Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

I've been off of the board for quite a while for various reasons - I mainly had to go back into the job world, which I'm still in.

Just a couple of things. First, if Sandi is still on here, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about how I came across at one point - I believe I was out of order. I wanted to mention that first.

I have a question about a community site I started a while back. Now, I don't know the viability of community sites these days. I also had researched City America previously and found that many members were not doing well after I had contacted them.

However, I feel that I have great domain for a rapidly growing city, Henderson Nevada. Don Alm had originally suggested the city and the domain name to me. Please note that most of the business on there at this time are only samples.

Please, can anyone give me some suggestions on how I could make a real go of it? Otherwise, I suppose I'll take it down. I need some really strong ideas, and not just putting the weather on there, info about local shows, ect. I don't even know if classifieds would be a good idea or not.

If someone has any inclination to do a JV, I also would not be closed to the idea.

Anyway, here is the link - and thanks:

http://welcometohenderson.com/

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

"Go Video!"

Whenever I've mentioned "Websites" to local business owners, their reaction has been negative. They don't "need" one or they know some kid who'll "put a site up for them for peanuts."

HOWEVER....their whole attitude changes when I mention the words, "OnLine Video Commercial" for their biz.

Whether they have a site or not....their eyes glaze over, their WHOLE ATTENTION shifts to me..... and their reaction is, "How Much?"

So....instead of trying to "Fight" for customers....make it easy on yourself ....tell them you're putting together a "Video Website" with VIDEOS of local businesses.

And....even those with sites will WANT an "OnLine Video Commercial".

You don't need to go buy a CamCorder. Just a digital cam and PhotoStory3 or Windows Movie Maker...both Free.

Here's a couple of examples;
www.VideoSomething.com and www.WhatsHotSouthJersey.com

In fact....to help you get started, take your digital and go visit an independent-owned retail business. Go in and tell the owner you'd like to make a Sample Video Commercial of his business....at NO obligation.

Take 10 to 15 photos of the outside, inside and of some products. Put together a PS3 Video with Title, Text and background music. Burn a DVD disk.

Go to Wally World and pick up a Portable DVD Player (Phillips $80)

Put your DVD into the Portable DVD Player.....go show the owner. Explain you'll put this video ON your website for $590 which includes 3 months hosting. $295 now and $295 when the video is online.

2 of these a week and you have a biz that's putting $1,000 in yer jeans every week. And....after 13 weeks (26 orders x $590 = $15,340) you get to start collecting $75 x 3 = $225 for the next 3 mos, from every customer.

Works for me.

Don Alm

Re: Returning After an Absence, Question About Community Site
 

Thanks, Don - I'm glad to see you're still here. Actually if you notice, I do have a sample video or two on the site, but of course I'm sure I could do some better ones.

Could you or others suggest how I can promote the site (low cost and big time) and then convey that to owner? And if people have some more ideas, please keep them coming.

Re: Returning After an Absence, Question About Community Site
 

If I was the business owner you came to with that site full of nothing but ads, I'd want to know what's in it for me. You get the bucks for the ad, but what do I get?

The only answer that's going to make me write a check is, "Your ad will be seen by at least 800 Henderson residents every day. Here, look at these web logs and you can see the local traffic the site gets everyday."

I suggest you put up a forum where locals can rant and rave about practically anything that affects them and their town. People love local chat, as proven by the Topix forums. Here's a Topix example from my town.

Then you just have to let the locals know there is a place they can go to express their opinion about the new mayor, or the latest scandal with the school board. Tell somebody that knows somebody, and keep telling until the traffic builds. "Hey Mary, did you see the comments on the Henderson site about the city councilman caught with his hand in the till?" "Henderson site? What's that?" So you tell her about it and how to find it...and she tells a few of her friends. Few times of that, and you'll have some traffic to sell against.

Then, place the business ads in amongst the various threads.

Re: Returning After an Absence, Question About Community Site
 

I suggest you put up a forum where locals can rant and rave about practically anything that affects them and their town.

This sounds like a great idea that I'm going to seriously consider; thanks! ;)

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

The guys who operate http://www.videosomething.com do NOT need to draw people with a "chit-chat" site....and....they get BIG Bux for their vids AND their clients STAY with them.

Don Alm

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Thanks Marty.

