STAFFORD -- County leaders in Stafford say there's a loophole within Virginia State Code allows massage parlors to perform sex acts such as masturbation to paying customers known as a “happy ending” massages.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance making it illegal for massage parlors from performing these acts.
“We have a growing prostitution problem in Stafford County it’s a quality of life issue,” Commonwealth Attorney Eric Olsen said.
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BizTech
I previously wrote about the pitfalls of business blogging and why you might want to exclude it from your marketing plan. But if blogging doesn’t fit with your marketing and business strategy, what should you be doing to rev up traffic to your website?
In this article, I want to give quick overviews of three solid alternatives to blogging. Blogging has its place, and it’s often the go-to source for kicking up a website’s marketing efforts, but it’s no the be-all solution.
Alternative #1: White Papers
White papers are somewhat of an oldie. But it’s an oldie that still works wonders. For those who are unfamiliar with white papers, they’re executive style reports that can range from a couple of pages to hundreds of pages. Their purpose is to distill thought leadership as it pertains to a particular service, technology, idea, or some other topic important to organizations.
White papers are popular with technology-focused businesses. For example, McKinsey & Company regularly posts white papers on the subject of healthcare technology.
One important thing you might notice on the McKinsey website is that their white papers are under lock and key. You must fill out a form to gain access. This is where marketing comes into play. In exchange for some of your information, McKinsey hands over their documents. I expect McKinsey would then use that information to facilitate product and service offerings to anyone who fills out their form. It’s completely legitimate, and it’s a win-win for both the reader and the company providing the white papers.
What could you write a white paper about? Think abut trends in your industry – perhaps some underlying currents rippling through the marketplace that the general public doesn’t know about. Topics such as those entice your potential customers to want to read more, especially if the information holds something of value for them.
Check out the SBA’s website for more useful tidbits on using white papers to market your business.
Alternative #2: eBook
Yes, the dreaded eBook. Where white papers might be a remnant of the past, eBooks are the thing of the future. Amazon has exploded as a marketplace for these electronic books, offering a stage for newbie authors to express their ideas and stories in an economical fashion.
How can you take advantage of the eBook concept for your organization? It’s easy. Write one and offer it to your customers and prospects.
Okay, so it’s not that easy. But eBooks are certainly a new and exciting way to engage your target market. Essentially, an eBook is what it sounds like: a book that revolves around a central theme that is offered in an electronic format for consumption. For businesses, an eBook will focus on a non-fiction subject that addresses a problem a target market experiences and tells a compelling story on defeating that problem. Take Dave Ramsey’s Entreleadership book  as an example. In this book, Ramsey expounds on the virtues he’s adapted over the years to build his own business. The book aims to address the problem of business failure and it does so in an enticing way. Entreleadership is a marketing vehicle for Ramsey’s organization, and I have no doubt it has worked wonders for him and his team.
An eBook will solidify your and your organization’s depth of knowledge in a particular field, and the eBook offers a legitimate platform on which you can launch a packaged source of information your clients and prospects will value.
Alternative #3: Podcasting
Podcasting may sound like a bit of a stretch, but it’s definitely a viable alternative to blogging. Podcasts are still going strong, and the technical know-how needed to get up and running is minimal.
For those unfamiliar with the concept of podcasting, a podcast is essentially a periodic audio release featuring one or more people talking about a specific subject. For example, there are running and nutrition podcasts, there are financial and economics podcasts, there are football podcasts and music podcasts – there’s a podcast for just about everything.
If you’re in a trade that can lead to captivating stories or interviews, a podcast can be the perfect channel. And unlike blogging, podcasting enjoys a more central publishing platform: iTunes. You can submit your podcast episodes to Apple’s iTunes network and receive free exposure.
BizTech
Today’s super-connected society has created the perception that any business worth its salt should be blogging. We have marketers, thought leaders, and everyone in between constantly expounding the virtues of maintaining an archive of blog posts for the purposes of keeping customers informed, for increasing search engine rankings, for establishing the mark of expert opinion.
But blogging isn’t for everyone—and it certainly isn’t for every business.
You do not need to be a blogger. In fact, it’s perfectly okay not to blog.
There I said it. Before Google sends its secret police to de-list me from the planet’s index, let me explain myself.
