Marketing to the Military Family and Community

Recognizing the Military Child

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:23:00 +0000

April is the Month of the Military Child

How will you, the small business, recognize these young patriots? Here are just some quick ideas to get you brainstorming about what your business can offer:

Come in for a free hero sized meal (a kids meal on your menu) - for a Diner, Restaurant or other food establishment
Come in and enjoy a free child's class on us - for a Martial Arts, Art Class, Gymnastics and Dance and more
Let us help you empower your military child. Come in for a free book, free class, whatever a military parent might appreciate while helping raise the next generation in the midst of the crazy-military lifestyle
Come in for a free gift from our Treasure Box for your military child - Any type of business that might have a collection of fun toys to give
Offer a discount off the family's purchase in honor of their military child.

Now that you have decided what you are doing to Celebrate Month of the Military Child let us know. Build your free ad at MilitaryAvenue.com or update your current ad. Let's make this month something for the military community to get excited about!

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Your Social Media Pages: We want to point to you

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:57:00 +0000

MilitaryAvenue Partners: We want to share you on our Social Media Network.

MilitaryAvenue.com has close to 10,000 followers on Twitter; nearly 10,000 on Pinterest; approaching 9,000 on Facebook. Our military-family network covers the nation.*

And we want to link to YOU!

We want to include you in tweets like this:

Do you offer a #MilitaryDiscount? These companies do: #FF @splashbrandon @tutorosity @a1creativedf @tristanemond @hibuenapark
— Dale Kissinger (@MilAve_Col_K) March 1, 2013

or add you to our Favorites on Facebook. Like this:

Our 'Businesses that Support the Troops' Circle on Google+ is growing. Will you be our next addition?

Leave a comment here with the name of your business, city and state ... in order that we can verify you are a partner ... along with your Company's Facebook page, LinkedIn Page, Google+ page, Twitter page or Pinterest page. Let us know where you are at in the Social Media world! Let's make a great team and get the word out about your military support!**

Not a partner yet? To it today! List with us: http://www.militaryavenue.com/ListWithUs.aspx

Join Us

* As of 3/1/2013, not including individual Team member pages like @MilAve_Col_K, @MilAve_Leanne, MilitaryDiscounts on Facebook or MilitaryFamily as examples.

** As an alternative, if you would rather not leave a comment or are having trouble with the comment-function send an email to leanne@militaryavenue.com with this information.

Expand Your Market Reach to the Military Community with RANK

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:11:00 +0000

ATTENTION military friendly businesses: We have an offer for your business that gives you additional exposure to the military community! Read more …

RANK means a lot in the military community: Respect, better cash (pay), new jobs, new locations, better opportunities, a new position, higher retirement pay and improved benefits. All of these adjectives describe how a business may measure success as well. As a business reaching out to the military community you may be aware of this military focus on RANK because it indicates career success in your area or online market reach.

We want to improve your marketing efforts with RANK as well. So we created this coupon or discount code for you to have two First Class Packages for the price of one! You can place ads at two installations or in two different business categories for the price of one ($60) for a year!

A First Class Package includes an image (logo, your personal image, business, etc), a direct/hot link to your website or Facebook account and RANK above all the free ads. So give us a call today to get your new RANK at 877 425 9992! Or email us at Dan@MilitaryAvenue.com for more information. RANK offer ends on March 15th 2013 so call today!

PS: Want more RANK and market reach? We also have General Packages that include your logo and five additional images and more text space!

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A Military Discount Helps Your Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Do you have a plan to reach your military community? Will a Military Discount help?

Does your business Strategy include a military discount? What is strategy? To better help me explain why a business should offer a military discount as part of their marketing plan I did some research. Strategy is from a Greek word and basically outlines the policies of the organization to meet goals! Goals like: how much in sales, revenue and profit do we need to keep our doors open? That is what I am talking about! So after establishing some policies, we then need to plan to fulfill our strategy and meet our goals!

Why should I market to the military?

A marketing plan to reach the military community with your products or services means you are aiming at a young demographic of 18-34 year olds (most with families)! They are frequently deployed to many locations around the world in defense of your freedom! That would almost seem like it is enough but that is a patriotic emotional appeal and does not fully explain why a discount should be part of your plan! They have significant choices of product/services to choose from and many will relocate (PCS is military term) every three years. But the bottom line is will having a military discount increase my sales and profit!

So lets get started with a series of thought provoking questions!

What should I consider?

Will a discount increase my sales?

Will the increased sales meet my goals?

How much of a discount can I afford? One time? Special events? Continuous?

Does my competition offer a military discount?

Where is the nearest installation? Do you know how many of your customers are military?
Do you want to increase military sales?

What about Social Media?

Are you up to date on social media and does a Military Discount help expand it?

Can you reach the military community with your social media?

Do you want to reach more of the mobile military audience?

Are you connected with Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Google +

Should you reach out through a known and trusted military source like MilitaryAvenue.com to expand my social media reach?

What are the benefits?

Expanded market with larger military presence!

Being seen as a military friendly business is often a draw for newcomers.

Civilian population appreciates your support to the military community too!

Increased market reach through branding of your product/services with military personnel spreading the word for you!

Conclusion

The idea of developing a strategy and planning for your sales to a larger military audience can be exciting! Have you thought it through? Ready to design it? Talk to us and we can help you reach out to the military community today! List with us for free with a discount or upgrade to reach a wider audience! We use multiple social media to spread the word about your ads! Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Links from Government websites, Twitter and more! We want to help the military community connect with reliable, ethical and intelligent businesses who care about their country and want to profit while supporting the deserving men and women of our armed forces and their families!

READY? CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED

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A Way to Support the Military Child

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:47:00 +0000

Are you a business that supports the military child?

Operation Purple Camp needs help! This is a great opportunity for military children that have been thrust into the whirlwind of deployment to enjoy a week with other military kids. They will experience camaraderie, activity, smiles, resiliency and just plain fun. The program is free for military families that are paying for the stress of war in so many other ways.

However, many kids will be unable to attend Operation Purple Camp this summer due to lack of funding. THEY NEED YOUR HELP! Help us continue supporting military kids next summer by donating to Operation Purple Camp today.