What I would do is mix-and-merge a few ideas from
Don Alm, Linda Caroll, John Palma, Skip Rosell etc.
Lots of good ideas from them in the archives.

Google shows that you already have 2 worthy competitors:
http://www.cityofhenderson.com/
http://www.hendersonnevada.com/

Your domain name is weaker than them.

So you have to differentiate from them. At the same time, find a way to earn money.

1. I saw that you have a "Important Numbers" page on your website.
Could you put together something like:
http://makemoneyalert.com/mms/mmssl.htm
A magnetic sheet with ads on them along with a few important numbers?

2. Then give away these magnetic sheets to people to register at your website. You get their information. They become part of a community + get a magnetic sheet for free. You make some money by selling ads on those magnetic sheets.

3. Use something like Ning.com to create your website.
Give visitors a few reasons to stay:
* Forum
* Place where they can post news and links
* Where local events are shown
* Where people's twitter stream is merged with their a/c
* People can post classified ads

All this is provided by Ning. So I would say - create your website with Ning and you won't have much of a website creation headache.

4. You then earn money by providing:

* a local dating portal add-on (maybe something like Thread.com - but for local folks)

* and making a few categories of the classified section paid - when it becomes popular. (Learning from craigslist - you don't want to make the entire classifieds section paid. Just the real estate section.)

* You also earn money by making deals with offline shops - restaurants / laundromats etc. And send out their coupons by email to your entire list.

5. This brings us to the biggest question: where does the initial traffic come from?

You could probably use a grass root fish-bowl idea. You put up a fish bowl in local restaurants and shops. People can put in their business cards for a reward. And once a week - you can collect them and do some data entry to add these people to the website - and then mail the magnetic sheets to them.

Trying a joint venture with the local radio station should also work.

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Yes, I was having second thoughts putting the discussion on there, and the fact that you meniton those clients stay with them indicates they must be doing something right. I'm going to check this out thoroughly.

Hope things are going well in my old stomping grounds.

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Thanks, Ankesh, for this great info and your addressing this. I'm headed out the door to work right now - I'll plan to go over thoroughly later when I return, if all goes well! ;)

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Welcome back Marty - from someone who occasionally goes mia himself every now and then. :)

I think the idea of a local video site is great and it's something I've been toying with for forever - you've gotten some great tips from the others here already, but I'll add my thoughts and you're free to take what you like and leave what you dont.

For starters, I've never really liked those city america type sites 'cause I thought they had too much fluff and not enough real content. In my area there are no shortage of sites that list name, address and phone for everyone in town...but I've already got the yellow pages for that, why do the same thing while providing little else to stand out from your competition?

If I can get myself together here's the plan for what I want to do. Using wordpress you can get a great community site together. Offer local businesses a free webpage with a couple of photos and paragraphs. Everyone else will give 'em just a name, address and phone for free - here you can provide something of real value to them and your cost is next to nothing.

Offering a free detailed listing gives you a way to get a foot in the door and find out who the owner/manager of the place is, and it increases the odds they'll reciprocate and have more interest in what ever additional services you'ld like to sell them.

Now if you're going to offer video, please offer them real video - move still photos around and add music to it and you'll get a nice slideshow...but it's not a real video! Sure, you can do some creative things with sites like animoto...but that's still not real video in my book and it's something a business owner could easily do themselves.

If you're going to do video learn how to do it right, but you don't need to spend a fortune to get started. For $200 or less you can get a decent FLIP cam or a still digital cam that will also take video clips - and you can find free video editing software out there, or download a 30 day trial of something more powerful like Sony Vegas Platinum Pro. Make one sale and you've paid for the full version which goes for about $70 retail or less when they offer rebates. Spend $60 on a decent video tripod and for less than $300 total you'll have all the basics you need and you can upgrade as you go.

Just know that proper sound is important for great video and as soon as you can you might want to upgrade to a camera that'll let you plug in an external wired or wireless mike.

As far as pricing goes - my thoughts for a 1 minute video where I'm interviewing the owner while showing shots of their products services in the background - would be $30/month paid up front for the first year ($360) then continuing monthly after that. I think thats affordable enough that many people would want one just because they know their competitors have one, and if it results in just one or two new clients for them, it's paid for itself. I'ld also let them use the video on their website too in addition to listing it on their profile on the community site.

