Publicity and Advertising

After investing a great deal of time putting an event together, it is important to market it properly. The following are guidelines for thinking about publicity and marketing. As always, talk to Marlo Welshons with any specific questions or concerns.

Publicity

Each year, GSLIS is host to events that appeal to a wide variety of audiences—from student meetings to conferences of national interest. Each event needs to be publicized to the appropriate audience, and the Office of Publications and Communications can help get the word out. They provide publicity on campus and also work with community and national media either directly or with help from the News Bureau.

For publicity purposes, there are two main types of events.

The first is a major conference that will include a call for papers and require participants to register. If you are planning such an event, please speak with Marlo as soon as you can to determine what kind of help you may need, and at what stages you need the help. If you need to issue a call for papers or need to generate publicity in advance of a conference registration, the Publications Office will need notice at least 3 months in advance of the registration or call for papers deadline.

The second type of event is the more common of the two: a free, public event, such as a lecture. Here are some general rules that apply:

Lead time

The sooner the Publications office has information about your event, the better. Here are some dates to keep in mind:

• If you want to list your event on the GSLIS and University’s calendars, let the Publications Office know 2 weeks before your event.
• If you want to contact campus, local or national media, please give the Publications Office 6 weeks notice.

Audience

It is important to identify as many possible audiences for your event as you can. This will help the Publications Office to tailor their efforts to best serve your event.

Information

Providing the Publications Office with as much information about your event as possible will ensure you reach your audience. Make sure to include a short biography of your speaker (and let Marlo know if photographs are available), a general description of the conference highlighting its main subject areas or an abstract of the lecture, and any Web sites that may be helpful. Preparing a press release is much easier when you have all the information at hand.

Conference Web Site

Most conferences benefit from having a Web site where you can post a call for papers, registration information, and the conference program. If you are interested in creating a Web site for your event, see Marlo, who can advise you on options for hosting a site on the GSLIS domain.

Listservs

Posting an event announcement on a related listserv can be a very effective publicity tool. The Publications Office can review your post for consistency of message.

Advertising

Display advertising can be part of a publicity plan, though it is only appropriate in select circumstances. It requires both room in the budget, and months of lead time. If you are hosting a major conference, and are unsure if advertising is appropriate, see Marlo. She can help you decide if advertising is worth your investment.

Ad rates will vary from publication to publication and is based partially on their subscription numbers. A quarter-page, black-and-white ad in American Libraries is $2175. In Library Journal, a half-page black-and-white ad costs $2600. (These numbers are approximate as of August 2005.)

Advertising in a scholarly journal that is devoted to an area of study that intersects with your conference is a more economical option. These rates are much more affordable, yet obviously reach a smaller and more specialized audience. For example, in the Journal of American History, a half-page ad is $425. In portal: Libraries and the Academy, a half-page ad is $265.

Completed ads are usually due to the journals between 1 and 4 months ahead of publication. Please check the journal’s Web site for deadlines. If you are interested in placing an ad for an event, please talk to Marlo about the cost and process of getting the ad designed.