Executive Director’s Commentary
By Don Eversmann, F240000
December 2006
FMCA’s Web site now is easier to use when you need information about products you see in the magazine. And it’s easier to learn about upcoming FMCA get-togethers by using the site, too.
The Free Product Information request service, introduced in April 2003, enables Family Motor Coaching readers to seek details about advertised products from the companies offering them by completing a request online, instead of filling out and mailing the reader service card that appears in each issue of the magazine. Using the Web site is an easier and faster way to request the information, and also transmits your request to the product or service provider more quickly.
When members use the reader service program to request information, it provides an added benefit to FMCA. It lets advertisers know for sure that you learned about their product or service because of your association with FMCA. The more responses they receive, the more likely they are to continue to support the association with their advertising dollars. This revenue helps to offset the expenses of producing the magazine and also provides income that can be used to fund other member benefits.
This month, I have asked Todd Moning, FMCA.com Web editor, to further describe the Free Product Info channel of the Web site.
I have asked Todd to elaborate on the Web site’s Event Calendar also. The calendar provides dates for upcoming FMCA conventions and rallies and is easily accessible from the home page of FMCA.com. With the recent addition of a search feature, you now can request a listing of chapter rallies, area rallies, or international conventions by just specifying which category of events and what dates or time frame you care to see. It offers easy access to all the FMCA events that you might be interested in attending.
Because space is less of an issue on the Web site than it is in the magazine, the Web listings aren’t limited to a few months’ worth of events. Information is added as areas and chapters provide it, and listings are included for events up to a year in advance, so it is useful for those who are looking for the most up-to-date information and those who like to plan well in advance. Todd will share this aspect of the Web site as well as some additional options that are available to you as you plan your future travels.
Finally, as this December issue of Family Motor Coaching goes to press, I would certainly be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to recognize this wonderful season of the year and the celebrations that we will share with our families and friends. On behalf of the staff at the national office here in Cincinnati, I wish you all a most wonderful and joyous holiday season and a safe and prosperous New Year.
Click For Info, Click For Rally Fun
By Todd Moning
Web Editor
FMCA.com’s Free Product Information site, www.fmca.com/freeproductinfo, makes it easy to request information from FMC magazine advertisers and from companies represented in the monthly “RV Products” column.
Here’s how it works.
At www.fmca.com/freeproductinfo, select the magazine issue in which the advertisement appeared. Next, choose how you want to view the list of advertisers: by category, company name, reader service number, or page number.
Viewing companies by category (the default choice) sorts companies alphabetically into each of these groups:
- Campgrounds, Resorts, and Destinations
- Custom Coach Conversions
- Miscellaneous
- Motorhome Dealers
- RV Parts, Accessories, and Components
- Services
- Type A Motorhomes
- Type B Motorhomes
- Type C Motorhomes
To request product information from a particular advertiser, click the small check box next to the company name. Check as many boxes as you wish. A check box indicating “send information from all of the companies” appears at the bottom of each category or screen.
Free Product Info also enables you to click on an advertiser’s name and go directly to the company’s Web site, if it has one. This doesn’t preclude you from using the check box to request information. You’re welcome to do both.
After selecting advertisers by clicking check boxes, scroll down to enter your name, address, and postal code to begin the process of submitting your request. You will need to enter your personal contact information so that companies can send you the information.
Beneath your contact information is a simple five-question, click-to-respond survey “” the same survey that appears on the reader service cards in FMC magazine. Advertisers use the survey information to provide product information that most closely meets your current needs.
Click “Submit” to send your contact information and survey responses. You’ll receive confirmation that your request has been recorded.
To obtain specific information regarding a product or service, wait until you receive information from the advertiser and then direct any unanswered questions to the advertiser’s office.
The Free Product Information site is an outgrowth of FMC magazine’s reader service card program. A tear-out card is bound into each issue of FMC. On the card, readers circle the reader service number of each advertisement of interest. Reader service numbers appearing in the magazine are located beneath or next to most ads, in fine print. Readers fill out the postage-paid reader service card and mail it to FMCA’s national office. A staff member then directs each request to the appropriate advertiser.
When you see FMC ads that interest you, consider visiting www.fmca.com/freeproductinfo, the convenient online alternative to learning more about products and services that can enhance your motorhome lifestyle.
Event Calendar search. Are you ready to rally?
FMCA.com’s new Event Calendar search feature makes it easier to find the dates and locations of chapter rallies, area rallies, and international conventions. This feature is near the bottom of FMCA.com’s home page, on the Conventions and Event Calendar channels, and on the Rallies page of the Areas and Chapters channels.
To perform a search, click Chapter Rallies, Area Rallies, Conventions, or Any to indicate which type of event you’re looking for. Enter a date range and then click “Go.”
You’ll be ready to rally in no time.