Pelland Advertising Newsletter

February 27, 2013

Late Winter Newsletter

There continue to be exciting developments underway here at Pelland Advertising. We are broadening our reach within existing markets while we simultaneously reach out to new markets. We also continue to introduce new products and services, some of which could certainly benefit your business. Finally, we would like to show you samples of some of our latest work in both website development and print advertising production.

We are pleased to lead off this edition of our newsletter with a guest article written by Mary Arlington, who is well-known within family camping industry circles and is the owner of small business management and marketing company, MMCC, Inc. She will share some of her thoughts on how to develop business relationships using the social media. With no further ado, you are encouraged to read on!

There Isn’t a Specific Recipe for Relationships, but ...
By guest-writer Mary Arlington, MMCC, Inc.

I’m very excited and honored to be visiting with you as a guest writer this month. Peter Pelland of Pelland Advertising and I have enjoyed many conversations about marketing, the power of the Internet, and you (his clients, in general), and now I’ve been invited to share with you!

As I write this week of Valentine’s Day, I’m reflecting on relationships. Genuine ones take time to develop and nurture. It’s rare for a couple to fall in love with just one visit. Yet, sometimes we meet someone and feel the immediate sense we’ve known them all of our lives.

Relationships are fickle like that. They all need nurturing, but most take a lot of time to nurture.

So, seriously, let’s not get frustrated when social media marketing takes a long time to get anywhere. Loyalty is slow to mature but, oh my, it’s such a pleasure to achieve! Would you like a few hints on achieving them on Facebook? There is no specific recipe, but here are a few tactics to consider.

I’ve seen some wonderful social media relationships gain their first ‘handshake’ in the winter months. People are more home-bound than any other time of year, holiday festivities are over, the movie list is shrinking, and surfing the Internet wins for the evening and weekend entertainment event.

I encourage you to be placing Facebook Ads to gain followers during February and March. Let the world find you!

Get them excited. Talk to them. Thank new followers for joining your Page. Ask questions. And always respond to their input, even if it’s merely hitting the comment’s ‘like’ button.

Search Facebook and “Like” a lot of similar-interest businesses, associations, news media outlets, and activities. Then be sure to use the “Home” button regularly to read your business’s NewsFeed. Like and comment on these as “Your Business” rather than as “You Personally”!

Another social media tactic is to run a promo for your loyal followers. Give them an offer not seen elsewhere; one that lets them know they’re very special.

I have helped many people jumpstart their social media efforts. Everyone complains about the time. Social media isn’t a megaphone. It doesn’t do you any good to stand on a street corner yelling your message when everyone has their windows rolled up! Social media is social time, and those who do it well for their businesses find some very loyal customers.

It all starts with a Like, but that’s merely the start.

Mary Arlington used to own and operate her own rural, overnight RV park which gained incredible attention through social media outlets. She now teaches and consults with small businesses through her management and marketing company MMCC, Inc. You can find her online at: http://www.MaryArlington.com, which has links to her Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn social media pages. She welcomes you to come and follow along (BTW, if you do, she would really enjoy knowing you’re a client of Pelland Advertising)!

When the Calendar Turns to March, It’s Time for the NCA Conference

NCA INVIGORATE 2013 - Inform, Influence & Inspire

Program Cover Design by Josh Pelland / Pelland Advertising

The year 2013 marks the 49th Annual Northeast Conference On Camping, providing three great days of educational seminars, networking opportunities, and the best regional buying event in the Northeast. The event will be held from Thursday, March 21st thru Saturday, March 23rd, at the Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Look for Peter Pelland, Charlie Davis, and Josh Pelland at the conference trade show on Friday and Saturday, where you will find us occupying Booth # 17. In addition to showcasing our latest work, look for us to be introducing a revolutionary new product to the industry at this event!

In addition to the trade event, Peter Pelland will be participating in the “Social Media Marketing Made Simple” seminar, presented by Corissa St. Laurent of Constant Contact, on Thursday. (Pelland Advertising is a long-time marketing partner of Constant Contact.) He will also be presenting the “Marketing Outside the Envelope” segment of “The Successful Campground Series” on Friday, and will be making a brief presentation about the story behind the writing of “Unconventional Wisdom Works” during the Massachusetts Association of Campground Owners (MACO) State Association Meeting on Saturday.

