The Cutting Edge of Online Marketing

For well over a decade pros in our great Industry have discussed doing something akin to what the RV Industry has accomplished with their GoRVing campaign.  MHI invested significant coin in studying the idea not many years back.  The desire for the campaign among owners, executives, professionals and associations in our industry is nearly universal. 

Even before we launched MHMarketingSalesManagement.com (MHMSM.com), we have been planning and planting seeds for the long overdue manufactured home image and marketing campaign.  Our name and tag line itself suggested what our Industry needs for turn-around and success: MH Marketing Sales Management Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals. 

So why don't we already have one?

One key answer?  How do we pay for it? 

That has been a big rub.  Many believed that HUD Code manufacturers should all gather hands and pay, passing the costs on through their invoices.  But the factories clearly did not get that to happen, for whatever reasons.
Let's shelve that whole uneventful history, because we have quietly been working with Industry leaders from coast to coast to building consensus for a plan that can change positively:

• Improve our public image,

• boost our sales,  PLUS

• increase our political clout in DC, state and local capitols as well.

We have temporarily dubbed this plan the MH Alliance and Phoenix Project.  The idea is simple enough, and we will be holding GoToMeeting (webinar) online sessions to review the power point of this concept. 

The essence is this.  The MH Alliance will bring together:

• Manufactured and mobile home owners (HUD Code and pre-HUD Code homeowners)
• Manufactured housing professionals and
• Manufactured housing associations together for a joint effort to inform, promote and protect the interests of manufactured housing.

All of the quotes below in favor of this concept are used with permission.  All have already seen the power point, had a chance to discuss this in detail, and have given their feedback and eventually, these words of support that you can read below:

“It is obvious that the interests of manufactured home owners, businesses and industry associations have many common points.  Here in New York, we have home owner groups as part of our association.  There is no doubt we need to improve our Industry's public image and create more happy homeowners. Having reviewed the MH Alliance concept, I see merit to this approach.  This is an idea worthy of the effort to make it a reality.”

- Nancy Geer, Executive Director, NYHousing.org

“The idea of mobilizing a national network of homeowners has great potential.  Are there pitfalls?  Probably.  In my opinion it should be explored cautiously, but it should be explored. This is a group of people who are wholly invested in manufactured housing – they have an equity position that may increase or decrease depending on media portrayals, public perception, government action and availability of financing.  In many respects the interests of homeowners are aligned with the interests of the industry.”

- Mark Bowersox, Executive Director, Indiana Manufactured Housing Association

 

“When Tony first brought up the concept of an image campaign, I was less than enthusiastic for a variety of reasons, primarily believing  it would be a waste of money and resources. After seeing the MH Alliance/Phoenix power point presentation, I was astounded. He has a program that can work, and will work with the right industry support. The leaders of this industry need to act like leaders, put aside their personal interests, and enthusiastically support this program. If they do, it will make a significant positive difference in the way our industry operates, the way the public views us, and ultimately in industry prosperity. What he has is nothing less than a game changer.”

- Ken Rishel, Rishel Consulting Group/Precision Capital Funding

 

“Tony, I had the opportunity to review your MH Alliance/Phoenix Plan PowerPoint presentation.  As always, a good job!  If we as an industry could come together and support this MH Alliance concept as we have traditionally supported 'industry trade shows,' think about the good that this plan could accomplish to advance our Industry.” 

- Dennis Hill, Show Ways Unlimited.

 

“As a manufactured home owner myself, I want to be the very first person to join the MH Alliance.  The MH Alliance/Phoenix Plan is a visionary approach that has the potential to reverse our Industry’s sales trend while benefiting millions of Americans.  I think home owners, Industry professionals and associations should all get behind the MH Alliance program.”

- John Bostick, Sunshine Homes

 

Besides those mentioned above, others have promised their own statements of support for this MH Alliance and Phoenix Project.  We have professionals from finance, insurance, communities, retail along with association leaders and others who have stated their interest and support for this unique approach.  As one person privately said:

“What is their NOT to like about this?”

I recently launched a discussion on LinkedIn about doing an MH Image, PR and Marketing Campaign.  Everyone who has posted has been in favor of doing something!  All have been owners or executives.

Odds are you are thinking pretty much the same.  This is long overdue.

Let me say one more thing that those who posted on LinkedIn would no doubt be interested in hearing. 

The Phoenix portion of the plan has a simple yet ambitious goal. To get to the root cause of what ails our great industry.  We can't just band aid over problems any more.  We must do the right things, time after time after time.
So we will NOT make this available to just 'anybody' or just 'any company.'  Don't misunderstand.

