I’m a seat of the pants journalist – my training was as editor of the Post Falls High School newspaper back in 1975! This blog is one of several finalists in the 2017 Best Construction Blog competition. In the event you have been entertained or have learned from my articles, your vote would be appreciated at: https://constructionmarketingideas.com/the-pole-barn-guru-blog-how-to-combine-business-and-technical-insights/ (scroll to bottom of page).
Mark Buckshon of www.constructionmarketingideas.com penned this review of my blog, which I will share with you:
The Pole Barn Guru blog: How to combine business and technical insights
March 8, 2017
The Pole Barn Guru blog
Mike Momb‘s Pole Barn Guru blog for Hansen Pole Buildings, LLC demonstrates how a business can combine marketing, technical support, and business insights into an effective blog.
This Minnesota-based business specializes in prefabricated kits for “pole buildings,” which can economically serve as barns, garages, storage sheds, and even homes. It just takes a few weeks from order to delivery — the website offers several standard models for shipping, and a custom-design ordering service.
Blog topics include follow-up customer service reports, technical question answers, and some business insights and history. I especially enjoyed reading Momb’s description of how he got the business started in the early 80s just as the major Reaganomics recession at least temporarily virtually ground the housing business to a halt (when interest rates soared above 20 per cent).
This post describes how Mike Momb started the business from scratch.
With my final paycheck, I was able to pay our family bills current and had $50 left over. The local “free advertising” paper would allow me 3 weeks of credit, if I paid for the first week’s ad up front. I decided I couldn’t do any worse than the people I had worked for, and right then decided I was going into the pole barn kit business. Now granted, I had no business location, no inventory, no truck, no anything….all I had was an ad in the local free newspaper! The first week I sold three buildings, got down payments from the clients and… I was in business! One of my friends was in real estate and located six acres of highway frontage on Highway 99E just north of Canby, Oregon which could be rented reasonably. Paying first and last month’s rent, I now had a place. The Chevrolet dealership had ordered a lumber delivery truck for the local yard, who had not taken delivery on it. With a small down, they got me financed on the balance and I could deliver. M&W Building Supply Company was a reality!
This entry has had more than 50,000 views to date. The top post (with more than 100,000 views) is Pole Barn Truss Spacing.
A recent post describes an interaction with a client concerned about the building’s capacity for load bearing and wind. in Panic Mode, We’ve All Been There, Momb provides clarity in explaining the standards and that the building will meet the requirements — but if the purchaser wants to pay more, the higher load factors could be accommodated for an upgrade fee. What I like here about this example is how he takes a real situation that may apply to others and demonstrates thoughtful and comprehensive research and knowledge in answering the questions.
Overall, this blog does what it should: I’m sure certain entries/posts have good search engine traction; leading potential clients to the company to begin the relationship. And if you already are a client, the blog reassures you of the business’s values, traditions, and service focus.
You can vote for The Pole Barn Guru blog and others of your choice on the ballot below. Voting concludes March 31.
The kindest of your vote here is greatly appreciated: https://constructionmarketingideas.com/the-pole-barn-guru-blog-how-to-combine-business-and-technical-insights/
