Word‐of‐mouth marketing: abandoning the academic library ivory tower
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to dispel the perception that academic libraries do not need to market their services and resources; to acquaint academic librarians to the concept of word‐of‐mouth marketing and its potential for academic libraries; and to share a word‐of‐mouth marketing academic library success story.
Design/methodology/approach
Includes an introduction to the concept of word‐of‐mouth marketing and its application to academic libraries. Also includes how one academic library successfully employed this marketing technique.
Findings
Provides an introduction to the word‐of‐mouth marketing strategy and its usefulness for academic libraries. Shares a real‐life success story of academic library word‐of‐mouth marketing.
Practical implications
Useful as an introduction for academic librarians to a specific type of marketing strategy that works well in a college/university setting and provides some successful techniques of word‐of‐mouth marketing for academic libraries.
Originality/value
Helps fill a void relative to using marketing strategies in an academic library setting and offers suggestions on how to do this successfully.
Keywords
Citation
Alire, C.A. (2007), "Word‐of‐mouth marketing: abandoning the academic library ivory tower", New Library World, Vol. 108 No. 11/12, pp. 545-551. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800710838272
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited