The Benefits of Being on the Healdsburg Map

I’ve been around Healdsburg an awful lot this summer and I’ve been talking to locals and business owners alike. And lately about I’ve been talking to business owners about advertising on my Map of Healdsburg project I’m working on with Hotel Healdsburg.

The concept was that I would make this printed map as a starting point for the advertising revenue structure for the website. I’ve had to figure out my story. I’ve had to sell myself. What I was surprised at–however, was that I had to sell the benefits of being online.

Maybe I haven’t made myself clear when I’m pitching my ideas and what I’m trying to do. But basically, here are the benefits to advertising on the first edition of the printed Healdsburg Map:

• The printed map will be distributed by Hotel Healdsburg and any other subsequent advertiser and distribution point I can arrange for as long as 10,000 copies last. I’m only charging $150 for the space. Some people feel that’s too much. Some people feel that’s too little. Regardless, that’s the fixed price for the first edition.
• The map will appear in various multimedia forms on my website.
• I also want to use the content from my first 60 advertisers to structure my content strategy and advertising on this website for the next few months.

Let me explain the benefit of appearing on the website. You’ll be in my archives and any subsequent stories I publish about you or your business will remain in my archives. When I eventually get my ranking strategy sorted out, and people find my site (and therefore your business), not only will they see your “paid advertising”, they will also see all relevant content (stories, pictures, what have you) that gets published along with it (related articles, random posts). For example, check out the bottom of this feature article on Mateo Granados. This is called long-tail content (content that gets found-even after it’s been published (or printed) and has moved off the home page.

Also, I’d like to start educating Healdsburg about building out your websites to incorporate some web 2.0 features. For some people–that means blogging. For others, it means developing either an internet marketing strategy or a content development strategy. It means telling your story NOT ONLY TO THOSE people who walk through your front door, but to anybody who WANTS TO COME TO HEALDSBURG. Why wait for them to walk by? Until you actually have a mobile presence and then–you can do that. But that’s another topic entirely–don’t get me started there.

Regardless, I have found that Healdsburg has an appalling lack of quality content on the internet. HOW ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO FIND OUT ABOUT YOU? And where you are? And relate that to wanting to meet you when they do spend the time and money to visit?

I started this site to showcase everything local and interesting about Healdsburg. With the MAP project, I’m adding some historical depth to the content (mainly about wine) existing already out there. Without stories and history, where would we be now? I’m working with Bo Simons–the Wine Librarian. We have some great content planned. I’d like to work with the Healdsburg Museum–researching and writing about some interesting historical buildings and characters–there is so much potential–it just all takes time and support to build something with integrity that is authentic and useful.

So. That’s my plan. I hope you support me as I am trying to find ways to support you. It’s sort of like that quote from Bottle Shocked: “If one wins, we all win.”

Related Posts

• 22 September 2008 -- The Cheese Shop: On the Map (0)
• 9 September 2008 -- Topel Winery Tasting Room - On the Healdsburg Map (0)
• 6 September 2008 -- The First Few - On the Healdsburg Map (0)