The National Military Family Association is a 501(c)3 charity helping military families of all ranks and Service branches. Their network of more than 1 million military family members is among the largest in the U.S. They need your help. Will you consider donating to help send a military child to camp this summer?

If you have just a small budget that you can give please do that. It will be money well given!

Thank you.

Learn more: http://www.militaryfamily.org/get-involved/donate/

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MilitaryAvenue has no affiliation with National Military Family Association. We only recognize an opportunity for local businesses to reach out where they are needed most.

Grab the Eye of the Military Community with a Banner Ad!

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:11:00 +0000

Military Avenue is offering a 50% Discount for Featured Partner Banner ads for 10 days!

Reach out with the Featured Partner Banner as seen below and take advantage of this offer before the end of February. Grab the eye of the eye of the military community that is just beginning the PCS season and relocating to your area.

Featured Partner Banner Example

A Featured Partner Banner (and General's Package) means you are seen on every page at your installation(s) with a rotating banner that links to your ad. The Generals Package includes your logo and five other images! Perfect for realtors, auto sales, product images, area tourism and much more. With your BANNER discount you are saving $300! This will place you at the top of your category and increase your ad traffic for an entire year.

Current Advertisers: Log into your account and select the upgrade, you do not need to create a new account. Log in here: Account Log in. Use the coupon code "BANNER" for the 'Featured Partner General's Package' option. BANNER has to be all caps. Here are some step-by-step directions if you would like some assistance.

Featured Partner Banner Example

New Adverstisers: Click on Business Sign up, Scroll down to 'Featured Partner General's Package' and fill in your information. At the end of the process please use the coupon code "BANNER" to get the package at 50% OFF. BANNER has to be all caps. Please call us with any questions at (877) 425-9992 or email Dale@MilitaryAvenue.com

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Pictures are worth a thousand words!

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Kissinger) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

We are offering a free upgrade to any business that offers a military discount through February 15th. This upgrade will allow you to place one image, a hot link to your website along with your business information.

Eye Candy increases traffic. Using images such as your logo, product or personal photos draws people in - and makes them pay more attention to your content. Plus images on your ad will make customers zoom into your adspace and will increase search engine hits. Face it: Eye Candy increases traffic and that equals increased sales! Within your adspace, captions on the images will also benefit your ad traffic.

Here are a few examples of current ads with the upgrade:

Mountain Brook Lodge
Jardine's Restoration and Painting Company
Rock of KC
First Home Mortgage
The Inn at Tabbs Creek

Consumers relate more to images that you have taken of staff, facilities, houses, or any image within your market. Make yourself and your business more relatable, this builds trust and trust builds long-term customer relationships.

Take advantage of this offer before February 15th.

Current Advertisers: Log into your account and select the upgrade, you do not need to create a new account. Log in here: Account Log in. Use the coupon code "VISUAL" for the 'First Class Package' option at no charge. VISUAL has to be all caps. Here are some step-by-step directions if you would like some assistance.

New Adverstisers: Click on Business Sign up, Scroll down to 'First Class Package' and fill in your information. At the end of the process please use the coupon code "VISUAL" to get the package at no charge. VISUAL has to be all caps.

Please call us with any questions at (877) 425-9992 or email Dale@MilitaryAvenue.com

Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words. The internet is finally catching up with what the offline world has known for a long time.

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Pilot Program: Military Discounts by County

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 02:02:00 +0000

You talked. We listened.

Learn more about our Pilot Program for veterans not near a military-installation.
Military Discounts and support by county.

We are happy to announce a pilot program for two counties, Kent County, Michigan and Monroe County, New York. Each of these counties are home to thousands of veterans and their families. Specifically, there are more then 36,000 veterans alone in Kent County and 49,000 veterans in Monroe county. (https://www.va.gov/vetdata/Veteran_Population.asp)

These veterans want the support of their communities and we are ready to help get the word out. They are not located near a military installation and so previously there was no local outreach on MilitaryAvenue.com. We are about to change that!

We know that we will find local businesses in these counties that want make veterans their customers. As these pages on MilitaryAvenue grow we will consider adding additional counties. Tell us where should we reach out to next?

If you know of businesses that wants to reach our military, veterans and their families tell them about MilitaryAvenue.com. They can create their free ad today! http://militaryavenue.com/ListWithUs.aspx

PS: Were you aware of all of the categories that we have available on MilitaryAvenue.com for our businesses? Read through them, I'm sure you'll find one that fits your business. If not, let us know!

