Volume 28 | March 2024

Wellsville Chamber News

Wellsville Chamber of Commerce Mission Statement: 
“To improve business opportunity and build a better community”
Visit Our Website

Join us for our next Monthly Chamber of Commerce Meeting -


WHEN - Tuesday, April 9th at 12PM - Lunch at 11:30AM provided by FCDC (Franklin County Development Council)

WHERE - Wellsville Health and Rehab Conference Room

WHY - To stay up-to-date on all the Wellsville Chamber is doing for businesses in our town and be an active participant in making decisions that affect all we have going on!

Host a Meeting - Showcase Your Business

If you would like to showcase your business by hosting a Chamber meeting and/or luncheon at your location, please let us know. This is a great way to familiarize other business owners with the tools and resources you have to offer the community and show off your physical space. Or you can cater the lunch and hold it at the Wellsville City Library or Wellsville Health and Rehab has also offer their space and can cater on site.

Schedule a Luncheon or RSVP

17 Spring Marketing & Advertising Ideas to Brighten Your 2024


By Susie Marino


Stop for a moment, and take a deep breath in. Smell that fresh, crisp air? Spring is here (as of March 2024).


Busy business owners don’t always have the luxury of stopping to smell the spring flowers as it’s vital to keep marketing running smoothly during this time. With spring sneaking up on us, it’s best to get ahead of your planning to maintain marketing continuity. This post will help you do just that as we’ll give you plenty of tips for:

  • Easy spring marketing ideas your customers will love.
  • Quick spring advertising ideas to help your business grow.
  • Spring social media ideas to make your profiles bloom.


Spring has sprung, and your marketing should do the same! Get ahead of the spring marketing game with these ideas to see positive ROI all season long.


Whether you’re a growing franchise, a local medical office, or a small B2B startup, these spring marketing ideas are fit for every niche market out there:


1. Update your goals (and your strategy)

Spring marks both an ending and a beginning. As winter ends along with Q1 and we welcome the approaching mid-point of the year, now is the perfect time to align with your spring marketing goals.

Check-in on your goals for 2024 and be sure that you’re still on track. If not, it’s never too late to adjust or create new goals to set yourself up for success this spring. To understand how you can best leverage your spring marketing, try running a SWOT analysis to see how you can best fill in your business’s gaps this season.


2. Take inventory of your spring marketing channels

Along with setting your spring 2024 marketing goals, you’ll also want to get an understanding of what marketing channels you’re currently using. To make the most of your spring marketing, you’ll want to ensure you’re implementing a multichannel marketing strategy.


When you promote your business across channels, you’re maximizing your chances for success. This will help you in the short and long term as you’ll be setting yourself up to hit both your spring goals as well as overall 2024 goals.


3. Refresh your website

You could have the best spring marketing strategy out there, but if your website isn’t optimized you won’t see your desired results. That’s why it’s vital to check that your website is running on all cylinders this spring.

Take the change of season as an opportunity to freshen any website content and use online tools to grade your web vitals. For example, there are plenty of free page speed checkers online. You could even try our free website grader for the most in-depth website performance information.


4. Promote a spring product or offering

The spring season means spring sales! Be sure to make the most of your spring promotions by adding a festive twist to a product or offer. You could come out with a limited-edition spring service package or spring-themed product.


It could even be as simple as changing product colors to fun pastels or switching out an offering with a special spring name. This will boost your conversion rates as seasonal or limited-edition items that have an end date are 9% more likely to be purchased.


5. Spring-ify your brand

While you spring-ify your products and offerings, you may as well spring up your brand too! While maintaining brand consistency is key throughout the year, you’ll also want to add seasonal flair to your branding to help your business stand out.


You don’t have to go crazy, but simply swapping out a company color, adding a flower to a brand logo, or changing your business’s social profile pictures could all help to make your brand more memorable this spring.


