Is your library planning for upcoming services, programs or events? They’ll be more successful if you know what sorts of things the people in your service area truly want and need. Great marketers and planners don’t guess what people want, and they don’t presume to already know. They ask!

Still, doing a “simple survey” isn’t all that simple. If you don’t know how to write and ask the questions, you may find out later that you didn’t get any actionable data. Marketer and wordsmith Kathy Dempsey can prepare you to avoid survey pitfalls. Sign up for this webinar so you’ll understand the tactics:

• Every word you choose matters.
• Beware of open-ended questions.
• Always avoid library lingo.
• Never ask about “interest.”
• As the same question more than once.
• Write, test, tweak, repeat.
• What makes people take surveys?

This webinar will also touch on how to distribute surveys to get good response rates.

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Presenter: Kathy Dempsey is a consultant and trainer through her business, Libraries Are Essential, and is the author of The Accidental Library Marketer (Information Today, Inc., 2009). Her work is dedicated to helping librarians and information professionals promote their value and expertise in order to gain respect and funding. Kathy has been the Editor of the Marketing Library Services newsletter for 24 years and was formerly Editor-in-Chief of Computers in Libraries magazine. She also blogs at The 'M' Word, and is an active member of the New Jersey Library Association.