Category	Parent Category
Accounting & Bookkeeping Services	Home & Small Office
Addiction Treatment	Health
Adult Education	Education
Air Conditioning or Heating Repair	Home & Garden
Amusement Parks	Outdoor Activities
Apartment & Rental Home Locators	Apartments & Rentals
Apartments	Apartments & Rentals
Apparel Re-Sale	Apparel
Appliances	Home & Garden
Appraisals	Real Estate
Area Tourism	Rest & Relaxation
Attorneys	Professional Services
Audiology	Health
Auto Insurance	Insurance
Automobile Customization	Automobile
Automobile Maintenance	Automobile
Automobile Repair	Automobile
Automobile Sales	Automobile
Automobile Storage	Automobile
Bakeries	Dining & Groceries
Banks & Credit Unions	Finances
Bars & Pubs	Dining & Groceries
Bed & Breakfast	Lodging - Temporary
Boat and Watercraft Sales & Repair	Outdoor Activities
Boat Rentals	Outdoor Activities
Books	Shopping
Bowling & Billiards	Indoor Activities
Boxes & Packing Supplies	Moving Services
Cable/Satellite	Utilities
Campground & Parks	Outdoor Activities
Car Rental	Transportation
Car Washes / Auto Detailing	Automobile
Carpet Cleaners	Home & Garden
Casual Dining	Dining & Groceries
Cellular Phones	Utilities
Child Care at Home	Child Care
Child Care Centers	Child Care
Clothing	Apparel
Coffee Houses	Dining & Groceries
Colleges & Universities	Education
Computer Repair	Computers
Computer Sales & Rentals	Computers
Computer Setup	Computers
Computer Training	Education
Concierge Services	Personal Services
Condominium Sales	Real Estate
Counseling	Health
Crafts	Hobbies & Crafts
Dance Lessons	Performing Arts
Dance Supplies	Performing Arts
Dentists	Health
Department Stores	Home & Garden
Dinner Theater	Dining & Groceries
Discount Stores	Shopping
Dry Cleaners/Alterations	Apparel
Employment Opportunities	Employment
Exercise & Fitness	Fitness
Exercise & Fitness - Fencing	Fitness
Fast Food, Delivery & Carry Out	Dining & Groceries
Fencing	Home & Garden
Financial Planning	Finances
Find a new Pet	Pet Care
Fine Dining	Dining & Groceries
Fitness Clothing & Misc	Fitness
Floral Arrangements	Wedding & Event
Formal Wear / Bridal Salons	Wedding & Event
Fresh Fruit & Vegetables	Grocery
Fresh Seafood & Butcher Services	Grocery
Funeral & Bereavement Services	Professional Services
Furniture Rental	Furniture
Furniture Repair	Furniture
Furniture Sales	Furniture
Gas Stations	Automobile
Gift & Card Stores	Shopping
Golf	Outdoor Activities
Graphic & Web Design	Home & Small Office
Greenhouse & Nurseries	Garden
Grocery Stores	Grocery
Gymnastics & Dance	Fitness
Health Care Facilities	Health
Home Decoration	Home & Garden
Home Health Care	Health
Home Improvement	Home & Garden
Home Insurance	Insurance
Home Organization	Home & Garden
Home School Resources	Education
Home Security	Home & Garden
Horse Riding & Stables	Outdoor Activities
Hotels	Lodging - Temporary
House Rentals	Apartments & Rentals
Household Cleaners	Home & Garden
Ice Cream Shops	Dining & Groceries
Ice Skating, In-Line Skating & Roller Rinks	Rest & Relaxation
Inspectors	Real Estate
Instrument Sales & Rentals	Performing Arts
Internet Service Providers	Computers
Investments	Finances
Irrigation Installation & Repair	Garden
Jewelry	Apparel
K - 12	Education
Kids Resale	Kids Corner
Knitting	Hobbies & Crafts
Landscaping	Garden
Lawn Care Providers	Garden
Lawn Mower Sale/Repair	Garden
Life Insurance	Insurance
Lingerie & Misc	Apparel
Local Tours	Outdoor Activities
Long-Term Stay	Lodging - Temporary
Make & Take	Dining & Groceries
Manicure & Nail Care	Personal Services
Manufactured Homes	Real Estate
Martial Arts	Fitness
Massage Therapy	Health
Maternity Clothing	Apparel
Maternity Services	Health
Military Associations	Military & Family
Misc Real Estate	Real Estate
Misc Utilities	Utilities
Mortgages & Financing	Real Estate
Motorcycle Accessories	Motorcycles
Motorcycle Repair	Motorcycles
Motorcycle Safety Instruction	Motorcycles
Motorcycle Sales	Motorcycles
Motorcycle Transport	Motorcycles
Movie Theaters	Indoor Activities
Moving Companies	Moving Services
Museums	Indoor Activities
Music Lessons	Performing Arts
New Home Construction	Real Estate
Newspapers & Magazines	Media
Notary Services	Professional Services
Office Furniture	Home & Small Office
Office Services	Home & Small Office
Office Supplies	Home & Small Office
Optical	Health
Orthodontists	Health
Outdoor Leisure	Home & Garden
Outdoor Play	Kids Corner
Paintball & Range activities	Outdoor Activities
Painting Contractors	Home & Garden
Parenting Needs	Shopping
Performing Arts	Education
Performing Arts Theater	Indoor Activities
Pest Control	Garden
Pet Grooming	Pet Care
Pet Sitting / Kennels	Pet Care
Pet Supplies	Pet Care
Pet Training	Pet Care
Pet Transportation	Pet Care
Pharmacy / Drug Stores	Health
Photographers	Professional Services
Piano & Organ Tuning	Furniture
Preschool	Child Care
Private Investigators	Professional Services
Quilting	Hobbies & Crafts
Radio Stations	Media
Real Estate - For Sale By Owner	Real Estate
Real Estate Agents	Real Estate
Reception Venues & Caterers	Wedding & Event
Recreational Trails	Fitness
Resorts	Lodging - Temporary
Resume Services	Employment
RV & Camper Rental	.Travel.
Salons & Barber	Personal Services
Scrapbooking	Hobbies & Crafts
Self Employment & Direct Sales Opportunities	Employment
Senior Living	Apartments & Rentals
Sewing	Hobbies & Crafts
Shoes	Apparel
Shoes - Repair	Apparel
Shopping Centers & Malls	Shopping
Short-Term Stay	Apartments & Rentals
Ski Rental & Slopes	Outdoor Activities
Skincare & Cosmetics	Personal Services
Snowmobile and ATV Sales & Repair	Rest & Relaxation
Spas	Personal Services
Special Event Entertainment	Wedding & Event
Sport Centers	Outdoor Activities
Sporting Goods	Rest & Relaxation
Sports & Entertainment Tickets	Rest & Relaxation
Storage	Moving Services
Support Services	Military & Family
Surfing & Diving	Outdoor Activities
Swimming	Outdoor Activities
Tanning Salons	Personal Services
Tax Preparation	Finances
Taxi & Transportation Services	Transportation
Telephone Services	Utilities
Television Stations	Media
Title & Escrow	Real Estate
Townhome & Condominium Rentals	Apartments & Rentals
Toys	Kids’ Corner
Trailer / Truck Rentals	Moving Services
Train & Car Model Stores	Hobbies & Crafts
Travel Agents	.Travel.
Tutors	Education
Uniform Clothing & Gear	Apparel
Upcoming Events	Rest & Relaxation
Vacation Rentals	.Travel.
Veterinarians	Pet Care
Video Sales & Rental	Indoor Activities
Videography	Wedding & Event
Wedding Misc	Wedding & Event
Wedding Planners	Wedding & Event
White Water Rafting	Outdoor Activities
Wineries	Rest & Relaxation
Worship Services
Yoga	Fitness
Youth Activities	Military & Family
Zoos	Outdoor Activities

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Small Businesses Support for our Military

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Small Businesses are to America's Backbone as Military Service-members are to America's Defenders.

Word of mouth is so important in any business venture, including getting the word about your military-discount, your support for military families, your desire to support the military community.