6. Update your local listings for spring

Spread spring to your local listings! Double-check your business information across listings like Yelp and Google Business Profile to start spring off on the right foot.

This may mean updating your operating hours, adding festive spring language to your business description or even adding spring photos to your Google Business Profile posts. If you have plans for a specific spring holiday when updating your local listings, be sure to mention that too.

 

7. Host a spring savings event

Your spring event could be in-store or virtual, but don’t be afraid to push your customers towards limited-time spring savings.


You could invite customers to welcome spring in with your business by offering small prizes during a spring event or offer a free spring gift with purchases during certain hours.


To get a better participation turnout, try implementing a spring referral program to encourage your customers to invite friends too.


8. Try a new platform

Spring is all about throwing out the old and welcoming in the new. For example, if you’re only running search or display ads, you may want to try social media ads as social ads are now the second-largest market in digital advertising.


Check out your social media goals and see if you have wiggle room to try ads on a new social platform this spring. For example, TikTok advertising is on the rise as the number of US adult users is estimated to grow to over 1 billion by 2025.


9. A/B test spring-themed creative

As you refresh your overall approach to local PPC (Pay Per Click), you should also take a closer look at details like ad copy and creative. Swap out any stale fall or winter language with spring-related terms.


You could also take your spring ads to the next level by A/B testing various spring images to see what resonates with your target audience the most this time of year.


10. Change out your CTAs (Call to Action)

As the seasons change, your offers will too. A CTA can make or break your paid advertising as it points your viewers to what action you want them to complete.

For example, your ads may have had a “book now” button to set spring appointments ahead of time during winter months, but now as your spring schedule fills you could change to a more enticing CTA example like “sign up” or “learn more.”


11. Check your targeting

One major aspect of online advertising you never want to forget is your target market. Of course, as your business is transitioning into spring, your ideal customers will be too. It’s a good idea to look at key marketing metrics within your audience data to see what you may need to change for spring.


For example, you may have been targeting an audience interested in snow sports and snow gear, but that same audience may be changing their behaviors to show interest in hiking and beach gear.


12. Partner with an influencer

Influencer marketing sounds intimidating at first glance, but there is a way growing businesses can make this spring marketing idea work for them.


Reach out to micro-influencers (people with an approximate following of about 10,000-50,000) as they will have lower rates to fit your budget. Once you strike up an influencer partnership, you could have them tag you on Instagram, shout out your business on their story, and more to help grow your following.


13. Use spring hashtags

Hashtags are good idea throughout the year since they help your posts get found. People can search certain hashtags and find your business.


However, a post with hashtags will be a bit flashier—helping to catch your viewer’s attention. The best part of hashtags is that they’re also customizable! Create your own spring marketing hashtags or try some from our handy list below to elevate your social media posts:

  • #springisnear
  • #springishere
  • #sunsoutgunsout
  • #sunsoutbunsout
  • #madeintheshade
  • #aprilshowersbringmayflowers
  • #springtime


14. Run a spring social media contest

If you want to create a social buzz, try running a social media contest or giveaway to hype your followers up about the coming season. For example, you could try asking a spring trivia question and have your followers comment back their answers for a prize.


Trying a spring social media contest or giveaway will not only attract people to interact with your posts, but the added engagement will also help you to show up in news feeds later.


15. Leverage spring social media holidays

If you’re still short on spring marketing ideas for your social media accounts, it never hurts to default to spring social media holidays to spice up your follower’s feeds.

There are fun social media holidays for just about every day of the spring season. These festivities can act as inspiration for photos, videos, and more to keep your content fresh.


16. Run a sweepstakes

If you really want to go all in when it comes to your spring marketing, you could entice your audience to enter a sweepstakes with your business. This spring marketing idea can help you increase leads for your business since you could collect entries through a short form. Try running the sweepstakes all season long and offer a grand prize to one lucky winner.