Those who want to be involved don't have to be rich and famous to participate.  What it means is we will have STANDARDS.  Marketing, Sales and Business Best Practices.  Those standards will help insure the practical success of this plan for the retailers, community operators, developers, suppliers, lenders, insurance, associations and other professionals who will WANT to be a part of promises to be a historic effort.

Because the last thing we need is a program that takes off like a rocket, and see it come crashing down.  We want professionals who are willing to do and say the right things, time after time, to be a part of this program.

If you are interested in learning more, please post your name and email address below, or send me an email at Tony@MHMSM.com, and we will share the schedule for an upcoming GoToMeeting webinar.

Learn more so you can earn more.

The MH Alliance/Phoenix Project.  This can be the rebirth for our Industry.

We believe we can take our new home shipment levels back from under 50,000 to over 100,000, 200,000 – and more – shipment levels in a strong, steady fashion.
I want to draw towards the close by making this observation. 

Some of the players who have stated their support are in the MHI camp, others are in the MHARR camp of the Industry.  Some are independent of any group or organization.  While each speaks for themselves and their company, don't you find it promising that we can find common ground on this type of important program?
I do!

My hats off to each of you who have taken a public position in favor of this project.

My deep and abiding thanks to all of those who have contributed their time, experience and wisdom to help devise and refine a plan and program that can become self-funding for Industry success.

 

 

There are always pros and cons to everything.  Let me share the dark side for a moment.

• Sales have plummeted over 86% in new home sales since 1998.

• We have lost about 90% of manufactured housing retailers.

• Dozens (hundreds) of manufactured home factories have closed. 

• Vacancies grow in manufactured home land lease communities.  Some MHCs look like ghost towns. Some are facing closure, some are in forbearance and bankruptcy.

• If we don't start selling more new homes, given low sales and production levels, we will run out of 'cheap' used homes.  Many markets already have run out of 'cheap' repos and used homes.

We can't afford to just keep doing nothing to change our fortunes!  We need positive action, and we need it asap.

Take the first step.  Learn more.  Get the facts.  See why others find this idea to be 'a game changer' for the manufactured housing industry.  If you after you have seen this plan, and you think you have a better one, just say so!  If you have ideas on how to make our MH Alliance/Phoenix Project better, that too is welcome.

 

 

In the subject line of your email, please put  MH Alliance/Phoenix Project of your email to me, Tony@MHMSM.com.  Or if you prefer to post a comment below, you don't have to publicly show your email, I can access it via our Disqus system.

Let's do it. Thank you. # #

Blog post submitted

by L. A.  Tony Kovach
Connect with me on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

“And all the changes keep on changin
and the good old days, you know they’re gone.
And only wise men, and some newborn fools
say that they know what’s going on.”
~ Harry Chapin, Changes

“Then you better start swimming
or you’ll sink like a stone.
For the times, they are a-changin’”
~ Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-changin’

Let’s face it, folks. The manufactured housing business as you once knew it is relic of the past. A memory, often cherished, but meaningless in today’s world.

The rapid pace of change in our industry and economy, and even our place in the world has left many of us stunned and disbelieving.

But change doesn’t stop because we can’t keep up with it. Those who fail to adapt to change will be swept away.

About the only thing we can guarantee is that the speed at which change comes at us will only tend to accelerate.

In turbulent times, when the earth seems to shift under your feet and you can’t seem to find an anchor to hold on to, you ned a source of information and interaction that can help you keep up with the changes going on around you.

Your state association is one example. State associations are doing their best to keep up and keep you informed. Make sure your membership is up-to-date and remember that for your association to best serve you, you need to be an active member.

Another great way to keep up is through MHMSM.com. At MHMSM.com, some of the most respected voices in the industry can be accessed as nowhere else. As an interactive media, MHMSM.com gives you the opportunity to actively participate in the debate.

As old doors close, new ones open. Will you be there to see what is behind those new doors?

To quote Bob Dylan again,

“Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’.”

Last Thursday, I posted a video from WordPress.tv, Selling with a Blog that featured Howard Howell’s presentation at WordCamp Seattle 2011. In it, Howard gives his reasons why he thinks using a blog to sell whatever it is you sell is a good idea.

I agree with Howard that using a blog to sell whatever is a great idea, but just how do you apply it to selling homes off a retail lot or in a land lease community?

Basically, the same way you’d use it to sell pizza, cars, site-built homes, widgets or anything else you can think of.

The most basic rules of selling haven’t changed. But the method of getting prospects into your location to begin the selling process has. Some time-honored methods, such as newspaper advertising, Yellow pages ads and such just aren’t working in most markets anymore and their continued decline is assured.