Take a look at some real professional video at www. bostonweb.tv - he charges $500 for a slightly longer commercial (2 - 5 min) but then they own it outright. I think you'll have to test and see what works best in your area, but when its so inexpensive to host video these days, I couldn't think of charging someone an arm and a leg to host it on my site...unless you can deliver them plenty of pageviews and new clients on a regular basis.

Oh, and for the $30/month i would think of charging someone, I'd also let them contribute informative articles to the website - the kind of thing that would really educate their clients and prospects and add value to my site while helping the search engines find it too.

Of course, once you've got that foot in the door with a free listing there are all kinds of other things you can sell them besides video. Email marketing help, web design for those that dont have one or want to redo their site, direct mail marketing - get your foot in the door as a trusted advisor and there's no shortage of ways you can profit from your relationship.

I'd also ask the businesses you signup for free to display or hand out flyers for your site where their customers can find them online - and you should also build two email lists of your own. One of the businesses you signup so you have an easy way of contacting all of them and can eventually sell advertising in it - and one of the locals that come to your site so you can provide them with info and special offers from the businesses on your site (and of course charge the businesses for advertising in it too!)

Sorry if I'm all over the place with all these ideas here, but hopefully you can find something of value in this.

Steve

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Steve,

I just got in from my long shift at work and have glanced at what you've suggested. It looks really great; I'm going to go over it in detail shortly, after I eat.

Thanks! ;)

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Re: Town Directory

1) Start out with the "Video Slides with background music".
2) Offer 3 or 4 Free Samples to start
3) Get an "Ego-centered" domain, "HendersonsBest.com"
4) Send a PostCard, every month, to "New Movers" with URL on it
5) Get a local Pizza Co to offer a "Buy 1 Pizza, Get 1 Free". Have viewers sign in for it and...capture their emails for add'l followup and offers.

And....don't be concerened about any potential customers "doing it themselves"....they have too much keeping their biz going to "fool around" with doing something you offer.

Don Alm

Gary Vaynerchuk + Vanksen’s Marketing 2.0 Trends for 2010 is everybody's Opportunity
 

Thought I'd Spin the subject line to make things more Applicable for Everyone on Google and SowPubs... :)

Marty,

Welcome back into the Entrepreneurial world...

As Ankesh suggested Make sure you Dig through those Golden SowPub archives...

Quick example... Some Great ideas in the following thread...
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthre...ht=LOCAL+VIDEO
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/search.php

But what I Highly recommend as so Many these days in Listening to and Studying everything from Gary Vaynerchuk...

Gotta love his Energy! ... Motivation... & Intriguing personality...

Gary Vaynerchuk's got his own Keyword database in Google well worth Digging into and Studying!

Quick link Sampling if you happen to be unfamiliar with Gary Vaynerchuk...
http://fora.tv/2009/10/23/CRUSH_IT_Gary_Vaynerchuk
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&t...G=Search&meta=
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc... ch_type=&aq=f
http://garyvaynerchuk.com/
http://tv.winelibrary.com/

On another note! ... Awesome Blog post and TED video full of Endless ideas & opportunities... ;)

Click on the Free PDF at the end of the blog post!

VANKSEN’S MARKETING 2.0 TRENDS FOR 2010 - Social Networks, UGC, Mobile, Monitoring, Blogs, Influence: The Complete Panorama
http://www.culture-buzz.com/blog/Van...2010-2463.html

Phil

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Don,

I like the idea of the postcards to the new movers. It's in line with being a mini welcome service without putting too much strain in it for me. I think it would be a selling point with which I'd feel confident. However, let me ask you this:

Do you think I should use (or give my clients the option) of including printed gift certificates that also go to the new movers?

I'm not worried about people doing it themselves, as I know they don't have a lot of time.

I'm going to have to find a way to put this into action, balancing things with my present work load. ;)

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Great advice, Phil, I'm going to check out everything. I remember that you and Ankesh (and of course Don) were very helpful, even beyond the "call of duty" in the past. ;)

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

True, but do think my name is leaning more toward indicating a welcome service or mini-welcome service and that if I incorporated something such as the small magnetic boards or postcard mailings (which I had contemplated previously) or including an option for printed coupons or gift certificates going to new movers, that it could be effective perhaps even better?

What or your thoughts on this?


Your other suggestions seem great. Again, I'm going to review it more later. Thanks for your great help! ;)

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Wow... it's been a long time since I visited the board.