Have you told businesses around you, your colleagues or the store-front next door about how they can get the word out? Tell them to become a MilitaryAvenue Partner today. (It is free when they offer a Military Discount to others.) We have new Military Families signing up EVERY DAY to receive our monthly Military Alerts, military-personnel becoming fans of Military Discounts, families in your community dropping by the 'Rewards Tab' at their local installation to learn about the companies that want their business.

Another quick note, I ran across Tents for Troops today:

As a very small way of saying "Thank You" for all of the hard work and sacrifices men and women in the military make, campgrounds and RV parks around the nation would like to offer free camping for active military. Please visit our Camp Locations page to find a participating park near where you wish to spend some R & R. Active military will be required to present active military I.D. at the time of check in. The offer is for active military and members of their immediate family only. Please call the park directly for reservations. Reservations are required.

If you know a local Campground or RV Park that wants to go out of their way to help a military-family get reacquainted with each other, by taking a weekend or couple days during the week to go camping, first tell them about MilitaryAvenue.com and then tell them to sign up at Tents for Troops. Let's help spread the word about how the small businesses, America's Backbone, support the military community, America's Defenders.

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We want you to upgrade your ad – FOR FREE

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:15:00 +0000

Yes, we do! We want you to upgrade your ad – For Free

1. An image says a lot and creates interest in your ad!

2. A hot link to your website or Facebook page from your MilitaryAvenue ad brings military customers direct to you!

ADVERTISE WITH US

3. A higher placement on the page means more attention, more opportunities for the military community to see your ad(s)!

All of these are true facts and you can have them for free for one year on MilitaryAvenue.com!

How? Introduce us to your business friends! Send them to Advertise with Us.

Tell a business about MilitaryAvenue.com. When they place an ad on MilitaryAvenue.com we will upgrade your ad for free!

Introduce us to two new partners and we will upgrade your ad twice or do two ads once! Up to 3 free upgrades for introducing us to three new partners. So you could go from a free ad level to being a Featured Partner General at your installation with a banner ad (that is a $600 value for one year) if you had 3 friends place ads on MilitaryAvenue. Or you could upgrade three free ads to First Class at three installations within your local area.

No upgrades to Base Sponsor under this program, thank you for understanding.

After your friend(s) place their ads, just email us with their name and business and we will confirm and do the upgrade(s) immediately! Expand your market reach today with a phone call or email your contact list with this offer. Your friends will enjoy expanding their military market and once on the site, they can join in the fun too. Valid through Labor Day, September 3d 2012.

Have a wonderful summer and thank you for supporting all those new military families that just arrived in your neighborhood after their soldier, sailor, airman, marine or coastie had a PSC relocation.

Join Us

National Military Appreciation Month and Military Spouse Appreciation Day

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:50:00 +0000

Happy May Day! Are you ready for it? May, that is. So many activities begin this month for the summer! Warmer weather arrives in much of the country and we head outside to work, play, travel and celebrate. Two of the best known celebrations this month are Memorial Day (May 28th) and Armed Forces Day (May 19th).

Gaining quickly in national recognition and deservedly so, are Military Spouse Appreciation Day and National Military Appreciation Month which is the entire month of May! As a business interested in marketing to the military you should be announcing these events and sharing with your military customers that you do appreciate them! One example of a corporate program to recognize the military community is Chevrolet who just announced a special military "Honor" badge program for National Military Appreciation Month:

“The men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces have given so much for so many,” said Alan Batey, vice president, Chevrolet sales and service. “This is one small way Chevrolet can say ‘Thank you.’”

A regular year long feature that GM offers to military customers

"The GM Military Discount is available to active, reserve and retired members and spouses of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Coast Guard. The discount, ranging from $400 to $4,000, is available on most Chevrolet cars, trucks and crossovers, depending on the model and options selected. The discount can be combined with most current incentives."

Maybe you can not offer such a large incentive program but you could have a Military Spouse Appreciation Day special? This year it is on May 11th (always the Friday before Mother’s Day). MilitaryAvenue has designed a list of 101 Ways to Thank a Military Spouse to make it easy for you! Look up the list, pick out one or a series and go to it! Here is #16 of 101 Ways:

Source: militaryblog.militaryavenue.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

Finally, look at this great demographic about military spouses. What an audience! Market to these fantastic patriots and say thank you for all that they do!

Source: yourlocalsecurity.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

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Child Care and the Military Family

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:14:00 +0000

Did you know there are approximately 1.9 million military children, ranging in ages from newborn to 18 years old? and More than 700,000 children have experienced the deployment of one or more parents since 2001.*

As a child care provider you are at the forefront of supporting these military children and their families. You can be the stability these children need. There is help available for you!

Penn State Extension, Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Program, has a list of resources featuring research-based information, resources, and professional development for childcare professionals serving military connected families.

Military Families Learning Network concentrates on the interests and needs of child care providers who serve military families. Here you can discover, share, and discuss resources and collaborate on issues that arise as you provide care and education for young children with parents in the military.

This 3-piece set, Honoring Our Babies & Toddlers, from Zero to Three, is designed for professionals and military parents, provides methods to support young children affected by stress, trauma, grief, and loss due to a military parent’s deployment, injury, or death.

One more idea check out these free "Salute the Kids" coloring pages for military children. "Sit with your children as they color, talk to them about the drawings, help them express their emotions and urge them to add their own creative touches, making the drawings into their very own art."

Keep your eyes on MilitaryAvenue's "Ways to Support the Military Children" for new resources that you can use to care for our children as well as ideas to share with the families you hold dear. You hold these resilient, loyal, strong children close to your heart. So do we.

