What is content marketing? Simply put, it's the most effective way to increase your value to customers. When you deliver content that library users find useful and relevant, you give a compelling answer to their question, "What's in it for me?" Author of the best-selling book The Librarian's Nitty-Gritty Guide to Social Media, Solomon speaks directly to public relations personnel, web librarians, and other staff responsible for the library's online presence. Filled with nuts-and-bolts advice on how to increase the library's value to its users, her guide: defines the essential characteristics of effective content marketing; explores methods of audience assessment; demonstrates how to optimize content for sharing; explains the elements of an editorial calendar for sustainable content, and shows how to create once and re-purpose many times; describes meaningful metrics for the library context; points out 5 common mistakes and how to avoid them; provides a template for creating personas; and includes first-hand accounts from library marketers . Making content marketing concepts bite-sized and easily digestible, this guide shows libraries how to market effectively by focusing on what library users find useful and relevant.

The vast array of social media options present a challenge to today's busy librarians: it's tough to keep current, let alone formulate a plan for using these tools effectively. Solomon, a librarian with extensive experience in web development, design, and technology, cuts to the chase with this invaluable guide to using social media in any kind of library. With a straightforward and pragmatic approach, she enlarges her best-selling ALA Editions Special Report on the topic and Presents an overview of the social media world, providing context for services like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and analyses how adults' and teens' use of social media impacts the library Offers advice on easy ways to use these tools on a daily basis, with planning strategies for posting and scheduling Addresses the fine points of Facebook, comparing the various types of profiles and accounts Guides readers in the basics of crafting eye-catching status updates, and other social media best practices Shows how to manage and monitor accounts, including pointers on dealing with negative feedback Including a bibliography of additional resources, Solomon's guide will empower libraries to use social media as a powerful tool for marketing, outreach, and advocacy.

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn: it's difficult enough to keep abreast of social media Web sites, let alone understand how they fit into today's library. This practical resource brings together current information on the topic in a concise format that's easy to digest. Laura Solomon is a librarian with more than a decade of experience in Web development, design, and technology, and her timely guide provides context on the social media phenomenon, Offers practical advice on how libraries can choose, use, and monitor these tools effectively, Identifies additional resources and best practices. Solomon has written a unique, to-the-point guidebook for those ready to jump into the deep end of the pool and commence or improve their library's tweeting, posting, and friending.