How to Send the Best Communication at the Right Time
Engaging with patrons is important for libraries to get right. Sending the right communication, in the right medium, at the right time is as important as keeping shelves stocked. Several factors can influence the deliverability and likelihood of a patron opening a notification from your library. Taking patron preference, combining it with the right form of communication, and getting the actual content of the notification right are all important steps in the chain of best practice of communicating with your patrons. MessageBee from Unique is the tool that can take you from start to finish in the process of patron communication.
Demographics and Age
It’s no secret that different age groups have distinct communication preferences. Younger patrons will often prefer digital communication channels like email and SMS. They are more accustomed to digital communications and prefer the convenience of receiving notifications directly on their smartphones or devices. Libraries can fit into young patrons’ routines like social media or other digital notifications and stay relevant in their day-to-day lives. On the other hand, older patrons may still prefer traditional methods like print or phone calls. By offering a range of communication options, libraries can ensure they reach patrons of all ages and demographics effectively.
Personality and Preference
Beyond demographics, individual personality traits and preferences also play a significant role in communication preferences. Some patrons may prefer quick, concise messages delivered via SMS, while others may appreciate more detailed information provided through email or print newsletters.
Maybe some patrons want a reminder for their holds, or pre-due notifications, while others may just want a newsletter or branch-specific notifications. Phone notifications may be preferred by those that have limited access to the internet or don’t have a smartphone, or for the visually impaired. The value of MessageBee comes with the range of options that best suits your patrons.
MessageBee Email
Email from MessageBee brings your email communications to life.
Transactional and newsletter-style marketing emails make your message stand out in any inbox.
MessageBee Phone
MessageBee phone makes the library even more accessible to all. With notifications in English and Spanish, your library can communicate with patrons that prefer to hear a voice on the phone.
MessageBee SMS
Ensure your SMS messages are getting delivered with MessageBee SMS. Simple, clean, and 10 DLC compliant messages are trackable and actually get delivered, unlike SMS messages from an ILS.
Get Communication Right With MessageBee
MessageBee has already established itself as the definitive patron communication tool for libraries, designed to streamline communication processes and enhance patron engagement. Whether patrons prefer Email, SMS, or Phone notifications, the all-in-one tool of MessageBee makes it the best option for communicating with all of your patrons. By combining with your library’s ILS, MessageBee makes sending transactional notifications a set-and-forget task.
We have updated the user interface to make it even easier for library staff to create eye-catching emails that inform and engage. The new drag-and-drop designer makes it easier to bring your emails to life, and the back end of our SMS notifications is also designed with the future of deliverability in mind.
See the Newest Features in Action
Join Rob Klaus and Melissa Fenton on June 18th at 2:30pm Eastern time as the give a demo of the new and improved version of MessageBee.
Communication Built for the Future
As cellular carriers start to phase out the popular email-to-SMS gateway that ILSes use to send text messages, delivered notifications are going to drop. On top of limiting the number of emails that your library can send; cellular carriers don’t support any kind of visibility into SMS delivery. This means that your library has no way of knowing if text messages are being delivered or not. It’s like playing tennis in the dark. The only thing worse than not sending patrons communications, is not knowing whether your library has sent a communication or not.
That’s where MessageBee comes in. MessageBee’s SMS functionality is built to the new 10 DLC standards, which was set by cellular carriers over the last decade to modernize Application to Person (A2P) text messaging. It is a cheaper, more flexible solution for users, but requires technical setup and support and a verified sender. This is where Unique excels. We have done all the legwork of setting up as a verified sender so that our clients can reap the benefits.
Customizable Notifications
One of the key features of MessageBee is its customizable nature, allowing libraries to tailor notifications to meet the unique preferences of their patrons. Whether it’s sending reminders for overdue books, event notifications, or marketing newsletters, libraries can choose the communication channel that best suits each patron. MessageBee’s flexibility in different notification types is the key to your library’s communication success. We made it easy for anyone to create eye-catching and colorful templates for communicating with patrons. MessageBee emails look great, and the information is quick and easy to understand, so your patrons will be more likely to read and interact with their emails or text messages.
Boosting Patron Engagement through Communication
By offering multiple communication channels through MessageBee, libraries can effectively boost patron engagement and foster stronger connections with their community. Whether patrons prefer digital notifications on their smartphones or printed notices delivered to their mailbox, MessageBee ensures that libraries can reach them wherever they are. With patrons receiving notifications in their preferred medium, they are more likely to open, read, and interact with it.