17. Set up a spring email sequence

This spring marketing idea guarantees lasting results all season since you can run multiple emails with different types of spring content. For example, you could send a promotional email to convert prospects into customers in March, a sales follow-up email once a purchase has been made in April, and one last email asking for a review in May.


Entrepreneurial Services Spotlight

Wellsville Health & Rehab Entrepreneurial Services


Wellsville Health and Rehab (WH&R) is a long-term care facility with an attached assisted living section. The business is located at 304 W. 7th Street in Wellsville. Scott and Susan Averill acquired the business in 2008. And now, WH&R employs around 100 staff members to keep the place running smoothly. One of those employees is Scott Averill’s right-hand woman, Jill McCoy. We interviewed her regarding the services WH&R offers to their residents. 


We asked Jill to tell us about the services Wellsville Health and Rehab offers. She explained to us, “We offer long-term skilled nursing care, short-term rehab stays, outpatient physical therapy and residential assisted living apartments.” When asked about the benefits of these services, she told us, “We believe in resident-centered care. This means that the wants and needs of our residents are our priority. We have built a very loyal following. Many other facilities have a hefty advertising budget along with a marketing professional who works to keep each room filled. We don’t have to do that because we can count on word-of-mouth advertising and our reputation to bring in new residents.”


After learning all about the services WH&R currently offers, we asked about any new services on the horizon. Jill told us, “We should be breaking ground soon on our new home – Chuck’s Place. The name for this new service came about to honor Scott’s dad, Chuck. In 2008, when Scott Averill first got into long-term care by purchasing Brookside in Overbrook, KS, his dad, sold his home of 40 years to give Scott a down payment for the loan. Scott said, “I was extremely grateful for my dad’s support, and we paid him back every penny including interest within a few years.” Chuck was also a partner in the business until 2011.


Next, we talked about the most asked questions residents and their families have when they come to visit WH&R. Jill shared, “How much does it cost to live here? Does Medicare pay for your services? Can I keep my regular doctor? What types of activities do you provide? Is your food good?” So of course, we asked for answers to these very questions. Jill said, “We have a range of services from outpatient therapy, assisted living and skilled long-term care. Each of these services has their own pricing. Medicare will only help pay for your stay if you have stayed three nights in the hospital and are being admitted for a rehab stint. As for your regular doctor, you can always keep your own primary care physician. We also have an excellent medical director, Dr. Joel Kavan, who provides care for all our residents. We offer SO MANY fun activities, about five to eight each day. Some of our most popular activities are bingo, crafts, musical entertainment, and wine and cheese parties. Regarding the food we serve at Wellsville Health and Rehab, our dietary department takes great pride in providing nutritious and delicious meals to our residents and staff each day.”  


Success is measured differently from business to business. When it comes to how WH&R measures success, we were told, “We measure success by the happiness of our residents and staff. We are unconventional and love to try new things with both staff and residents.” When asked how Wellsville can best serve the business, Jill explained, “We are hoping to participate in more community events this year. Since COVID, we have been unable to host many events that we had held in the past such as Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, Fourth of July Cookout and Halloween Trick or Treating.” 


If you’d like to contact Wellsville Health and Rehab, they are open 24/7. You can call 785-883-4101 or email jmccoy@wellsvillerc.com. For more information, you can always visit the website https://www.wellsvillerc.com/.


Learn More about Wellsville Health & Rehab

Wellsville Chamber Sign Advertising program -

If you would like to advertise to the thousands of cars passing by our billboard on Highway 33 each day, we can help produce and display a banner designed just for your business. This Chamber sign is especially important to your business if you are a business located somewhere other than on 33 highway. Many people who live outside Wellsville or are coming off the highway to stop at Bert's or Casey's don't know what other businesses Wellsville has to offer. They might make it a point to use your services each time they are in town if they only knew where you were!


We only have two 2024 Chamber Sign spots. Please reach out if you would like to book one.

