This week on my blog, I’d like to introduce you to Area Director and Publisher of N2 Publishing, Tamera Ahner. In this critical time, we’ve all been worried about how our local businesses can survive during the COVID-19. Here’s how one team’s efforts met with huge success. Please welcome Tamera Ahner ~ Donnell
By Tamera Ahner
I produce private neighborhood publications that create a 
sense of community and support local businesses. Through this work my passion is realized: building a business that cares about people. As the publisher of Picacho Living and Sonoma Ranch Life in Las Cruces, NM, I had some choices to make when COVID19 arrived. I could go into hibernation and wait for the sun to shine again or I could get up and start running.
While I must admit hibernation felt pretty good for the first week or two, I quickly realized I wasn’t wired for such a dull roar. The pandemic happened so fast. Friends were at our house for dinner on March 9th. Our state was shut down on March 14th. That week evolved so quickly with little or no time to think about what would come next.
After a brief hiatus, it was time to get imaginative. How could I make sure my 100+ business partners and supporters of our neighborhood magazines were feeling the love during a pandemic? How would our team help our neighbors stay connected to one another as well as to our sponsors?
What followed was not a master plan with task lists and action items, but merely a sequence of gestures designed to stimulate some feel-good moments. While our monthly publications propelled along with lots of great content generated by our neighbors, we rolled up our sleeves and got creative.
We engaged a group of neighbor volunteers to write personal notes to our publication sponsors, sharing their own words of encouragement, and how much the products and/or services our local businesses provide are valued and appreciated. This effort produced a sense of belonging for everyone involved. We realized too that the stay-at-home orders provided time that could be utilized to touch others. Personal notes were just the beginning.
With more people at home than ever, we knew increased internet surfing was inevitable. So, we reached out to our business partners with complimentary web site audits in a comprehensive format, pointing out the successes and failures that could be addressed to increase visibility and brand recognition. Our partners enjoyed this token that contained the message, “We’re looking out for you.”
Of course, finances would become a challenge. This is where the rubber hits the road as far as I am concerned. We developed a financial relief program wherein business partners who were struggling could receive their ads for free for a few months and we would just tack those months onto the end of our agreements. This was our way of investing in our partnerships and supporting local. A handful of advertisers took us up on that offer and solidified our relationship. We also shared resources that assisted with SBA loan applications.
With COVID-19 all of our neighborhood events had to be cancelled. Our egg hunt, community-wide garage sale, coffee dates, spa night, an open house, a pizza party for the Girl Scouts, a brewery event for Father’s Day, and even our 101 Seminar Series, showcasing the expertise of our local businesses were off the books.
No worries. We found new ways to forge ahead. We took
our events to the airways. Our first virtual event was a spa education seminar that we conducted through Zoom. We capped the event at 10 guests (a mix of sponsors and neighbors) to maintain an intimate feel. We introduced ourselves and listened and learned from the spa owner. We even had giveaways and door prizes for all attendees that we delivered to attendee doorsteps after the event.
It was so enlightening to learn how each participant was coping with isolation. I had no idea how such a small gesture – planning a virtual event – would boost spirits as much as it did. We learned that these neighbors were craving socialization and had been looking forward to the event for weeks! Needless to say, we quickly began the process of lining up more virtual events, everything from road safety led by a local tire company to a dog training class called “Bark to School.”
Quarantine Chat Series: On a wing and a prayer and no interview experience, I jumped into our Quarantine Comfort Chat series, designed to replace the in-person seminars we planned. I learned how to record video chats on Zoom, 10 to 15 minutes in length, wherein our business owners were our special guests.
Three Key Questions: Together we designed three (3) key questions that dominated the chat and demonstrated expertise. These chats were then posted on Facebook and Instagram. With more than 25 chats under our belt, the feedback has been so positive that we plan to continue the chats well into the future. In some cases, our videos have logged 950+ views. Neighbors loved “meeting” the business owner. Many said it felt personal and “local.”
Digital Remarketing: We launched digital remarketing for businesses that wanted to beef up their social media presence, but just didn’t have the time or the knowledge. We took the print ad and turned it into a digital format and posted on social media. Not only do our neighbors see the printed ad in the monthly publication, now they see the sponsor ads on their social media. There’s this thing called geofencing that allows us to target the communities where our neighbors live to run those digital ads. It’s a marvelous tactic. Because social media is digital, it also creates analytics. Now, our businesses receive a tangible monthly report on the outcomes of their social presence, and together we watch those numbers grow.
I want to emphasize that I operate with a “we–not me” mentality. In the meantime, our dream team of four women (a Content Manager/Ad Designer, Photographer/Social Media Manager, Team Assistant and myself) got busy scouring all of the websites and Facebook pages of our sponsors and “shared” tons of great updates and information through our neighborhood social media feeds. Our partners started reaching out in droves thanking us for “tagging” them and “sharing” their news.
As I sit here today, more than four months later, I have come to the realization that the pandemic life has become the norm and shall remain so for a long time to come. One thing we know for sure is the publications are the tie that binds our communities together. Joy comes through service. While we cannot have in-person contact with either our neighbors or our local business owners, we can still show up.
About the Author: A former healthcare administrator and community connector, Tamera Ahner has turned those skills and credentials into publishing, and building lasting relationships. When she has a minute to relax, you can find her in her gardens and primping suites at her historic home downtown Hacienda de Las Cruces. http://www.haciendadelascruces.com/
Tamera, reading your blog I was constantly reminded of the Mister Rogers quote “find the helpers” (I may be off on that a bit, but the sentiment is the same). Not only have you become a source to help others but a sign of hope and of strength. Learning new things to help others is a gift to your community. Congratulations on what you’ve accomplished.
C.F. Tamera’s blog touched me as well. Very lovely sentiment. Thank you.
Thank you so much C.F. I am very fortunate. I take my responsibilities very seriously.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Donnell! Lifting up someone else, lifts us all – and this blog sure did some lifting over here! Bravo to Tamara!!!
My pleasure, Nancy! Thanks for stopping by.