Signed copies of the book will be available throughout the conference, while supplies last. Click here for more information on the Conference, including a full schedule and registration materials. Please contact us if you would like to reserve a private meeting time outside of trade show hours during the event.

Introducing Three of Our Newest Clients & Newest Websites

We have been very busy at Pelland Advertising, trying to keep up with the flow of new clients and new projects while always first insuring that our existing clients are our first priority. Some of our newest clients – along with our newest websites – are previewed above. Pioneer Valley Wheel Repair is a new business that provides a full range of repair services for alloy wheels. Our initial projects for the client this small website, logo production, business cards, and NCR invoices. Lakeside Camping is a beautiful waterfront campground located in Island Pond, Vermont. The website includes zoomable site maps, an extensive photo gallery, and a very nicely presented nearby attractions page. Mike’s Tools is a distributor of hard-to-find specialty tools, located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The client’s first website is a small site that features interactive manufacturer’s logos, product and brand listings, and a tool request form. One thing that each of this sites has in common is the fact that each site is totally unique. Regardless of your type of business, rely on Pelland Advertising to make it looks its best online.

Our Newsletter Content Subscription Service Is Up and Running

As we announced in a recent newsletter, Pelland Advertising now provides newsletter content subscription services. Using Constant Contact, the industry leader in e-mail marketing services, we custom design a template for your newsletter, based upon the look of your website and never relying upon a simple variation of a pre-packaged free template. We then create and send out an average of one newsletter per month. Each newsletter will contain 4-6 articles of interest to your subscribers. We will promote upcoming events that either directly or indirectly relate to your business, include photos or videos (that you supply), provide new or updated information on your business and its product or service offerings, and direct the message toward a clear call to action. There are many more features than what we have summarize here. Click here to read the online version of the first newsletter for Big Timber Lake Camping Resort, in Cape May Court House, New Jersey to get a feel for the sense of quality that will represent your business. The service is highly affordable and results-oriented. Contact us for more information or to begin a subscription service for your business.

Unconventional Wisdom Works Is Now Available on Amazon!

Unconventional Wisdom Works – 25 Marketing Strategies to Build Your Outdoor Recreation Business Today is now available through a variety of outlets, including Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and all Espresso Book Machine locations. A Kindle version is also available at Amazon. Authored by Peter Pelland and Evanne Schmarder, the book has been widely acclaimed from within the outdoor recreation industry and beyond. If you haven’t already obtained your copy, it is now easier than ever. If you will be attending any event where either author is scheduled to appear, you may also obtain a signed copy at that time and location.

We Design Rack Cards Like Nobody Else!

At Pelland Advertising, we take rack cards very seriously. We design rack cards that call out from display racks and encourage people to take action, whether than means visiting your website, scanning a QR code, or calling to request more information. Each of our rack cards is custom-designed, and we offer some of the best prices available on reliably high quality combination run printing. Those prices are typically less than half the price of a comparable folded brochure. Distinctive features include 16 pt. coated stocks with 30% recycled content, UV coating and four-color printing on both sides, and an amazingly rapid turnaround time. Shown above are examples of rack cards recently produced for Fransted Campground, in Franconia, New Hampshire; Stateline Campresort & Cabins, in East Killingly, Connecticut; and Lake Waldena Resort, in Silver Springs, Florida. Click on any of the thumbnail images to view the front and back of each card, then call us to produce your next rack card project.

Pelland Advertising Is Spreading Its Wings!

Pelland Advertising Funworld Magazine Ad, January 2013

Pelland Advertising was so pleased with the response that we generated at the 2012 IAAPA Attractions Expo, in Orlando that we have already registered for the 2013 event! Following up on that presence, our latest ad (in the February 2013 issue of Funworld Magazine) is shown above. In addition to our IAAPA membership, we have also recently joined or are in the process of joining the Association of Marina Industries, the New Hampshire Campground Owners Association (NeHaCa), and the California Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (CalARVC).

That’s it for this installment of the Pelland Advertising newsletter. We look forward to keeping you posted with another newsletter before long. In the meantime, we hope to see many of you at the upcoming Invigorate 2013 NCA Conference. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us to suggest new ways that we may be of service to your business. If you find this information to be useful, please forward a copy to your friends and business associates so that they may subscribe. Thanks!

Peter Pelland and the Staff at Pelland Advertising