I have two main purposes for Conway Scene. The first main purpose is to tell the stories of every day influencers and inspiring entrepreneurs. The second purpose is to help small, local businesses grow and create more awareness for their brand.
Conway Scene has been called a lot of things, such as a Facebook page, a podcast, a blog, but really we are much more than that.
Conway Scene is an online platform that includes lifestyle news, a podcast, a small business directory, and the area’s most comprehensive community calendar.
I built Conway Scene this way because I am building something for the future. Dream ideas include having a local job board, work with non-profits, and digital marketing training.
There are many businesses in the Conway area and there are lots of ways to market those businesses. Some of you will go meet people, shake hands. Others will use promotional products. Some use word of mouth and lead generation groups, all excellent ideas.
The first main purpose is to tell the stories of inspiring entrepreneurs. The second purpose is to help small, local businesses grow and create more awareness for their brand.
Finally, many will use various online methods or take out ads in media publications.
When I started Conway Scene, and I pondered how I would generate revenue, there were two early ideas.
First, there was affiliate marketing. I have actually made money using affiliate marketing, and I know others who have generated a good amount of revenue with affiliate marketing. It can be a solid way to make money.
Second, I thought about using Google and other PPC ads. These would be placed on Conway Scene and you would see them when you visited. Sometimes those ads are very annoying (see any media website).
I have one big problem with using these two methods for Conway Scene, both of which I have used previously.
The big problem I have is that money that I generate will go to companies and businesses outside the Central Arkansas area, and in most cases, in other states.
If I want to help businesses with Conway Scene, I want to help businesses in the Conway area.
The second purpose, I mentioned above, is to help small, local businesses grow their awareness and their business.
Therefore, I have focused my efforts on this area.
The effect of articles and exposure have real world success.
One business owner we did an article for said she picked up a few new customers and a former customer was reminded to return to her store.
Here is what Renee Little of Magnolia’s Consignment said:
“It’s hard for small businesses sometimes to come up with the money that it takes to advertise, so being mentioned in articles that share what’s in our community really help us get the word out, and remind people that we’re here!”
So with this in mind, what are some reasons you should partner with Conway Scene?
1) Local
Did I mention we are local? My name is Todd Jones, and I am the publisher of Conway Scene. I have embraced that title as of late.
When you partner with Conway Scene, take out sponsorship or utilize other options, you are spending your money in the Conway area.
Just like you, I live and shop in Conway, and we use student writers from the University of Central Arkansas. Partnering with us is partnering with the Conway area.
2) Evergreen
Different from print, our articles don’t get tossed in the trash or the recycle bend. We launched in 2017 and have not taken down a single article. Actually, looking at the history of the articles is kind of like taking a trip through time in Conway.
3) Targeted market
Your market is the Conway area. Some people come to our site from other parts of the world, but the people I care about most are the ones who live in this area.
We write our articles for folks in Conway, Greenbrier, Vilonia, Mayflower, Morrilton, and all the communities between.
Wanna know why it’s called Toad Suck? We have an article about that. Wanna know who’s playing Toad Suck Daze in the spring? We give you that information.
Where are the best places to see lights during the holidays? We have that too.
4) Content Marketing
According to the Content Marketing Institute,
“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”
Content marketing is exploding as a strategy for marketing for businesses. In fact, it has been exploding for some time.
It doesn’t seem to slow down, either. According to HubSpot’s State of Content Marketing in 2022, 90% of marketers use content marketing and “plan to continue investing the same amount in the channel in 2022.”
There are two reasons. One, the way consumers buy has drastically changed the past decade. Two, content marketing has proven to work, but it can be a long game.
Truth is, you already use content marketing. Conway Scene extends those strategies.
Consider it a boost to what you are doing.
See more statistics for content marketing here.
How can I partner with Conway Scene?
1) Become a sponsor.
Become a regular sponsor, meaning you remain a sponsor for several months or choose to sponsor something like Haynes ACE Hardware did for the calendar.
Interested? Fill out the form below. We have a 4th quarter rate sheet ready to send.
2) Become a content partner.
We already have one content partner, the Natural State Update. We post each of their episodes.
Would you like to share your content with our audience? Click the form below.
3) Include your events!
Seriously, if you are a Conway area organization and you have community wide events, submit them to the calendar. If you publish a news release, you can send us that too.
4) Holiday Gift Guide
What is the Holiday Gift Guide? This is something we publish every year after Thanksgiving. It is your chance as a local business to put your favorite or top-selling holiday gift in the online guide. This is the 2021 gift guide.
5) Listen, read, and share.
This one is easy to do. Simply listen to the podcast, read the articles, and share with your family and friends.
6) Email newsletter.
Sign up for the email newsletter. We send updates each Monday morning. Are you a business/organization? You can sign up for our brand new newsletter for those as well.
Wrapping it up
We look forward to working to help your business grow in customers and awareness. If you are interested in partnering with Conway Scene, fill out the form below and we will get back to you.
Todd is a copywriter, content strategist, digital marketer and the Publisher for Conway Scene. He enjoys coffee from the local coffee shops, learning the stories of new friends, pro wrestling, and dirt track racing.