If you are not a MilitaryAvenue Partner Program Participant SIGN-UP today. If you offer a military-discount to our military families you can have a free ad. We would love to help you spread the word to military-families about the service and care you want to provide to them: http://militaryavenue.com/ListWithUs.aspx

Additional Resources from MilitaryAvenue.com and the DoD Community:

Child Care Centers - Helping Children Solve Problems

Parenting Needs - Teaching Children the Financial Facts of Life

Parenting Needs - TRICARE Extends Autism Demonstration

K - 12 - A Website for Military Youth

K - 12 - Children Staying Home Alone

K - 12 - Compact Eases School Transitions for Military Children

K - 12 - Helping Children Struggling with a Pending Deployment

K - 12 - Keep in Touch after a PCS

K - 12 - Military Kids Connect

K - 12 - Month of the Military Child: Military Kids, Heroes for the Future

K - 12 - Moving Tools: School Report

K - 12 - Researching a New School Before a PCS

K - 12 - Returning Home from a Deployment for Single Parents

K - 12 - Staying Connected During Deployment

K - 12 - When to Keep Sick Children Home from School

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* Source: Month of the Military Child: Saluting Our Military Children

Build Sports Fans on MilitaryAvenue.com

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:36:00 +0000

Stepping out in sports should be a natural thought, make it happen. Put a Base Sponsorship front and center on installations where military members live and spread the word about the joy of the sport.

A love for sports is planted and nurtured.

Families love playing baseball, hockey, lacrosse, basketball and tennis on MilitaryAvenue.com! Military families love liveliness and that is what you are offering to them: the information about your sports facilities, teams and pride.

We know military folks are moving to new areas of the country, perhaps for the third time in 5 years. Allegiances are built, tweaked and are necessary to hold on to the flavor of the new community: enter sports.

Welcome home Dad!

Picture Mom or Dad coming home from a long deployment wanting to get out with their children, reunite, cheer for the good guys, hoot holler and laugh. Hallelujah hockey! Bring on baseball! Kick it up for soccer!
Share your team's marketing address and program. This would spread the word, spread the zeal and put some slap happy hockey sticks on military kids' dream gift list. Ball caps with insignia can mark a place as home.

Did I see my team on MilitaryAvenue.com?

By the way, military children are referred to as Brats... not as a demeaning term, far from it. The symbol of a military brat is a dandelion... a mighty wind will take them to more places than the norm! They grow where planted and stand tall. As a strand of the blossom floats and lands in new territory, the strand has to work to put down a root. Put your sport in the heart of it all! Blaze the trail for your affiliate information on MilitaryAvenue.com on each page of the installation closest to you. Bring in the families. They are there ready to cheer your actions, get them in your game! Watch the fervor spread.

Advertise with us. Easy to jump on the avenue and build relationships with military families. Show your pride!

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Is Your Business Reaching Out to Military Children on Friday April 13th?

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:16:00 +0000

It could be this simple! Saying thank you to a military child - maybe they are wearing purple this Friday, April 13th? Are you able to wear purple? A ribbon, a t-shirt, any means to show recognition.

Put a face to the military child! You and your sales staff should recognize them with smiles and a big thank you directly to the child.

Think how the parent(s) will appreciate your efforts! April is Month of the Military Child. Take the time and make the effort to recognize these little patriots!

Join Us

Month of the Military Child and your recognition

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:35:00 +0000

April, the month of the military-child, will be here before we know it. MilitaryAvenue.com is prepared to recognize these resilient, strong, and ready to serve children. But we need your help!

MilitaryAvenue.com will be having a sweepstakes of prizes for our military-families all month and we would invite you to participate. With your gift (valued over $20, see below for ideas) we will upgrade your MilitaryAvenue Partner Ad to a General's Package for six months. This is over a $100 value. What a great win-win situation. You recognize the military-family and we will make sure you are recognized in your military-community!

Source: militaryblog.militaryavenue.com via MilitaryAvenue.com on Pinterest

What kind of things make great gifts for our military families for an online giveaway?

Gift cards to national retailers, like Target, Amazon, WalMart
Gift cards to your own online store, especially if it is child-friendly
Items from your inventory or something you can provide that you can ship to a military family around the world.
A Gift card to a local-store is not an acceptable gift since our winners will be from around the globe.

If you would like to participate, first of all Thank you! Thank you for recognizing the sacrifices our military-children make. Secondly, send an email to leanne@militaryavenue.com indicating what you would like to give to a deserving military-family. If your offer is accepted we will let you know where to ship your gift and your business card or pamphlet to be included with the gift.

Other notes:
* If you already own a General's Package we will upgrade your package to a Featured Partner. Current Featured Partners can take $120 off their renewal.
* Do you have more then one Partner Ad? The offer for a free upgrade applies to one of your ads.

Join Us

Is Your Military Discount up to date?

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:21:00 +0000

Attention Attention Attention

Attention to the Details ...

Every day we share the best of your military-discounts on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

On the first of every month MilitaryAvenue Alerts is published to thousands of members of the military community around the country with your ad shared with your community.

Your ad is visible to the Military Community on MilitaryAvenue.com at your base or post 24/7.

These are service-members and spouses, the decision makers, that are interested in the latest & most up to date military-discount and -incentive in their area, your area!

Do you keep your MilitaryAvenue ad up to date? Your ad should not be stagnant, just like a business-marketing plan isn't stagnant; otherwise it will not grow. April is Month of the Military Child. May is Month of the Military Family. The Friday before Mother's Day is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Memorial Day is a day of Remembrance. June starts the PCS season. July is a great time to appreciate the freedoms our military have fought so hard to keep. As the calendar changes so does the opportunity to update your ad. Do more then just leave a stagnant message. Let them know your company cares, is current and wants to be part of their community.

The most up to date ads are listed first in the Alerts email that is sent out each month. The most up to date ads are more likely to be featured on Military Discounts at Facebook. The most up to date ads are featured on our home page!

A great action-item to add to your electronic-calendar is a monthly-recurrence: "Update my ad on MilitaryAvenue".

Questions to ask yourself each month:

Has my physical-address changed?
Has my email changed?
Is my phone number up to date?
Does my business profile convey my professionalism and desire to meet my military-families needs? (You have 500 characters in your coupon and 1,000 characters in your Business Profile. The First Class package and higher have even more points-of-impact!)
With a First-Class ad or above you can have a picture. Is your photo up to date?
Consider having a standard Military-Discount but then adding something special for that month. Need some ideas?

We want to help you reach the military-community! Be sure to put your best foot forward for them.

- The MilitaryAvenue.com team

PS: Do you want to receive monthly-Military Alerts also? Sign-up here: http://www.militaryavenue.com/answers/signup.aspx. (This is different then your Business Partner Account!) Be sure to select your nearest-installation when creating your user profile so that we know which 'Alerts' to send your way!

