We often hear the term 'status quo,' but in fact on almost any topic you can imagine, there is movement either backward or forward. The quality of a school, college, or business, the polling data on a political candidate or the status of a career or industry are typically advancing forward or slipping backwards. The same is true for your manufactured housing career, business, event, association, etc.

Our Looking back post drew a number of responses. While there was significant praise for the topics tackled, some of the comments, messages and calls were critiques, which we appreciate because those can be useful and insightful. The coach who only says good things about the person being coached is likely not doing her or his job well. If the only feedback you get is praise, it may over time ring hollow and fail to keep you moving forward.

It is as important to look at problems as it is to look at opportunities. It is as important to consider in a balanced fashion what's wrong as it is to consider what's right and where the potential may be.

Ideally one of the purposes of a trade journal – print, online or e-magazine (e-zine) – ought to support and sustain the progress of professionals career, business or associations. Those considering an investment in an industry often turn to trade publications for insights. Those doing research may call a trade publisher as well as calling a state, community or national association.

This is true in manufactured and modular housing as it is in automotive, real estate, medicine or any other field.

The credibility of the publication – and today, that means an online website – can reflect for good or ill on the industry it serves.

When news is always "good news," a savvy reader/researcher knows better than to think that the sun shines 24 hours a day. Life is fluid, so there will be currents and eddies that are moving ahead, while others that are backward, stagnant or polluted.

A certain amount of self promotion is necessary for every business. Radio stations and TV channels promote upcoming events. They tell you what they are number one in. Print or digital news media tell you what's up and coming too. They tell you their subscriber and readership statistics, etc..

But when a website or blog is all about the publisher and everything else is secondary, that type of 'source' will be discounted as self-serving. If the content of a trade publication is generic, too advertorial or exists mainly to sell advertising, that too proves over time to be a limiting draw back.

From day one when we launched what has evolved into MHProNews.com, we have featured multiple topics, numerous featured writers and a variety of news sources. More quality content and different viewpoints are better. The bigger the stage, the broader the presentation and options for a variety of viewpoints. Depth and breadth are critical for credibility, mutual benefit and broad appeal.

I loved the Manufactured Home Merchandiser Magazine when it was still in print and I learned a lot from it, as well as periodically contributed to it as a writer (I practiced what I preach). Certainly other good publications have come and gone. The Manufactured Housing Institute's (MHI) Modern Homes was a slick, quality publication. I'm impressed by what I see in the Texas Manufactured Housing Association's new MH quarterly. Certainly value can be found in other publications and sites too. Gary Fleiser's Modular Home Builder for that side of factory built housing are among those that come to mind.

But to my knowledge, no other publication in our industry's history has provided more breadth of content and depth of writers than MHProNews.com brings you. That benefits everyone involved! That broad stage we provide is why we have had over 1.1 million visits, over 7.5 million page views and over 20,000,000 'hits' since we went live with our new site format in Oct 2011. Owners, executives and professionals like what they find, so they come back for more and tell their associates to do the same.

So as a result, today, we have more professional readers than all similar MH trade media resources combined.

This one stop shop for Industrynews, tips and views you can use is good for your career, business and association. That's good for the Industry!

But there is always room for improvement. We want to keep improving and evolving.

That requires more engagement from more professionals like you! You and others will either help move our industry – and this trade media platform that passionately serves manufactured housing – backwards or forwards.

When a compliment comes in, one of my standard replies has to be to thank those who write, submit news and those who sponsor us.

Yes, we as owners or business pros did 'build that!' But we don't do something of this size and scope solo! So when your tip of the hat comes to me, my response has to be that it goes to all of those who help make this happen for you and our factory-built housing industry.

That's not modesty, that's reality.

This evolution is humbling and exhilarating, all at the same time. Because as Mary McBrady said:

"Tony really is pulling the MH industry together with thoughtful comments; suggestions; ideas on key topics that need addressing at the local, state, regional and national level. I applaud the work that you are doing…as the network grows, & grows & grows. You are an inspiration, with timely ideas and follow-through. Keep up the great work!" ~ Mary McBrady, Executive Director, MMHA Mass Manufactured Housing Assn.

The compliment speaks volumes about Mary herself. But in reality, if you read her kudos carefully, her compliment goes to all involved here at MHProNews.com, including readers like you, our writers, aligned trade associations and sponsors. Thanks, Mary and to all those who send similar private or public words of encouragement.

Which brings me to the next point of backwards or forwards.

Let me touch on two bases: inside and outside communications.

Inside communications

We as professionals must communicate effectively within our industry.

Meetings and events are a part of that process. So we personally go to those events as often as invitations and scheduling permits. The recently concluded Texas Manufactured Housing Association and RV/MH Hall of Fame events will be the subject of featured articles and photo reports we plan for our September issue. Both were insightful and uplifting, in their own unique ways.

We will attend – present at – and cover other events, such as the upcoming Iowa Manufactured Housing Association annual meeting and the 2013 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show.

The educational, business building opportunities that such events bring are always worth more than the time/treasure needed for attendance. I hope to see you there.

By the way, I love the Louisville Show's theme this year, the Money Tree! Those who go, will grow! Need more green? Then dive into the full Louisville scene.

As of this writing, no other event brings together a wider array of business building educational opportunities along with the largest indoor manufactured home show in the country. There are reasons why the seminars in 2012 were often standing room only. Beyond seminars are dozens of homes and dozens of more companies on display. It will once again be the largest indoor trade show in the country, all there for easy comparisons.

MHI's new Chairman of the Board and MHI's CEO Richard 'Dick' Jennison will be at Louisville, along with dozens of movers and shakers you can chat with in person. Virtually every aspect of the industry is there, so it truly is like no place else on earth!

So we want to encourage and see as many people go to such events as is humanly possible. The future growth of your career or enterprise can move forward in the direct proportion to the engagement you have in such events.

If you are moving backwards and not forward, is it because you aren't sufficiently engaged in such association and business building activities?

But what about moving forward between events? That is another place where trade media comes in! But let's segue and talk about hoarding.

Hoarding

We have thankfully seen a number of fine quality OpEd items in our Industry Voices guest blog. We routinely see a strong line up of truly informational Featured Articles. These are done by wise, seasoned GIVERS. The opposite – those who hoard knowledge – are a little like those who hoard love. Love in the best, purest sense grows by giving it away. Similarly, while you may not give away a patented trade secret, you as a professional certainly do want general knowledge shared as widely as possible!

Why?

Because, for example, you do WANT that other person's manufactured home community – as well as yours – to become better managed, more professional and nicer! Ditto for retailers or any other aspect of our industry.

The more we collectively improve, the more we all gain in public respect. That results in more opportunities, individually and collectively. We can't legislate this, but we can encourage it through the profit motive, as we touched upon in Looking Back.

'Knowledge is power' only when used! Knowledge results in more power when it is shared! 'The rising tide raises all boats,' EXCEPT those boats tethered too tightly. The rising tide will sink any overly anchored ships.

Know someone who is too anchored to some outmoded past process? The metaphor above may be their aha moment.

We are either moving backward or forwards.

So 'giving away' some time or insights in the form of articles – or videos – to your peers here via MHProNews.com is an investment in the future of the giver and the receivers. I did it myself dating back to the 1980s in various trade publications, so again, I've practiced what I preach.

The point is that together we have done well, but can move forward and do even better.

More quality content, the more Industry news tips and view pros can use, the better.

Similarly, sponsoring content here arguably drives not only direct business opportunities to the sponsors, but also indirectly drives the enhancement of the Industry. So sponsors get more than one form of Return on Investment (ROI).

Let me say a challenging word, that may seem self serving, but when analyzed, is an entirely logical one.

Anyone could do what we have done, you'd have to invest time and a solid 6 figures to do it right, but you or anyone could do it. Or, you could save time and money and synergistically team up with us as our writers and sponsors do. This is simply a fact. It takes less time, less money, less effort to team up than it does to 'go it alone.'

When I went to the RV/MH Hall of Fame, I bought a brick. Dick Jennison set the example, it never really dawned on me before, but then my light bulb went off, I saw the wisdom and followed Dick's lead. The Hall of Fame is a potential treasure trove for us, just as it already is for the RV industry.

A $250 investment in a brick at the RV/MH Hall of Fame by enough pros could make the MH side of the Hall as amazing as the RV side already is. This is another example of how 'teaming up' accomplishes our promotion faster and for less than some other ways.

Please pick up the phone, call the Hall at 800-378-8694 or 574-293-2344 and just do it. Or if you haven't seen how amazing it is and need a little more of a nudge, check out the article we will run in our upcoming September issue. Then do it. Pay them now, or pay them later, but please do it. A little from a number will benefit them while benefiting us all.

The same principles holds true here with us at MHProNews.com and in what follows.

Outside Communications = Public Relations and Business Building

The biggest shame on us for the past 20 years has been the fact that we failed to invest in more professionalism and in an image campaign. We need more of both!

Image without professionalism is limiting, as is professionalism without a good image.

We won't go into the 'reasons' an image campaign hasn't happen. We will simply say, it was time to stop waiting. So we do professionalism building news, tips and views here daily. We have launched our own start to an image campaign at Manufactured Home Living News or MHLivingNews.com for short.

In just a few months, MHLivingNews.com has become number 3 on Google for this keyword search, please see the graphic below.

MHLivingNews.com = Re-Discovering and Spotlighting the MHLifeStyle

To get a page one on Google result this early on bodes well for the potential of this site! Because when the traffic grows and grows, so will the benefit to all in the industry. But those who are or will be directly involved will benefit more, as is only right and just.

YOU – together with our peers and colleagues – can help us, help you, help the Industry move ahead faster. Here are some of the ways how you can advance MHLivingNews and yourself:

• Links to the site from your website. Share a link with us, let us know, and we will share one back to you from that site.
• Support via ads and good content. Ads, articles and links to you and your business from a great target audience. This is a no-brainer, as are the rest of these 4 ideas.
• Blogging, tweeting and sharing on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest the link to stories or videos.
• Putting the web address of MHLivingNews.com into your broadcast emails and newsletters to residents, prospects, clients and others.

Don't put your lamp under the lamp stand

This phrase of ancient, biblical wisdom tells us not to put our lamps under a lamp stand. The first time I came across that phrase, it didn't make much sense to me. But over time, I realized that this is exactly what you or I do when we hide some truth that needs to before fully shared.

We must define ourselves or others will define us.

All too often the media and a 'not in my back yard' (NIMBY) public defines us. So is it a surprise when public officials don't embrace us with open arms?

But the reverse could also be true!

When we tell our story well then we help define – and improve – our careers, business and opportunities. This isn't theory. This is first hand experience with the mainstream media that have written good stories, just because the time and effort was made to properly engage them.

Chicago Sun Times News Group and Moxie Magazine,
examples of dozens of positive MH published articles.

When we tell our story well, guess what else happens over time? More value for our customers! They want to feel good about where they live! A good image enhances resale values too.

Let's take a 60 second Looking Back glance at the topic in my last post.

The manufactured home photos at the top of this collage come
from the same community as the one in Looking Back.
If the entire community looked as nice as these photos, that community
would instantly become a more appealing and attractive housing choice.
But even as it stands, which neighborhood would you rather live?
The 'site built' houses at the bottom, or the manufactured homes at the top?

Even this less than stellar managed manufactured home community looks better than the photos of the neighborhood that these conventional site built houses are located! When we get our house in order, engage the media and the public and properly, we can explain easily explain why we are a better path for the future for tens of millions of Americans.

We can break down the stereotypes – and reverse the energy in our favor jujitsu style – but only by working smarter and by teaming up with other forward looking industry professionals.

There are certain steps and goals we have been patiently building towards now for almost three years. That building process includes the involvement and support of writers, aligned associations and sponsors.

Backward and Forward Looking

We routinely reference or link articles, news or posts by others and myself. That is a kind of Looking Back, but it is routinely done with problem solving, forward looking solutions in mind.

Our September 2012 issue will have the most diverse and strongest line up of authors and content we have had, all in time for the 36th month since we went live with our publication. Examples:

• Not one, but two university level studies of eye-opening importance.
• Our usual array of Featured Articles in management, marketing, sales, fair housing/legal, community, inspirational and general Industry topics.
• A photo report of the recent RV/MH Hall of Fame event.
• A photo report of the recent Texas Manufactured Housing Association annual event.
• A look at how we can move from 60,000 new home shipments to 3-6+ times that level and sustain it for the next twenty years.
• Plus a possible exclusive from a Congressional legislator that we've been promised, so you won't want to miss it.
• More!

As noted before, I love a good print publication.

But print simply can't do what digital trade media can do. Print can't deliver all this content. Print can't deliver downloads and videos or 3D mimicking slide shows. Print can deliver pin-pointed, trackable results. The one thing that – say a print newspaper gives you – that we can't is ink on your fingers when you are done reading…

…all the rest is delivered best via a good digital platform.

Which is why the fastest growing audience in online media are the 55+ and retirees! All the others are already online, looking for news, comparison shopping and more.

We do this all for you and the great Industry we serve. This is and must remain a team project. All engaged are part of the great team that can carry us forward.

This is the time to catch the wave. If you care, this is the time to share.

Life is fluid. The wave will carry us backwards, or forwards. Planning, engagement and sound execution are among the keys.

Backwards or Forward. Which direction will you and your associates go? ##

L. A. "Tony" Kovach
MHLivingNews.com=Re-Discovering and Spotlighting the MHLifeStyle
MHProNews.com = MHMSM.com = Industry News, Tips and Views Pros can Use

Services:B2BandB2CAds, Proven MH Marketing & Sales Systems, Websites other Industry Solutions.

Office –815-270-0500
latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
LATonyKovach.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach= connect with me on Linkedin.

http://pinterest.com/latonyk/manufactured-home-lifestyle/

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Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right. – Henry Ford