Contributed by Mona Van Gelder
Alaska’s Marketplace was an idea born of desperation and excitement. It’s time for Alaskan’s to have an online business directory and free classifieds that represent our unique lifestyles. National advertising sites such as Facebook and Craig’s List are great for free ads, but don’t allow the sale of dogs and guns; two important facets in Alaskan’s lifestyles.
Having been banned from using the paid site of Alaska’s List for imaginary offenses; I turned to solving the problem of no place to advertise; not only for me, but anyone in Alaska that wishes to use it. I sought out another ex-user of Alaska’s List, who likewise had problems with that site and we developed a free classifieds website for all Alaskan’s to use. I’m in the process of renovating my house and constantly going to the Internet looking for businesses to help. Being met with frustration at having to sort through toll free numbers that are middlemen for lower 48 companies, searching for elusive local business, only to find the phone number disconnected, I informed the web developer, Bryan Earl of Prescott Web Design, a former Palmer resident, that it was time to also add a business directory. It only allows Alaska businesses to advertise and if they are no longer in business can immediately remove their listing.
It was exciting watching the website come to life and become a usable tool for ecommerce. Finished, it was time to advertise all over Alaska. With my meager allotted advertising budget, I started contacting newspapers. The big three, Anchorage Daily News, Fairbanks’ Daily News Miner and Juneau Empire were first on my list. ADN worked out a plan and is now running my ad, both in print on Sunday and Wednesday editions and online. Juneau Empire gave me a short article for new businesses on their front page. Fairbanks’ Daily News Miner worked up both an online ad and one for print. Then I contacted Ketchikan, Sitka and Petersburg newspapers. Ketchikan was willing to place an ad, but Sitka and Petersburg; both small family owned newspapers told me absolutely NO when they found out what my business entailed. They stated that they couldn’t afford the competition. The first place to turn me down was Sitka and my first thought was, “Don’t the people of Sitka have the right to make up their own minds rather than have the local paper dictate what they are allowed to see?” In dealing with the spokesperson at the Sitka newspaper, they were upset with my less than gracious response and I was outraged on behalf of those who lived there at the blatant censorship.
I was stunned with the refusals because newspapers were not on my radar for being targeted and usually cater to a different clientele. The average small, Alaskan business cannot afford to place unending ads in print, so resort to an occasional ad, if at all. They rely on Facebook, Yelp, Twitter and other means of getting the word out. Those are my targeted competition, not newspapers.
I wasn’t worried because the big three agreed to print my ad and I could do postal mailings for the smaller areas. One day, I checked my bank account and to my surprise, without one word to me, Fairbanks’ Daily News Miner refunded my money. I phoned them and after a couple transfers got a man named Tom, who told me the publisher absolutely refused my ad; again, stating competition as the reason. I explained I didn’t think my website was going to run the larger newspaper out of business, but they wouldn’t budge. The Daily News Miner is also in control of the local military paper and several magazines and I was told those were also off limits.
Having three newspapers tell me I was a threat raised many questions. What is the newspaper’s role in assimilating news for their areas? Do they have the right to censor what the residents in their areas are exposed to? Are they so close to failing that my website is the straw that will break their proverbial camel’s back?
With my newfound awareness, I still contact newspapers, but am forthright about what my website offers and explain I am not a threat to their newspaper. I have a place on my business directory for newspapers and magazines to advertise. I doubt it’s the content of my website that is making them refuse me, but the prices I’m charging versus what they are asking. I don’t run a printing press, have a large staff or have to buy paper stock and ink and my prices reflect it. But, with whatever funds my website generates, I plan on placing much back into the communities in the form of advertising and sponsoring animal rescue efforts as my company’s small part to give back. The website, Alaska’s Marketplace, is here to stay for your use and can be found at alaskasmarketplace.com
Help spread the word and more importantly, bookmark and use the site so it moves to the top of the search engines.