Join Us

Marketing to the Military on Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:29:00 +0000

Have you heard of the latest social media blockbuster Pinterest? Has your brand, your business joined in on the fun? MilitaryAvenue has, and it is proving to be a great venue to reach out to our Military Families, particularly military-wives. We have resources from PCSing (moving) to Financial Readiness to Everyday Military Life, even a board for Military Discounts.

What I wanted to let you know, our Military Partners and other marketing professionals is we have created a board just for you:

Click on the image to head over to Pinterest. Once you are there click on any of the images you want to read more about. It will take you to a link with more information.

By the way, there are lots of businesses out there with a Pinterest presence. Perhaps yours should be next? Be sure to follow us so that you can share resources with your military community as well.

Join Us

New Years Resolution for Your Business

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

It will soon be a new year and as a business owner I'm sure you are thinking through business plans and how you plan on growing profits during 2012. When you have a passion for the work you do of course you want to let other's know about it. We know about that at MilitaryAvenue.com!

First and foremost, if you are not a MilitaryAvenue Partner yet, why not? You can create a free ad to get the word out to area military-families. Get started right now: http://militaryavenue.com/ListWithUs.aspx

But you can take it another step. With a paid ad you gain much more exposure and it can be dollars well spent! First Class Packages are as little as $5 a month (paid for a year upfront) and puts your ad on top of all the free ads at your military base or post page. Generals Packages and Featured Partner's Packages step it up a notch and then some. You can see examples and read details at the bottom of our List With Us page. It is money well invested into your businesses.

Do you want to see your business throughout your local installation at MilitaryAvenue.com? Featured Partners and Base Sponsors get their face in front of more military families! Featured Partners have a 198x123 banner that is rotated throughout their sponsored installation and Base Sponsors are displayed prominently on every page of their post or base. There are great examples and details at our List With Us page. A little money up front can yield a great return!

We also recently announced National Marketing options. (Marketing to the Military - Nationwide Advertising Opportunities) Banner ads, Tweets, Facebook Sponsorship and so much more! Don't miss these opportunities if you have a broader audience then just around your base or post.

Do you have a network of businesses you could share MilitaryAvenue with? A wedding planner could share us with photographers and caterers; an apartment complex could share us with moving companies and storage units; a restaurant could share us with other small businesses in their network, in their town, on their street. Help promote small-business development in your town. Tell others about MilitaryAvenue.com.

We hope you have a great New Year in 2012! With a little planning, a bit of budgeting and introducing yourself to the military community we know you can prosper.

Military Dates to Remember 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:12:00 +0000

The New Year is almost here and we promised to provide updates for our 2012 Military Dates to Remember! Here is the first six months and we will update as the calendar continues to roll!

Your military community will appreciate your knowledge of their events. Show your appreciation with marketing efforts, simple "thank yous" from your sales staff and patriotic window displays or website images/pages. Don't forget your social media efforts too! Nothing like a mention on Facebook or twitter to draw friends, likes and shares! Do you keep up with MilitaryAvenue on Facebook or Twitter? How about our Military Discount Facebook page? We welcome your comments as a partner on Facebook too! A great way to make others aware of your military support!

January

1st New Years Day

16th Martin Luther King Jr Birthday Observance

31st US Launches first satellite in 1958

February

1st National Freedom Day

2nd Ground Hog Day

14th Valentines Day - Did you know? If you know someone in the military you can send them a Valentine's Message via The Stars & Stripes.

20th Presidents' Day

March

11th Daylight Savings

19th Operation Iraqi Freedom begins - 2003

20th First Day of Spring

April

Month of the Military Child!

Celebrate Military Children - Nothing more important than the children of our serving military personnel! Recognition of their sacrifice is a great way to say thank you!

6th Good Friday

8th Easter

12th First Space Shuttle Launch

27th Arbor Day - Plant a tree for the Earth!

30th End of Vietnam War in 1975

May

MilAve_Deborah busy supporting
other military spouses!

National Military Family Appreciation Month

A great opportunity to recognize military families!

2nd 2011 Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden killed by US Navy Seals

11th Military Spouse Appreciation Day (the Friday before Mother's Day) - Some great ideas on how to reach out to Military Spouses on their day! "101 Ways to Thank a Military Spouse"

13th Mother's Day

19th Armed Forces Day (Third Saturday in May)

28th Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)

June

June 14th Flag Day - Fly it Proudly

June 14th US Army Birthday

Thank you for the great support to your military community! Please pass on these dates to business organizations such as your chamber of commerce to insure that they are appropriately recognized! One other quick recommendation is to not just have a sale on days like Veterans Day but include a military discount or some recognition such as a small token of appreciation daily, weekly or monthly! Recognize those serving or who have served in some manner! Be military friendly and the word will spread rapidly! Some great ideas in Tips: Your Military Rewards and How to Win the Hearts of the Military Community

Are you aware of a local event that the military community needs to know about? You can place it directly on MilitaryAvenue! Go to the installation home page in your area and go to the Upcoming Local Events at the bottom center of the page and click on the Let Us Know to tell us about it! We will review and quickly post!

Marketing to the Military - Nationwide Advertising Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:19:00 +0000

At MilitaryAvenue we pride ourselves in helping local military-families find local businesses that support them. There are unscrupulous businesses out there that are ready to take advantage of the 'new in town folks'. However, our Partners have affirmed our core values, Trust, Value and Service. We know that you will be there for our military families, welcoming them to your neighborhood.

A MilitaryAvenue Partner can have a free ad on MilitaryAvenue.com at their local installation if they offer a military-discount. This is our way of saying 'Thank you!' for giving from your bottom-line back to those who serve. There are other opportunities too: First Class, General and Featured Partner Packages. (Learn more: MilitaryAvenue Partners: You too can be a General) You can even be the exclusive base sponsor, A Market that Rewards the 'Sponsors'. All of these opportunities will put you at the heart of your local military installation.

We also know there are times when businesses want to reach out nationally and we want to give you that opportunity.

Note: We offer a percentage discount for each extra-month you pay for up front. As an example, if you pay for six months up front we will offer a 6% discount on the total cost of advertising. If you want to take advantage of this offer contact us at sales@militaryavenue.com or dale@militaryavenue.com so that we can create a package tailored to your needs.

