People Do Still Read Email! Email Marketing as an Academic Library Outreach Tool

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Within the ever-evolving universe of 21st-century social media, e-mail marketing continues to play a critical role in how organizations in the corporate world communicate their brand to their customers. How can libraries leverage this powerful communication tool with their users? In 2010, the William H. Hannon Library at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) sought to answer this question, and launched their monthly e-newsletter Happenings @ Hannon. Since its inception, the subscription base for Happenings has increased 400%, the newsletter has an open rate of over 35%, and the library continues to receive recognition for its success both on-and off-campus. In this chapter, readers will learn about decisions made before publishing the first issue; how LMU librarians developed and continue to grow the mailing list; resources and workflows needed to publish regularly; and how the impact of Happenings @ Hannon is assessed at LMU. Integrated throughout are suggestions and best practices for librarians considering launching their own periodical e-newsletter.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCreative Library Marketing and Best Practices
PublisherRowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages93-104
StatePublished - Sep 2015

Publication series

Name Best practices in library services

Keywords

  • email marketing
  • academic libraries

Disciplines

  • Library and Information Science
  • Public Relations and Advertising
  • Social Media

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