A lot has changed for me over the last couple of years.

Just want to make a couple of comments.

The first is about how I ended up back on SOWPUB this morning, and suggest a tip that might be helpful for y'all.

First tip...

Set up a "Google Alert" for, at the minimum... your name.

I recently set up a Google Alert for my name as well as my offline business, and the comment from Ankesh that had my name in it popped up this morning due to the fact that he mentioned me, and my Google Alert caught it.

I clicked on the link that the alert provided, and found this thread and the discussion that Marty had started.

The Google Alerts are free, and you never know what might come of them... like this morning.

Since I set up my alert, I have been reading them everyday... thinking about the power of the alerts... and pondering how they might be leveraged into money making opportunities.

I have only been using them for a few weeks, so let me state right upfront, the following comment is just theory as of today (Jan 21, 2010) since I am just venturing into and experimenting with them and how they might be used.

But here's one possibility.

Let's say you have your own product, service, or even an affiliate product that you wanted to market.

If you created a number of Google Alerts that contained keyword phrases for your product, service, etc., then whenever a post was made in a blog or discussion group like this one, you might be able to capitalize on it and, using some "stealth marketing", make a post with a link to a squeeze page and make a few bucks.

I'm sure that with all the brainpower on this board, there may be other ways to use the alerts, so if you have a few ideas, maybe a separate thread might be in order... if not... no big deal!

Again, I'm just seeing the power of the alerts, so I may be way behind with my "new found cyber-toy"... there may already be folks that have developed the concept to a much higher degree, so I don't mean to imply anything other than the fact that there seems to be some possibilities with using the alerts to create some income opportunities.

Now, having said that, I will try and explain how this post relates to Marty's question and a few of the responses to him.

The movement of the comments and suggestions for Marty gravitated towards online video.

But I think that the "video" discussion sort of misses a bigger picture.

The bigger picture is what actually spurred on the reason I even set up my Google Alerts in the first place, and that is the whole movement... into social media and the new marketing models it is forcing local businesses to take, video being ONE of the new models.

A few weeks ago, I responded to an email from one of my local telecom suppliers (I have an offline phone system installation business) to attend a 2 hour session on "Social Media For Small Businesses".

The email wasn't full of hype, the 2 hour session was free, so I thought... what the heck... I'll sign up.

I thought there might be 25 people attend, as it was on a workday (a Tuesday), and was from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

I really didn't think it would be very well attended, and I almost skipped it... but decided to attend at the last minute.

Boy... what a surprise.

I walked into the place, and was SHOCKED!!!

Over 400 people responded!!!

The speaker was really good, but more than that, I was fascinated by the "hungry crowd".

The presentation was for an hour and a half, then they opened it up for 30 minutes of questions and answers.

Then the second shock wave hit me... and that was the enormous "haven't got a clue" questions that the attendees began asking.

Being a person who loves observing, analyzing, and poking around for opportunities, I immediately saw some BIG potentials.

Here were hundreds of business owners, obviously acutely aware of something they needed, and... based on their questions and comments of what THEY needed, they were looking for a leader... for someone who could help them navigate their "business boat" through the rough waters of an approaching storm that threatens to push them into the rocks and sink their business.

It wasn't an issue of how to thrive... but how to SURVIVE in the new social media frontier!

So Marty, don't just look at an online video scenario.

Grasp the fact that the bigger picture is... how can you position yourself as the person who can ride in on a white horse and save the day... wielding the sword of effective local marketing utilizing the power of "local" social media... video being just one of the tools.

Anyway, since the seminar, I have immersed myself in the task of getting my head around the whole social media scene (books, online blogs, social media articles, etc), and am now assembling a business and service focusing on how small businesses in my area can harness the enormous power of the whole arsenal of available social media weapons in the marketing battle they (we) find ourselves thrust into.

This social media thing is more than a new wave approaching the beaches of local businesses... it is a TSUNAMI that's coming... or really... is already here, and based on the questions OVER 400 people had... they don't have a clue as to how to respond to the threat!!!

I really think that if the seminar had been positioned as "How to use online video for your business" it wouldn't have pulled in 400 people.

I could be wrong... and it wouldn't be the first time :-)

Anyway, I am developing a whole new business to... well... maybe that's info that might need to be discussed on another discussion thread.

