One of the industry’s well-known personalities told me the following. “Tony, you’re a crusader. I’m the merchant, the one who sat at the side of the road during the Crusades, doing business with everyone that would go by.”
It was – and is – an interesting point.
Since stating the obvious can bring clarity, so consider the following.
The Manufactured Housing and Modular Home Industry needs both Merchants and Crusaders.
- If you loved, hated, or were non-plussed by what we do as the industry’s runaway leading trade publisher, the merchants would still have tons of reasons to be visible on and support MHProNews, and/or on MHLivingNews.com.
- If you’re already a Crusader and love what we do, then you absolutely need to be engaged with us at every level – reading, sharing and support.
The Original Crusaders in History
Without the crusaders in the Middle Ages, Europe would have been overrun by that era’s sword-wielding jihadis. Had those invaders beaten the crusaders, the world would have become a radically different place than we know today.
The accounts tell us that the crusaders were far from perfect.
But their efforts saved Christendom. Christian Europe in turn helped shape a culture that – while also not perfect – was and is more inclusive than those Islamic medieval forces, and more so than almost any other you’d care to describe.
Example: Ask a Jew, would you rather live in:
- Soviet Russia?
- Nazi Germany?
- A radical Islamic state?
- Or in a truly Christian society, which respects your right to stay a Jew?
Many of the State of Israel’s best friends are evangelical Christians. But I digressed.
Crusaders and Merchants in Manufactured Housing
The point is the world needs Crusaders! Those who will defend or attack as needed for the right cause.
And the world needs the merchants! Be they more-or-less political or activist types, because the business of America is business.
Healthy measures of manufactured housing crusaders and merchants are desirable. Without both, the industry will never achieve its potential.
Which brings us to the roll-out of MHProNews.com version 3.0
MHProNews Version 3.1…coming soon!
Pardon what may sound like pride, but facts are facts.
MHProNews is already the most bodacious, biggest, baddest, broadest and the best.
Who says? You and thousands of others by being here. You and your peers vote with your browsers and handheld devices. Even while we’ve been unavoidably idled/down for the new site switch over these last few days – which took longer than hoped – readers like you came by the thousands to MHProNews every-day.
By:
- tackling the topics others don’t,
- offering a variety of viewpoints (we’ve had writers critique and criticize us, on our pages),
- taking a stand on what ought to be right and true,
- willing to admit errors,
we have built a broad audience based upon trust and engagement. It’s also where those outside of our industry – investors, public officials, media, researchers – routinely come for insights and information.
Third-party analytics tell us that we get over 200% more page views than others in media, almost 3x the click-throughs on our emails, and more than 150% more opens than others in the news media.
Those third-party metrics are all votes of confidence.
Controversy brings more eyeballs, so long as it isn’t controversy for its own sake.
So, merchants, the controversy helps you. Crusaders – you know that the controversies are the only way the dirt pile swept under the rug will ever hope to get cleaned up.
Its axiomatic. The same old-same old will not produce a new result. To reach half-a-million or more shipments a year, we need merchants and crusaders leading the charge for profitable, value-oriented change.
We know the template. We as an industry should keep serving the entry market well, but the key to big growth is to attract more customers who could buy site built housing, because that’s the majority of the housing market today.
The truth be told, I’m both crusader and merchant. You might be too…
Merchants, and Crusaders! Unite!
The best is yet to come on the new MHProNews.com. Please scroll all the way to the bottom of the home page to see all of the new features.
We will be rolling out new features on the blogs and elsewhere in the days ahead. We hope those upgrades and improvements will continue right up to the point of my death, and for decades beyond.
Crusaders! Merchants! Tallyho! ##
By L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
Managing Member,
LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC dba:
MHLivingNews.com | MHProNews.com | 863-213-4090