Newsletter Ad:
Each month we send our newsletter out to our Military Family subscribers. The average subscriber is an Active Duty Family between the ages of 28 and 37. What a great demographic for your business! We can place an image (160 x 600 pixels) in our monthly e-publication for $400. Grab US military-families' attention from around the world for as little as 3-cents per newsletter.

http://www.militaryavenue.com/shoppingcart.aspx
Enter Newsletter Ad to purchase

Facebook Sponsorship:
We will mention your company with your message for $40 on our MilitaryAvenue page (http://Facebook.com/MilitaryAvenue) and Military Discount page as well as on Twitter at @MilitaryAvenue. We want to keep our military families engaged and so this is a rare-opportunity. Here is an example of a Facebook Sponsorship in the past: http://www.facebook.com/MilitaryAvenue/posts/170356336387715.

http://www.militaryavenue.com/shoppingcart.aspx
Enter Facebook Sponsor Ad to purchase

Blog sponsorship:
Place a banner ad on "Our Letters to You", a military family blog, on the right side above our index of blog-posts, http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com/. This option would be $100 for one month (Image 160 x 600 pixels). Your banner may rotate with up to 4 other banners. Historically, this is approximately five-cents per page view if you are sharing rotation-space, and as our readership grows your cost-per-page view decreases.

http://www.militaryavenue.com/shoppingcart.aspx
Enter Blog Sponsor Ad to purchase

Military Alerts - Local Military Discounts sent directly to our military families:
Once a month we publish Military Alerts to our subscribed Military Families. This monthly email is full of local military discounts but has the opportunity for up to three nationwide banners (250 x 60 pixels). At only $300 per month this opportunity is approximatly two-cents per email.

http://www.militaryavenue.com/shoppingcart.aspx
Enter Alerts Banner to purchase

advertising rates as of 12/7/2011

We can also accept checks for these advertising opportunites. Please contact us at sales@militaryavenue.com or dale@militaryavenue.com if you would like to make payment that way.

Our network trusts us to bring them trustworthy support. All advertisement must be approved by MilitaryAvenue.com. We reserve the right to refust any advertisement that we are not personally comfortable recommending to our military-families.

Thank you for being a part of MilitaryAvenue.com. We look forward to introducing you to our military-families. You may also take a look at our media kit for some more information: http://www.militaryavenue.com/Media.aspx

Quick Summary:

prices as of 12/7/11 and subject to change
http://MilitaryAvenue.com

THE HOME DEPOT’S "GIVE THE GIFT OF GOOD" Contest - A $20,000 Makeover of a Military Family's Home

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:59:00 +0000

A Gift from Home Depot for a military family

As a Military Avenue Partner we would like to extend a wonderful opportunity in assisting us with giving away $20,000 to a military family in need. The money may be used in several ways;

* New HVAC (heating and cooling) system
* Accessible bathing, like a new walk-in tub/shower system or Modification of existing tub/shower system to make accessible
* Roofing repair or replacement
* Blown-in Insulation
* Replacement Windows
* Fencing
* Gutters
* or a new Water Heater

We have to act fast, in fact, we have about 72 hours to find this family and submit their name and information. Once we submit their information they will be 1 of 9 candidates to receive the $20,000 in renovations.Your business has been a part of our site by assisting military families with products, services, and military discounts. We felt it only appropriate to give you a chance to point out a family to us.

Here is your next step. We need your entry to MilitaryAvenue no later than this Saturday, the 19th of November at noon EST. Remember, all you have to do is email the name, military affiliation and two or three pictures of the military entrant (family if so desired, is welcome as well). Please email them to photos@MilitaryAvenue.com. Tell us their story or have them send it direct to us by commenting here: http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com/2011/11/home-depots-give-gift-of-good-contest.html

We will choose our winner and forward to Home Depot at the close of the contest at noon on Saturday.

We appreciate the Home Depot Foundation for selecting us to be a part of this great program. We also can’t thank you enough for being a part of our site, together we have and will continue to assist the military community in many ways.

Home Depot Contest Rules:
http://www.militaryavenue.com/Content.aspx?Name=home_depot_gift_of_good_rules

Military Dates to Remember 2011- 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Colonel K) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Say "Thank You" on Veterans Day!

We frequently get visits to MilitaryAvenue for folks looking for military important dates! To help, we will again begin placing important dates for the military community for followers to see! Well in advance of the date, so you can reach out and plan to recognize the events appropriately! We will also post on twitter!

We are posting through June 2012 and will update as we gather new or updated information! Some dates may not be particular to the military but think of a deployed service member returning after a deployment and enjoying Thanksgiving with their family. Last year there was an empty chair while they were gone! Or maybe a Valentine's Day reunion for a couple after a lengthy separation! We added a few for just convenience as well.

November

6th Daylight Savings

11th Veterans Day

Some great ideas for year round recognition on MilitaryAvenue's 101 Ways to Thank a Veteran!

24th Thanksgiving

Calendar for one military family with special events written in

December

25th Christmas

31st New Years Eve

A Soldier and his son

January

1st New Years Day

18th Martin Luther King Jr Day

February

1st Freedom Day

2nd Ground Hog Day

14th Valentines Day

15th Presidents' Day

March

11th Daylight Savings

April

Month of the Military Child!

Celebrate Military Children

Nothing more important than the children of our serving military personnel! Recognition of their sacrifice is a great way to say thank you!

May

National Military Family Appreciation Month

May 11th Military Spouse Appreciation Day (the Friday before Mother's Day)
Some great ideas on how to reach out to Military Spouses on their day! "101 Ways to Thank a Military Spouse"

May 19th Armed Forces Day (Third Saturday in May)

May 28th Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)

June

June 14th Flag Day

June 14th US Army Birthday

Thank you for the great support to your military community! Please pass on these dates to business organizations such as your chamber of commerce to insure that they are appropriately recognized! One other quick recommendation is to not just have a sale on days like Veterans Day but include a military discount or some recognition such as a small token of appreciation daily, weekly or monthly! Recognize those serving or who have served in some manner! Be military friendly and the word will spread rapidly! Some great ideas in Tips: Your Military Rewards and How to Win the Hearts of the Military Community

Are you aware of a local event that the military community needs to know about? You can place it directly on MilitaryAvenue! Go to the installation home page in your area and go to the Upcoming Local Events at the bottom center of the page and click on the Let Us Know to tell us about it! We will review and quickly post!

