using relationship marketing to develop a successful first year library workshop program

Mark Aaron Polger, Assistant Professor & First Year Experience Librarian

College of Staten Island, City University of New YorkMarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.edu

Using Relationship Marketing to Develop a Successful First Year Library

Workshop ProgramTuesday November 3, 2015

Today’s talk1. Relationship marketing?2. Relationship Marketing and the Library3. Our College4. Our Instruction Program5. Challenges6. Marketing steps

a) Market researchb) Identifying target audiencec) Promotiond) Assessment (measuring success)

7. Themes of Relationship Marketing8. Relationship Marketing and Other Library Services9. Lessons Learned

Relationship Marketing?

“Relationship marketing is a strategy designed to foster customer loyalty, interaction and long-term engagement. It is designed to develop strong connections with customers by providing them with information directly suited to their needs and interests and by promoting open communication.”

(Steve Olenski, Forbes Magazine, May 9, 2013)

Relationship Marketing?

Relationship Marketing?

Relationship Marketing?

Relationship Marketing?

Relationship Marketing Themes

• Retention

• Partnerships

• Long term relationships

• Loyalty

• Advocacy

Relationship Marketing and the Library

•Relationship marketing is about retention, not sales

•Library services as memorable

•We hope they refer our services to colleagues

•We hope they become advocates

•Investment in long term, meaningful partnerships

Our CollegeCSI is part of the City University of New York (CUNY)

• 24 campuses in the New York City

• Our College has 14,000 students

• Our University system has 500,000 students

• Our library has 14 full time librarians, 14 part-time librarians

• Teach 300 classes per academic year

Our Instruction Program

• Credit class (LIB 501- Beyond Google: Research for College Success)

• First Year Library Workshops for Introduction to College Composition (ENG 111)

• Library Instruction Sessions (beyond 100 level classes)

• Credit-bearing “topic” workshops for First Year students (CLUE classes)

• Faculty Workshops

Challenges

•Too many requests

•Not enough librarians to provide support to English 111

•Inconsistency in how we provide instruction to English 111

•Streamlining the process was a priority

Marketing Steps

-Met with English department and Director of the Writing Program-Asked questions

- What are students learning?- Are they writing a paper?- What 4 things can we teach them?- What can they learn in 45 minutes?- How will they be assessed?

-Evaluated the curriculum of the Introduction to College Composition Course-Addressed how we can develop a workshop to address learning outcomes-Collaboratively developed learning outcomes of 4 items

1. Market Research

Marketing Steps

•Targeting First Year Students

•Trying to obtain buy-in with them through English faculty and other academic departments

•Academic Advising

•Academic Support

•Writing Centre

•New Student Programs/New Student Orientation Office

2. Identify Targets (Segments)

Marketing Steps

•Visited campus departments (academic advising, academic support, new student programs department, admissions)

•Developed flyer, signage, brochure, web page

•Developed self-registration system via Google forms and Google sheets

•Developed schedule via Google calendar

•Developed quiz via Google forms

•Met with English faculty, attended meetings

•Posted flyers in faculty mailboxes and sent targeted emails

•Timed promotion on Social Media

3. Promotion

Assessment (measuring success)

•Number of students per workshop

•Number of workshops taught

•Number of evening/weekend workshops

•Analysis of quiz results

•Number of instructors who make workshop mandatory

•Longitudinal assessment of student progress

Themes of Relationship Marketing

•Engagement

•Obtaining loyalty

•Retention

•Transparency

•Open communication

•Minimizing conflict

•Long-term sustainability

Relationship Marketing and Other Library Services•NSO (New Student Orientation)

•Library tours (partnership with College Admissions)

•International Education Week Film Series with the College’s Center for International Service

•LIB 501 (our credit course)

•Library Instruction Program

•Library Liaison Program

Lessons Learned•English department asked for more evening and weekend workshops

•Revised quiz to reflect what English 111 faculty are teaching

•Created certificate to prove attendance

•English department asked about more online components

Lessons Learned

•Quiz is reviewed after class

•Re-visit promotional material and handout each semester

•Re-visit workshop quiz each semester

•Some instructors require students to take workshop

•Currently developing online modules to supplement “face to face” classes

List of sources Doyle, C. (2011). Relationship marketing. A Dictionary of Marketing, A

Dictionary of Marketing.

Ehrlich, Evelyn, & Fanelli, Duke. (2012). Relationship Marketing. In TheFinancial Services Marketing Handbook (pp. 145-156). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Kumar, V., & Reinartz, Werner J. (2012). Customer relationship managementconcept, strategy, and tools (Springer texts in business andeconomics). Berlin: Springer.

Olenski, S. (2013). This is the most important word when it comes torelationship marketing. Forbes Magazine, May 9, 2013.

Contact me!MarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.eduAssistant Professor & First Year Experience Librarian

Co-convener for 2015-2016ACRL National Library Marketing & Outreach Interest Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/acrl.lmao/

Chair, PR Xchange Committee, LLAMA PRMShttp://www.ala.org/llama/sections/prms/prms_committees/pr-xchange