Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-10-06
TOWN BOOSTING.

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Free Lance, contains some sound argu-
ments on town boosting for business
and every merchant will find much
food for reflection therein:
1.-The question of building and main
tanning village hinges we believe
upon one condition and that is coop
Grafton In order that a village may
enjoy its fullest prosperity and main
tain steady, healthy growth everyone,
the business men, the property owner,
and all must cooperate. Even the far
mers in contiguous territory should be
made to realize that their interests are
common with the villages, inasmuch as
the prosperity of the village increases
the value of their property Every
improvement in village affects the
property around it. Your neighbor' s
success is bound to affect you, some of
his prosperity is radiated in your direc-
ton.
"This being the case, it behooves the
business men to pull together. Help
each other to succeed. If you have
competitor in your line of business,
don't knock him. This will prove
boomerang every time. Give your
competitor as we'll as your customer a
square deal. We believe the secret of
the spread of the mail order business
is partly due to the methods of the
local dealers themselves. The article
may be branded as personal and ex-
plotted for the benefit of the newspa-
per, but we shall advance it anyhow.
The mail order houses, and in fact the
successful out-of-town competitors of
local institutions, are wide-awake ad-
vertisers. The mails are stuffed with
advertising matter from the large city
houses. The newspaper columns are
filed with advertisements of the big
out of town institutions Their adver-
tisements pull because they are read
able. There is always something con-
vincing in them. They are the result
of systematic study. The average
country dealer in any line advertises
spasmodically or slaps his ad. together
in five minutes and leaves it standing
until it is dead and becomes an eyesore
to the reader. He is encouraging that
reader and customer to patronize the
mail-order house or the man who keeps
his invitation fresh before him all the
time. The mail order man never sleeps.
He is devising new means to reach the
buying public all the time.
Study your advertising. Make your
ad readable. Use leaders, anything to
attract attention, then back it up with
the goods. Give the customer a square
deal. Give him credit for common
sense. Don't try to give the impress
sion that you are losing money on your
goods. You are entitled to profit and
he knows it. Don't make that profit
too big and he will be satisfied. He
would rather trade with you than the
out of town dealers, but self preserva-
ton is the first law of nature and if he
thinks he can do better out of town or
with toe mail order house he is going
to trade there. He is from Missouri
and must be shown You can't show
him by putting up lot of gaudy signs
in your store, or by writing on the
sidewalk. You won't catch anyone that
way except those who have come to
trade anyhow. Not one out of fifty of
the mail order houses customers has
ever been in their building. They got
his trade by advertising, either through
circulars or newspapers. You have the
advantage in every way. You are
right on the ground ank know the peo-
pie and they know you.
Consistency is jewel. Are you
consistent, Mr.. Business man? How
many times have you sent out of town
for some article which you could have
bought in town? How many times
have you had out of town workmen
figure on your bills? Never? Oh, but
you have. Some of you are patrons of
the greatest mail order house on earth.
You are buying your envelopes of
Uncle Sam A newspaper is the most
powerful organ for the promotion of
the interests of a community. The
average newspaper man is ready and
willing TO push the interests of his
home town 10 the limit. But he appre-
ciates square deal. Some firms when
we asked them for their order for cal
endars, tell us that they have bought
their calendars from a Paris Qll.) firm
or some other firm who needs the pat
ronage. (?) These firms have never
spent a dollar with you. The home
newspaper is expected to boost. The
newspaper man expects to grind other
peoples axes, but it is no more than
fair that you should turn the grind
stone. We do not wish anyone to
think that this is case of sour grapes.
We Simply cite our own position.
Every country newspaper can tell the