Veterans Day 2011 - What are you going to do for our Military-Veterans?

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:12:00 +0000

Next month is Veteran's Day and a great chance for you to note their sacrifices and protection of our great country. As a MilitaryAvenue Partner what are you doing to recognize our Military and Families this upcoming Veterans Day? Start preparing now for this day of recognition for those who have frequently given so much for their country. Many military families are operating with a second or third deployment over the holidays! Can you say "again"? Many Military-Veterans didn't get the recognition they so deserved so many years ago. All Veterans and families could use a simple "thank you" from all of us.
Welcoming our Military to your place of business

Here are ideas to jump start your recognition of Veteran's Day. Make it something that makes veterans and their families feel appreciated:

First of all offer a Veterans Day Special, for our veterans. Offer something from the heart that you know your military-veteran customers will appreciate. It is only a small token of what they have done for us!
Hang a "Veterans, Thank You" sign on your door (Something like: http://militarymarketing.militaryavenue.com/2010/05/what-does-your-storefront-or-website.html)
Sponsor or become involved in a Veteran's Day parade and encourage others as well
Add a special event to our Event Calendar so the new military families get the word about the local area (How to place an event on MilitaryAvenue)
Have your sales staff made aware of military customers and task the staff to thank them for their service

Getting the word out

An example of a Military Reward for Veterans Day
(click on image for detail)

First of all, if you are having a Veterans Day Special, log on to your account and update your reward. Do this before November 1st so that it will be included in our monthly-Alerts!
If you are not a MilitaryAvenue Partner yet NOW is the time! A Military Discount year round equals free advertising! (List with us)
If you are offering a remarkable military discount or incentive for our Veterans we will add it to our growing list - Veterans Day 2011 - Military Discounts. Last year's list was circulated by official military-organizations, military-spouse and family groups, and so much more and is STILL looked at every day.

The Reward that you have earned

To show our appreciation for your support to our veterans and their families we are having a "We Thank Veterans Campaign" until November 11th! Make the promise to thank veterans and we will offer you a ten percent (10%) discount on any upgrades with the discount code, "VETERANS". Log in to your account and build your upgrade! During checkout enter the discount code and it will be automatically discounted and your ad year starts again! Thank you!

Supporting the Relocation, Travel and Lifestyle Needs of the American Military Family

Celebrating Military Veterans and Families this Veterans Day

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:15:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Grand Rapids, MI, October 5, 2011 - MilitaryAvenue.com is seeking businesses that value, support and wish to recognize our past and present military members this Veterans Day.

Veterans Day is the perfect opportunity to take part in MilitaryAvenue.com’s ‘Celebrating Veterans Giveaway’. As a business that supports America’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines consider donating a national gift-card, Visa Cash Card or merchandise to this giveaway recognizing the sacrifices of our Veterans, Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve service-members. It is a simple way for a business to say “Thank You”.

Businesses that participate in MilitaryAvenue.com’s Veteran’s Day Giveaway will experience increased brand awareness among military families. The giveaway announcement at ‘Our Letters to You’, an award winning military family blog (http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com) will include a business logo and website link for the participating company for each donated gift. Businesses that play a part in thanking our military veterans through this giveaway can expect to see their company mentioned throughout social media circles including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Past giveaways at MilitaryAvenue.com to military-families have been met with great success. Veterans do not expect to be recognized but they appreciate and support the businesses that do take the time to acknowledge their sacrifices. Read stories of thanks at Marketing to the Military, “Thank You” (http://militarymarketing.militaryavenue.com/2011/08/thank-you.html).

This should be a Veterans Day Military Veterans and families will not soon forget. Please contact a MilitaryAvenue.com team member before October 20, 2011 to donate a gift that a military family can win in a random drawing of entries on November 15, 2011.

About MilitaryAvenue LLC
Founded by a team of military and Internet veterans and based in Grand Rapids, MI, privately held MilitaryAvenue supports the relocation, travel and lifestyle needs of the American military family. MilitaryAvenue.com is a free global and local online guide to goods, services and community information for over 240 military installations in the U.S. and abroad through the nation’s largest database of military discounts, the most comprehensive directory of local base community businesses, and an extensive library of articles and resources for the military family experience.

Contact:
Leanne Kocsis
MilitaryAvenue.com
877-425-9992
Leanne@militaryavenue.com
http://www.militaryavenue.com

# # #

Autoposting on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Leanne Kocsis) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:25:00 +0000

I just read an interesting article on SocialMediaToday that I know is quite appropriate for our Business Partners.

On average, Facebook Pages that show posts via a third party app such as HootSuite or TweetDeck, as opposed to linking the old fashioned manual way, receive 70% fewer likes and comments. Linking to your Facebook Page via auto post is a very common and time saving practice and while I have dabbled in it, for the most part I stay clear from it for the simple reason of posting via an auto post just doesn't look as good or as appealing as doing it manually - posting a link directly from your Facebook Page.

- Facebook Autoposting - A Social Media No-No

We have found that third-party apps like TwitterFeed are great for Twitter. Automatic posting makes it very easy to share our latest articles, blogs and even military discounts! Our followers enjoy retweeting them and our readership grows. However, Facebook is a much more personal experience and we at MilitaryAvenue have always steered clear of automatic posting. Instead, we pick a few key articles, an empowering quote for the day, and a general question to engage our military-families.

As for the articles we elect to share, we select a photo to catch our readers' attention and add a comment as to why this article is relevant to them, the military family. Our user experience is much more engaging this way. As a small business owner you too have to find the balance of 'too much information' (which often comes with auto-posting) for your followers as opposed to falling off their radar with not enough posts. You want to share the right amount of engagement, making your business a trusted resource.

Find your balance, share the posts relevant to your fans, and you will be on your way to being a valued resource to your customers. Best of luck!

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

By the way, if your business does have a Facebook presense be sure to pop over to our MilitaryDiscounts page an introduce yourself: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Military-Discounts/112981725440917. We post new and updated discounts to our Facebook Friends at Military Discounts (over a thousand growing very fast) and love the interaction from our Business Partners as well. What a great opportunity to engage with potential new customers!