Title: Real-Time Marketing & PR: How to Instantly Engage Your Market…
Author: David Meerman Scott

Verdict: A must-read for any library.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
If you like this try: Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable by Seth Godin.

See which libraries in New Zealand have Real-Time Marketing & PR (may not be available) and Purple Cow.

I found this book very easy to read and digest. It is full of recent case studies which illustrate the power of real-time marketing and how the best time to influence a news story is NOW – as it is breaking.

It also provides opportunities for libraries with little or no marketing budget, because what counts in today’s world is speed and agility.

“Senior management should be aware of what the world is saying about the company in real time – in both mainstream and social media. When the company comes under the spotlight, management and the PR team should be ready to react within the hour.” p.54.

The following scenarios (from p.32) reinforces this new marketing mind-set.
How would you react if, right now…?
* Your library is cited as “the best place to work” by your local newspaper.
* A customer raves about your customer service on an influential trade magazine web site.
* A well-known industry analyst says on his blog that your library is too difficult to do business with.

I certainly wasn’t clear how I would react, but it’s defintely given me some food for thought. A must-read for any library.