of Athens grew out of a request at Ridgeway
– others saw the adverts and asked Ridgeway needing access to wider resources Came at a time of change – Dialog to Search 2.0/HDAS
Knowledge Officer (Hill Report) becoming embedded CKO/TKO Inductions necessary/compulsory Library resources & Athens underpinning CPD
Promotional Activities That Work4
Further General Principles…
Give them something they need – they may not know they need it! Ridgeway Current Contents has improved
awareness of Library (but only start something you are able to maintain)
Nurses on a ward did not appreciate the usefulness of e-books before seeing a demonstration – (done at a Team Meeting)
Promotional Activities That Work5
Catch the Eye!
Title encapsulates content Make the Most of Athens does what it says on the
tin! Title courses or sessions so that the essentials come
to the front Finding the evidence – using the literature databases and
Search 2.0: poor responseWorthy but unhelpful! Athens Saved My Life (and Got Me a Free Pen Drive!)Communications Dept changed this - impact lost
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Promote via Different Avenues
Posters and handouts in the Library But they become part of the wallpaper
Announcements on the Intranet But people only read the first page, if that…
Emails to key people Follow them up Have a rolling programme (Forth Bridge!)
Take a stand in the canteen! Then at least they know who you are! Catch the eye – giveaways
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Why This Marketing Approach?Fighting inertia…
What’s Athens? (OR Just something I used at college) What’s NHS Evidence? (So please don’t keep changing
the name!) I always use Pubmed (but how well do they know it?) I just use Google (so show them Advanced Search) We don’t need background info – we know our job (but
show them easy access stuff & they are interested) I don’t have time for training (but get what you do on to
CPD and they get a benefit)
Promotional Activities That Work8
Context and Contacts
Exploit where you are placed in the organisation
At OBMH, within Learning & Development Library Courses certificated, part of CPD L & D manage inductions – Library slot
Situation different for every organisation
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Context and Contacts
Exploit existing structures & cycles Team meetings: time already diaried, whole team
together; often looking for activities; quick promo Inductions Courses Rotations
Exploit the way things are linked together Athens resources within SWIMS: promote together –
enhances awareness of each
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Provide Incentives!
Giveaways Have a promotional budget (however small)
Gives you the freedom to be creative!
Use free stuff (less about at present) Envelopes as publicity
Catching the Eye
Promotion is…
A Forth Bridge job!
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Rolling Programme
Contact with Teams Devise a schedule
Calendar of Events AGM Research & Development Days Rotations
Expect the Unexpected! Flexibility – Be Prepared Conferences suddenly “happening” on your site
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Resources to help you…
SCOL website Shamelessly plunder this! http://www.nesc.nhs.uk/ and follow links
Promotional Activities That Work14
Resources to help you…
SCOL website Presentation on technicalities of effective
promotional literature Example leaflets
E-books, NHS Evidence, etc.
Evaluation material SCOL minutes
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And finally…
Have fun with it!It won’t work unless you enjoy doing it!