Marketing Workshops: Detailed information on content, timings and tech requirements

This page is designed for organisations who want a detailed understanding of the Strategic Marketing workshops I run for Libraries, Archives and Museums.

There is also detailed information on both Presentation Skills and Social Media workshops. You can email me on nedpotter@ymail.com to discuss booking any workshop, and keep in mind it may be possible to mix and match elements of the workshop types below.


Workshop description

This is a hands-on and interactive workshop which breaks library marketing down into manageable chunks, free of jargon and gimmicks. Above all the focus is on tying your library promotion together into effective marketing campaigns.

In the first half we'll look at marketing strategically as a non-profit organisation, and then work on segmenting your audience and tailoring messages for each group, simplifying key messages without dumbing down.

In the second half we'll look at social media before tying everything together in a strategic marketing plan. Delegates will get a template marketing campaign document to work on in the session and then take back to their own institutions to develop.

Everything in this training is designed to be applicable right away, whether you want to better communicate the value of a particular service, or to market your entire library.

Available versions

I run this workshop both in-person and online, and in both full-day (10am - 3:30pm) and half-day (10am - 1pm) versions.

By default this workshop is aimed at all library sectors. However I have run broader versions for the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museum sector, and versions aimed at specific sectors: public libraries, academic libraries, health libraries and school libraries. I also run a ‘Strategic marketing for OA publishers’ session. Just let me know if you’d prefer a particular focus.

If you’re booking an in-house version of this workshop - so all the delegates are from the same organisation - it will be tailored to focus on the areas of your choosing.

STrategic marketing


the Online version of this workshop

As the host organisation you would provide the webinar software (Zoom, Teams, Go-To or similar). I have a two-screen set-up (so I can always monitor the discussion and pick up on questions as they happen), high-speed internet connection and a high quality microphone. I can run the online training at a time to suit your time-zone!

This workshop does not require devices, so a ‘seminar' style’ room is fine. The only thing delegates need to bring with them is a pen.

This particular session relies a lot on interaction between delegates, and in my experience it works best if delegates are in tables of 5 people each. It can be 4 or 6, but somewhere in that range – 7 or more and it becomes difficult for everyone to be heard, fewer than 4 and conversation can be awkward. Ideally all chairs should be able to see the presenter screen!

The workshop is normally capped at 25 people to make sure I can get a chance to speak to everyone individually during the tasks and exercises: if you require the number to be bigger than this let me know and we’ll come up with a plan of how best to do so.

I will bring a laptop on which to present, and I’ll need a projector and screen supplied in the room.

Ideally the room will have wifi access and speakers I can plug in to the laptop: if either of these isn’t possible please warn me in advance so I can edit the materials slightly.

The in-person version: Room layout and technical spec


Feedback from previous Strategic marketing workshops

“Lots of useful information presented in a fun and clear away. I came away with my head buzzing with ideas for things I wanted to do, learn more about, or information I wanted to pass on to colleagues.” Bodleian Libraries, Oxford University

“Comprehensive and useful, at a level that is readily understandable. Lots of useful tools to take away. Really, really valuable. Great presentation style. Relaxed and informative, lots of practical examples and visuals" PiCS, Melbourne

“Cannot be improved! Perfect and I am leaving with loads and loads of food for thought.” NHS Health Education England

”Excellent speaker, great to hear from someone on marketing who is a librarian! So many ‘marketing experts’ just suggest things we cannot do in libraries because they don’t understand the restrictions we work under.” International Library and Information Group

“Very well delivered and paced. Ned was really engaging and the workshop was definitely useful and thought provoking. Really enjoyable session, I left with a lot of respect for Ned’s attitude and advice on communications and felt that it was really helpful to hear from someone who actually understands libraries and how librarians work!” University of the Arts, London

“Lots of insights! Tips and techniques too. Ned is a very warm and engaging presenter. Excellent slides.” CILIP, London

“Very useful - well paced, felt the presenter had a real handle on the subjects but could also relate to individual issues that arise from being a library set within a large institution. Pitched at a good level too - not dumbed down but not over my head either. Thank you for coming out to us!” Oxford Brookes University

“It was an excellent session, very well suited to the school library environment, very helpful. Thank you!” School Libraries Association

“My thanks for your wonderful workshop – it was more than useful, it made me think very hard about some of the preconceived ideas I didn’t even realise I had about Library marketing!” University of Salford

“I loved the content. It made sense, it was practical, and gave me lots and lots to think about. Best thing: we’ll DO something with it!” PiCS, Sydney

”Thank you. I learned a ton and will start using it immediately. So useful.” NEFLIN, Florida

“Make the speaker come more often for different subjects. Ned Potter was super!” Initiative Fortbildung, Berlin


Ned Potter is an Academic Liaison Librarian at the University of York, and a Trainer for various organisations including the Bodleian, the NHS and the British Library in the UK, and PiCS in Australasia.

His book The Library Marketing Toolkit was published by Facet in 2012. Ned can be found online at ned-potter.com and on Twitter at @ned_potter.

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Previous clients for whom I’ve run Strategic Marketing workshops:

UK: Bodleian Libraries Oxford, the NHS, the Welsh Government, International Library and Information Group, University of the Arts, School Libraries Association, Oxford Brookes University, University of Westminster, Leeds Beckett University, CILIP, Academic and Research Library Group, Awen Cultural Trust, Internet Librarian International, Library and Information East Midlands.

Elsewhere: the Latvian Ministry of Culture, LIASA South Africa, PiCS Australia, PiCS New Zealand, LIANZA New Zealand, NEFLIN USA, PCI USA, InfoPeople USA, Consortium of National and University Libraries Ireland, Norwegian Association of Academic Libraries, Unviersity of Oslo, Initiative Fortbildung Germany.

Trainer Bio