Blogging about the blogs

Welcome to today’s self storage blog. We track the happenings in the self storage industry for self storage insiders.

Teri Lanza, the former Editor of the Inside Self Storage Magazine and the current Business Development Manager for ISS has started a blog on the ISS site. I was quite tickled that she chose to mention the self storage blog in her entry today.

Go to www.insideselfstorage.com

Teri was my editor for my Speaking of Sales column in the ISS for years. I liked working with her. She did a good job editing my pieces so they read well and fit the tone of the magazine.

Teri mentioned the Self Storage Association’s affiliated council. I mentioned in an earlier entry that I couldn’t think of much of a downside to affiliation.

I guess Teri thought of a downside to affiliation. My first reaction was to chuckle. There is a saying that goes something like, “You don’t know you’re doin’ right ‘til someone starts complainin’ ”.

You have to think that the SSA is doing a lot of “right” things if Teri is writing about it. The fact that her mention of the affiliation process is painted with a negative brush is just a reflection of present day journalism. Positive coverage is boring to most people.

I would think that the ISS would find some benefit in covering the SSA and its growth and progress over the last few years. They could get more readers if they covered all of the goings on in the industry.

I realize some people think that the ISS and the SSA are in competition with each other. I suppose to some extent they do compete for advertising dollars and conference attendance and vendor sponsorships. I see them as benefiting each other. It seems to me that there is enough going on in the industry that both organizations can do well.

The ISS and the SSA appeal to different groups and have different missions. ISS is in the conference, exhibit and magazine business and they do a great job. The SSA is a trade association and has made great strides in becoming a more cohesive and more relevant organization in the last few years. Both organizations are really good for each other.

I expect there to be some tension as things develop to a next level. I am sure we can handle it.

Teri is also doing a good job with her internet marketing. She needed people to read her blog. An effective way to get page views is to find a hot button. Is the non-compete section of the affiliation agreement a hot button? Maybe.

She does raise a good point. Many people were unsure of the non-compete items in the affiliation agreement. It seems that the intent of the provision has been explained and is now better understood. I seriously doubt North Carolina and Florida would have affiliated if they had not been comfortable with the non-compete issue.

She may have created a great opportunity for the SSA to restate how the affiliates see benefits in the affiliation and how the non-compete items are not an evil scheme.

I understand why people in the industry might be unsure of an affiliation between state associations and the SSA. There is a lot of power and influence consolidating under one umbrella.

There is another old saying in Hollywood that goes, “It doesn’t matter what they are saying about you, as long as they are talking about you.”

Tweet This Post 

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

View admin's Profile      Subscribe via RSS