People have been discovering the joys of books online since the early 2000’s. But it wasn’t until recently that we began to see a massive upsurge in popularity as more and more people found themselves working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With traditional libraries closing down, many people are searching for alternatives. Since the vast majority of books are available online, this is a goldmine for librarians.

And what’s more, these days, people are coming to depend on their libraries even more as they work remotely. As a result, we’re seeing record numbers of people visiting libraries and seeking out resources to keep them occupied.

Libraries are a priceless resource, well worth preserving even during these extraordinary times. To that end, we’ve compiled a list of tips on how librarians can market their online databases in order to make the most of this new era of discovery.

Know Your Audience

It’s essential to understand who your audience is and what they want. For instance, a lot of people love to read about World War II, so a library that focuses on that topic would be a natural fit.

In order to determine what type of content is popular, you can use a service like Hopper which offers a free demo account. With Hopper, you can search for any keyword or browse through top-rated content based on what your audience wants. This feature alone makes it worth seeking out.

Make Use Of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The SEO for libraries is rather simple: you need to ensure that your library’s website is set up correctly and that you’re utilizing the right keywords in your content.

There’s plenty of free help available online to help with the technical side of SEO, and we’d recommend seeking out a digital marketing agency that can take care of your entire digital marketing strategy for you.

Content Is King (or Queen)

You don’t need a fancy website or a digital marketing agency to pull off a successful SEO campaign for your library. All you need is high-quality content that’s relevant to your target audience.

An easy way to produce content for your library is to interview subject matter experts or conduct webinars on particular topics. However, webinars aren’t for everyone, so you might need to consider alternative ways to get the same results.

Curate Regularly Updated Content

Depending on your target audience, you may need to focus on publishing content frequently. Once a week, if you’re lucky!

Even better, some businesses suggest publishing content on a schedule, like a weekly blog post to keep your readers engaged. This way, they’ll always have something new to read and you won’t lose track of what they’re interested in.

In these uncertain times, people want to feel like they’re still in control of their daily lives. Since books are an anchor in many peoples’ lives, enabling them to escape the humdrum of daily life for a while, providing them with high-quality content that they can trust is essential.

Be Unique

In these strange times, people are looking for something new to engage with. And what is the one thing all humans crave?

Yes, we crave connection. Deep connection. To know that someone or something understands us and cares about us.

When creating content for your library, try and find a way to be unique, to speak to the needs of your target audience. Perhaps you can become the go-to source for your topic because you provide answers that no one else can offer. Or perhaps you can curate content from different perspectives which offers the reader a fresh new take on the subject matter.

Use Social Media To Gain Followers

This one is rather self-explanatory!

If you’re looking for ways to grow your audience, consider taking advantage of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. These platforms offer fantastic opportunities for content creators to engage with their audience, and for library supporters to share the news that your library exists.

Make sure your profile on these platforms fits the kind of content you’re expected to produce. For example, if you’re writing about social media, make sure that your Twitter profile indicates that you are an expert in this area. If you have a personal Facebook page which you use to share your thoughts on a variety of topics, make sure that your Facebook page’s “About” section fits what your audience is looking for. They’ll quickly realize that you’re an expert if you keep your tweets and Facebook content relevant to your target audience.

These tips will help get you started. From here, you can develop a game plan and take advantage of this newfound era of discovery which has emerged as a result of the pandemic.