by Steve Feldman
I think it’s safe to assume by now you’ve seen our 25th anniversary issue. I’m sure you have not yet read every word on all 132 pages, but you’ve probably at least delved into the issue. We hope you enjoy it. The FCNews team put a lot of blood, sweat, tears, time and effort into that issue and for that they should be acknowledged. It is the one issue of which we are all so very proud—almost matching the pride we feel as a result of serving the flooring industry for a quarter century.
I’d like the 25th anniversary issue to serve two purposes: first, as a reference manual for those either new to the industry or those wanting to find out more about the industry’s last 25 years from a historical standpoint, and second, to provide fodder for some meaningful dialogue—between FCNews and its readers, and amongst our readers themselves using FCNews’ Facebook page as the vehicle.
Let me explain. There are four top 25 lists in that issue—innovations, events, people and industry-driving women whose inclusion the FCNews staff discussed—OK, argued and debated over— for months. Obviously lists of this nature are subjective at their core.
Here’s where you come in. What do YOU think? Did we get them right? What and who were left on the cutting room floor that you believe merited inclusion? Who and what made it through that should not have? Either way, you won’t be right, you won’t be wrong. But we want to hear from you.
Yes, you can send an email. But I’d much prefer you log on to our Facebook page—facebook.com/floorcoveringnews—and voice your thoughts. You will have to first “like” us if you have not done so already to post your opinion. Then post to your heart’s content. I’d like others in the industry to respond so we can get a few interesting and, maybe, passionate dialogues going.
By the way, there are other reasons to like us on Facebook. Our webmaster, Emily Hooper, is constantly posting articles she believes will be of interest to our readers, things that may have appeared somewhere she feels you may not have seen. She also posts breaking news stories and links to some of the key articles that have appeared or are about to appear in the magazine.
One thing to keep in mind: nothing goes to your inbox. All the news we post will be included in your home feed, so each time you log into Facebook you’ll get our news along with your best friend’s update about her shopping trip and the new color of her hair. Although we don’t think there is such a thing as too much information, if our contributions to your personalized Facebook news ever becomes too much, you can always change that frequency in your personal settings.
Aside from that, I believe the interaction amongst our readers is a critical component of the Facebook experience. We can help each other solve problems, solicit opinions, share thoughts, etc. It is a direct line to our editorial team and should be used as a tool for yourself and your business.
Other advantages of being a friend of FCNews: The articles we post may be a little too opinionated for inclusion in the news section on fcnews.net, but on Facebook we want to hear those comments. Are we way off on social media analytics? Have you heard enough about the economy for the rest of your life? Let us know. We want the page to work for you.
Remember, “like” allows you to comment on stories or points that we put out there. Without that like, you can’t join the conversation.