Marketing Strategies

Here are some ideas for marketing your Goodreads Group

• Cross linking to the group website makes it more visible. Place a link to the Goodreads group on your library homepage and on your library blog. 

• Change the background image of library computers or the screen-saver to something related to the group. (maybe an image of the group page or a written link to the group.

• Add an icon to the desktop (such as the one on the left) that acts as a hyperlink directly to the group homepage.

• Bookmarks are an easy way to create awareness of the group, however it is not convient for users to type in long links that they read on the bookmark. So instead of providing the link on the bookmark the library could say 'Check out our group on Goodreads! Find us on the library homepage' As long as the library has a Goodreads icon that is clear and links to the group on their website users will be able to find it.  

•  Email/newsletters is another way to promote the group.

• If you are an academic library it is a good idea to send someone around to talk to various departments on campus. For instance, the English department may be very interested that the group exists, and the library can ask professors to mention the group to students. Collaboration is key!

Promotional Needs

If you want to create a temporary home for titles featured on your Goodreads group (as the Sage Libraries did with popular fiction) it is important the library have a good space in house to display their Good Reads Bookshelf.

Facing the front door is best to grab the patron's attention. The books can have a special sticker on them to designate them as part of the "Good" Reads collection. (Maybe the sticker can say Good or Good Read). You will also need paper and a printer for bookmarks.

It would be worth contacting Goodreads to see what types of promotional materials they could offer. They currently have bags, stickers and t shirts, and I think if they know your library is promoting them to users, they would share some of these items!