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I want to reach readers through email

← Getting Started
One of the most effective ways for a library to connect with readers is through email, whether through regularly scheduled newsletters that readers come to rely on (like NextReads newsletters) or through email blasts that announce a new library initiative, program, service or important piece of news.

Two email options



You can create emails in two sections in LibraryAware:
  1. Create e-blasts in the Folders section.

  2. Create newsletter issues in the Newsletters section.



Where you create your email depends on what other digital features you want to use, like book rivers (carousels), online archives, and more. We have a handy list to help you decide.


Add Subscribers
If you already have a list of email addresses that you would like to send emails to, upload your list of subscribers. 

3 ideas for growing your subscribers list 

  1. Add your opt-in page link to your library's website.  

  2. Ask people to subscribe when they get their library card.

  3. Post a message on social media about your emails/newsletters with a link to your opt-in page.

Find even more great ideas in A Guide to Connecting with Your Community Through Newsletters.


Example of an opt-in page with Newsletter Lists sign-up and Subscriber Interest Groups (for e-blasts) sign-up.




Include your NextReads newsletters 


Your opt-in page can also list the NextReads newsletters you’ve decided to send to your patrons. Use your NextReads newsletters to promote your programs and services too!


Narrow your audience for greater results


Targeting specific audience groups with your email lists will allow you to create effective e-blasts with higher open rates. Think parents interested in storytimes, teens wanting to join their own book club, adults looking for jobs, or those researching genealogy. Create subscriber interest groups with these audience groups in mind. 

 

Create e-blasts

Want to send information to a specific audience, send a one-time email, or send a newsletter-style news and events round-up? Create an e-blast in the Folders section. 



When you're ready, schedule your e-blasts to go out to your selected subscriber groups. If you make any changes to a scheduled email, make sure to reschedule.

Important note: Our Drag & Drop Email Editor allows you to create very long emails, but there is an upper limit to the length your email can be. If you have noticed that a long email is failing to post, it is probably too large to be sent successfully. You can tell whether your email is too long before you post it by doing a device preview. If a preview cannot be generated and/or you see this error message when you try to preview – “Error occurred while generating email preview” – then your email is too long, and you will want to shorten it until a device preview can be generated successfully.

Your emails should strive to be engaging and informational, but not too long as a best practice. Email services like Gmail will truncate or clip large emails and email recipients may not see all the content you have curated if an email is too long. 


Pro tip! Looking for an easier and faster way to create emails that engage patrons in new ways? When selecting an e-blast template, look for the purple corner indicator on the thumbnail for templates made for the Drag & Drop Email Editor. 



Training from LibraryAware


Check out our Email Marketing with LibraryAware training session, live or recorded, to learn more.



Create newsletter issues
Want to create a collection of newsletter issues on a specific topic? Create a newsletter list with your choice of colors and layout, then create individual issues. When you're ready, schedule your newsletter issue to go out to your newsletter's list of subscribers.





Measure your email marketing success
Once you hit the send button, how do you know if your emails are really helping your library reach its goals? The Reports section in LibraryAware makes it easy to gather and analyze your metrics to ensure you get the most out of your marketing and that you use your time wisely. 


E-BLASTS
  • Folder Metrics provides statistics on the emails sent by your organization from selected (or all) folders during the selected date range.

NEWSLETTERS
  • The Newsletter Send History report will provide you with statistics for selected (or all) newsletter issues sent during the selected date range.

  • The Newsletter Subscription History report will provide statistics on the number of new subscribers, unsubscribed, and current subscribers for each newsletter list during the selected date range.

Read our blog post about the three most important email metrics you should track.



Feedback and Knowledge Base

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