Americans are changing the way they communicate, are you?

My new mantra lately has been that libraries need to communicate to their customers and stakeholders continually and through multiple channels. I just saw this survey by Ask Your Target Market (AYTM) that offers some convincing stats.

Preferred method of communication for everyday conversations? 

• 43% of Americans said that their preferred to speak to someone in person
• 22% said that they prefer to speak with people over the phone
• 21% said they prefer text messaging
• 12% said they prefer to speak to others online. 

 That's pretty amazing since they are asking how people want to communicate for everyday conversations- not just how they like to hear from brands. 

"50% of consumers said they think being constantly
connected with technology is mostly helpful."

Source: AYTM  


The survey also indicated that 92% of the people agreed that the way they communicate has changed over the past five years! While libraries can't possibly effectively communicate through every possible communication channel, I always recommend that they create a core plan that promotes programs and services through print, email and their website. Depending on the audience they may want to include Pinterest and Facebook but unless you are going to work on creating interesting content, those channels will take more time than they are worth.

The secret weapon to this formula is creating effective partnerships. Aligning with the right organizations will expand the reach for both parties.