Blogging is a difficult, arduous path full of dead-ends, bumps, and constant disappointments. It’s like trying to lose weight. You keep heaping on the effort—downing fruit smoothies and eating carrot sticks—only to be disappointed by your scale’s readings. That’s because losing weight is less about tactics (like eating carrot sticks) and more about strategy. And strategy takes time. Lots of it.
Strategic thinking is a level above tactical thinking, and in my experience, most people suck at strategy. Tactics are low-hanging fruit. We share tactics among each other all the time, whether it’s some new weight loss food or a new search engine optimization trick. But tactics only take you so far. They’re just tools to help you accomplish an overall strategy.
Most blogs fail big time because they have zero strategy. A strategy is a plan, an overarching guide that brings you to a desired set of outcomes. Strategies are wars, whereas tactics are battles.
Most successful organizations have some sort of business plan in place. This is their strategy. When it comes to blogging, the question becomes, “Does blogging fit into my business strategy? Can I use blogging as a tactic to achieve my goals?”
If you can’t realistically say yes to those questions, then you should step back and consider whether or not maintaining a company blog is really worth the effort. While blogging as a whole is a tactic of your business, blogging also needs its own strategy. A blog needs a solid direction, it needs to interface with your other business strategies and tactics, and it must fit in with the culture of your organization. Blogs without any of these characteristics are doomed to a meandering fate of useless posts that bring little to no value to the business and end up wasting time that could otherwise be spent on more valuable activities.
If you run a business or if you’re in the marketing or public relations department of an organization, you don’t have to blog. If it’s a struggle to fit blogging into the grand scheme of things, then don’t pursue it, especially if the outcome is a half-baked concoction.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stumbled across a company’s blog only to find disjointed content that is rarely updated. It makes the company look bad, and it makes me second guess whether or not I want to do business.
Later on, you can expect to hear my ideas on alternatives to blogging. Because while “content is king,” it’s not the blog that always has to be sitting on the throne.
Chris LeCompte is the owner of the web development services company KickPie.com and is the chief web developer of PotomacLocal.com.
Applications are now available for the Town of Dumfries’ 2013 Summer Youth Internship Program. Please visit the following link, to download an application and learn more about the program: dumfriesva.gov/residents/community-services
Reminders: The deadline to submit applications is June 21st at noon. Also, this program is only available to applicants who reside in Town limits. Please visit this link, to see if you are a Town resident dumfriesva.gov/residents/am-i-a-town-resident
-SubmittedÂ
A sweet little female calico who ran out of the house on June 1, 2013. She is only 8-months-old! She has been spayed and declawed. Molly disappeared in the area of Summerwood Subdivision, Sunrise Valley Court in Stafford.
For more information on this animal, visit staffordspca.org/adopt.html
These sweet 10 week old, orphan kittens are ready to find their forever homes today. Colette, Fantine, Babette and Jean Valjean will bring a bit of flair and excitement to your life. Be the hero!
For more information on this animal, visit staffordspca.org/adopt.html
3 yr old UTD spayed female Plott Hound. Well behaved but athletic and full of energy. She would be a great companion for a young couple or single guy/ gal!
For more information on this animal, visit staffordspca.org/adopt.html
A rare, 1.5 year old Korean Jindo male. Ellwood is an intelligent, loyal and beautiful dog with a sweet disposition and expressive eyes. He is UTD on his shots and is neutered.
For more information on this animal, visit staffordspca.org/adopt.html
Manassas BATtle 7U took 2nd place in the 8U Division of the Memorial Day Tournament, hosted annually by the Greater Manassas Baseball League (GMBL). The BATtle played 6 games over the course of the holiday weekend, including beating the #1 seeded team in the semifinals to get into the championship game.
Manassas BATtle would like to thank our corporate sponsors:
-- The Manu & Mike Team, Weichert RealtorsÂ
-- Virid, Inc.Â
-- Armstrong Management ServicesÂ
-- The Compass SchoolÂ
-- Bobby G's Disc JockeyÂ
-- Glory Days GrillÂ
-- Chantilly MidasÂ
-- Occoquan Lodge #310Â
-- Mike Garcia ConstructionÂ
-- Baby 2 Teen FurnitureÂ
-- The Ferlazzo Team, Re/MaxÂ
-- The Diesel Doctor (703-906-7321)
-- Signs & BannersÂ
-- Hollins Associates CPAÂ
-- Express Garage DoorÂ
-- Asha Public RelationsÂ
-- Masterpiece Mail Marketing
-- Sweet Creations Frozen YogurtÂ