While smart businesses continue to use legacy marketing methods for as long as their return exceeds their cost, now is the time to begin looking at the ways marketing to prospects will be done now and in the future.

Old-style websites were static and were updated rarely, if at all. That type of website is still useful for organization static data, such as image galleries, product information, floorplans, feature lists, etc.

But without a dynamic, relationship-building component, it won’t be nearly as effective as it could be.

And that relationship-building component, while composed of several items, finds its anchor in a dynamic, ever-changing website known as a blog. I’ve defined what a blog is several times before, but for the benefit of those who’ve missed it. I’ll define it again:

A blog (short for weblog) is a series of web posts (articles) arranged in reverse chronological order. That’s it – it’s that simple.

But in that definition is the secret of a blog’s success as a lead generation tool.

The simple fact that you need to keep your blog updated on a regular basis gives you that many more opportunities to strike a chord with a segment of your readers. And the more of those chords you strike with potential customers, the better your chances of making a sale.

So what do you write about? I’ve covered this in previous posts, but it bears repeating. If you’re blogging for a community, write about everything that happens in and around that community.

Profile residents who do something special, feature residents hobbies or their efforts to improve their homesites, review area restaurants, community events, etc. Use your imagination and you’ll never run out of ideas.

Be sure to link your blog to you Twitter and Facebook accounts, place some videos on YouTube and use them in your blog posts, place ads for available homes or homesites on Craigslist with a link back to your website.

And this goes for retailers as well – every home in your community or on your lot should be photographed and posted to your blog, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. When you sell a home, photograph the happy new owners with or in their new home.

Get releases from everyone in those photographs and use them.

Never miss an opportunity to tell your own story over and over again until it becomes an expectation. You’re the best at what you do, right? If you are, let the world know. If you’re not, find something else to do.

Howard Howell, that Sales Guy, speaking at WordCamp Seattle 2011.

My last post, A Manufactured Housing Image-Building Campaign Can Start Locally and Now!, spoke about the possibility of starting a long-awaited image building campaign for the manufactured housing industry right now on a local level. Shawn Cisco commented with his observation that the expectation of a national TV campaign. like the “Go RVing” campaign was an outdated notion.

Shawn cited the book “The Purple Cow” by Seth Godin as a source of 21st Century marketing information and speculated that a national TV campaign would be doomed to failure. I believe he was 100% right with that observation.

The famous “Go RVing” campaign continues to serve that industry today. But that brand was made during the hey-day of television advertising, a media that is slipping in influence almost as fast as newspaper advertising.

Even Mr. Godin’s book is now behind the curve in several ways, mostly doe the rapid pace of change in how people receive information. But the underlying premise of the book – to create an exceptional business model based on a superior idea – is as valid as ever.

And the businesses he cites as examples, including Apple, JetBlue, Dutch Boy, etc. continue to dominate innovation in their industries, joined by relative newcomers, such as Facebook.

In this week’s Economist, an article on the 100th birthday of IBM talks about how Big Blue’s longevity (despite a few “near death” experiences) owes much more to it’s philosophy of “the big idea” rather than “the product.” The article further discusses likely candidates in the technology quarter to eventually celebrate 100th anniversaries, such as Apple, Facebook, etc. because they adhere to the same basic philosophy.

The idea is to take an existing idea or product, wrap it in a simple and elegant package with “Wow!” features and sell it at a premium price. There are several home manufacturers doing this right now.

But this alone doesn’t generate the kind of uniqueness that Seth Godin talks about as being necessary for success in today’s world.

For instance, there are now about a million foreclosed homes on the market and more are coming. These homes are selling for considerably less than the average market price which in turn has retreated by a third in the past few years.

Much of the “pent-up demand” for homes is likely to be absorbed by these homes over the next several years.

So how does a home manufacturer convince the public that buying a brand new, Energy Star-rated, manufactured home is a better idea than buying one of these foreclosures with all of their “deferred maintenance” issues?

What is the “Wow!” factor that will set one manufacturer on the road to dominance in the industry?

What is the “purple cow” that will create the demand for the product and what will replace that “purple cow” when it turns brown and fades into the pack of ineffective features and techniques that we all know so well?

The manufacturer who solves these has a bright future.

The same holds for communities and retail operations. What makes YOUR service or community unique or special? Is it so special that it makes your business stand head and shoulders above your competition? Is it engrained in the DNA of your business or just tacked on?

Think about it. You may have to begin again from scratch, sitting down and pretending that today is the first day you’ve been in business. What do you do, starting today to build your business knowing that most of yesterday’s marketing methods no longer work very well?

Some of you will find the answers and will be around for years to come. Some of you won’t. It’s up to you.