Please don't take my comments as being critical of anyone or any posts.

I'm just trying to expand my own horizon's, and thought I'd share a bit of my latest musings with you folks.

Just my 1.5 cents,
John Palma

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Yes! What REALLY keeps customers paying you...every month....is.... RESULTS!

If they see one of THEIR Special Offer Coupons come into their biz being held by someone who got it FROM YOU!.....YOU can bet yer bippy they will KEEP ON PAYING YOU! Month after month!

Now....besides the website you send a Giant Card, either 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 or even 8 1/2 by 11. On this Card are ALL Special Offers from your customers.

AND.....now here's the SECRET to PREVENTING your customers from saying or thinking, "Hey! Yer program ain't bringin' in many customers, we ONLY got 10 Coupons in last month!"

You place ALL your offers on ONE Card! There's a circle or box where your customers can check off....indicating the Special Offer has been used.

Now....when the Special Offer is checked....the New Mover TAKES THE CARD WITH THEM!....so your customers "has an idea" your program is working for him BUT....he does not know....exactly how many or how few people are coming in.....so...when your bill comes in for the next period....he PAYS IT!

Don Alm

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

When you said a site with traffic wasn't needed, I gave some thought to accusing you of selling crap painted up like strawberries.

But then I thought...Nah, why bother. Idiots will buy anything that looks like a strawberry to them, who am I to try selling real strawberries?

Thanks for clearing the air.

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Keep in mind that this approach will have the opposite effect too...

That is, if your program is working like gangbusters to bring people in, this approach obscures it... And the customer "has an idea" it's working, but can't be really sure that it is working very well, and so might be more likely to cancel your program as a result...

Just pointing it out. Even without considering the ethical side of it, it's a double-edged sword.

- Dien

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Hey Mr. BOZO,
The fact IZ....... you can only sell fake strawberries for so long before word gets out that its really crap.

Stay with the real strawberries if at all possible! When ever possible, dip them in chocolate to as to give the client a bit extra than they expect!!

Reporting from the field,
ggina

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Thanks Marty.

If you focus on new movers - then yes - your website URL is definitely better.
But for new movers - do you even need a website?

One time booklet with coupons and information is simple and good enough - no?

1. Find a source of data that lists all the new movers in the last week
2. Create a sell sheet and mail it to local vendors.
3. Follow up with these vendors and make the sale - they pay $x and you include their gift certificates / coupons.
4. Mail these gift certificates booklet to the new movers.

Why complicate things with a website? (Unless you think you can get a bit more from vendors if you throw in a website listing...)

You haven't mentioned affiliate programs
 

Hi, Marty - I notice that you are using wordpress for the site - and wondered if you had considered running ads via an affiliate program. For instance, it would be possible to sign up for one of the hotel programs and put in details for your local hotels, possibly also vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts.

People moving to your town need accommodation while they check out property; people living in the town, with visitors, might need to book accommodation for events such as wedding parties.

Creating a category for hotels and adding in one post per hotel promoted will allow you to use their keywords and marketing in your website which should also help the seo. Some of the hotel affiliate programs also provide affiliates with a lot of useful advice on local amenities - so it might speed up the content creation quite a bit.

Hope that's a new slant on things
best
Margaret

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Great info, John - thanks. I hope you can come down my area again soon. If so, please let me know.

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Ankesh,

Yes, this thought has occurred to me previously and I believe you're correct. People may not take the time or the effort to go to the website, and having somthing in their hands could be a lot better. A website could be added later on.

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Margaret,

It definitely is a new slant and worth exploring. Thanks for this valuable input.

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Marty,

You win the Most active thread communication Award for 2010! :)

Nice to see a Good mix of SowPubber's sharing Great information once again...

Just to add on to Margaret's ideas...

A few Excellent Local search engine related resources for Researching, Networking and Spying
on Endless other Local Blogs etc...

Creatively duplicate the Many Successful blog business models Simply by Adding a nice little “Twist” into a Fresh new idea... ;)
http://www.placeblogger.com/
http://www.metblogs.com/
http://local.blogdigger.com/index.html
http://outside.in/
http://outside.in/cities

Phil

Re: Returning After an Abscence, Question About Community Site
 

Great advice, Phil, as usual. I guess I joneust want to communicate with everyone who responded, and I also appreciate the value in what people have brought forth.