Chamber Coffee Corner

Email the Wellsville Chamber of Commerce

City of Wellsville

City Office Information -


  • City Planning Commission meeting 3/20 at 6PM.
  • City Council meeting 3/27 at 6PM.
  • City Court meeting on 3/5 at 5:30PM.
  • City Council meeting 4/10 at 6PM.


City Council Meeting Minutes

Wellsville Police Department

Wellsville Police House Watch Program -


The House Watch Program is a service provided to Wellsville residents which is intended to enhance the security of their homes while they are on vacation or otherwise away from their residence for a lengthy period(s). It is designed to provide useful information to the district officer on such residences in his/her patrol district. When carried out properly, it can also serve as a valuable crime prevention tool.

Sign up for House Watch Program
Learn more about the Wellsville Police Department

Chamber Member Help Wanted

Wellsville Public Works Laborer Position Available -


Job Title:  Public Works Laborer II


JOB DESCRIPTION:

Under the direction of the City Superintendent, performs a variety of skilled and unskilled duties associated with the maintenance of city streets, city cemeteries, city buildings and properties, wastewater treatment plant and collection lines, water towers, water tanks and distribution lines, operation of heavy and medium duty equipment and trucks, performs on-call duties, (monthly or as necessary). 


ESSENTIAL DUTIES -

·       Serve as crew member for providing assistance in Utilities operations.

·       Repair and operate water distribution mains, ground storage and elevated water towers, wastewater piping, manholes, sanitary sewer lift stations, booster stations, and storm water systems.

·       Service and repair pumps, motors, hydrants and meters.

·       Assist with snow removal in inclement weather.

·       Assist other City departments as assigned.

·       Follow department safety procedures and practices along with department policies and procedures.

·       Ability to follow written and oral instruction.

·       Ability to work independently with limited or infrequent supervision.

·       On-call and overtime as assigned.


REQUIRED TRAINING AND /OR EXPERIENCE -


  • Must possess a high school diploma, or equivalent and one year of experience in the field of Municipal Maintenance.


  • Must possess a valid Kansas driver’s license and class B with air CDL or the ability to obtain such within 6 months of employment.


  • KDHE Certification as Class I water certification and/or Class 2 Wastewater treatment facility operator or be able to obtain within 2 years of employment.


BENEFITS INCLUDE -

  • KPERS
  • Sick pay
  • Vacation pay
  • Insurance
  • 12 paid holidays


Applications available at City Hall, 411 Main Street, Wellsville, KS PH (785-883-2296)

or Email a resume to: cityclerk@cityofwellsvilleks.com  

Special Chamber Member Promos

Franklin County

Monthly FCDC Review -

Wellsville-


Paul Bean is working to establish a meeting with the city commission, city staff, and an engineering firm of the city’s choice to determine potential cost for infrastructure improvements in order to be prepared to seek grant funding to pay for the engineering and then seek another grant to help pay for the implementation of the plan to upgrade utility services in Wellsville. 


Paul will be hosting a visit from the firm that is doing the market study for a potential hotel in Wellsville. We hope to have this report in hand ASAP so interested parties can decide if they are planning to move forward or not on this potential development.

Full March FCDC Report

Franklin County Optimist Club -

The Franklin County Optimist Club is pleased to recognize the following students at the Wellsville Middle School as a Student of the Month:

  • Eston Hills – 8th Grade
  • Kendyl Lewis – 7th Grade
  • Calin Jones – 6th Grade
  • Each Student of the Month receives a framed certificate and a gift card donated by Bill Lytle and Hot Off the Press
Learn More about Franklin County Optimists

USD #289 School District

Wellsville School District Projects and Programs:

Wellsville High School Boys Basketball team WINS State Championship -


The Wellsville High School Boys Basketball team who captured the 3A State Championship this past weekend! Congratulations coaches and players! Wellsville defeated both the #1 and #2 seeds en route to the state championship. They displayed exceptional skill, teamwork, effort, and perseverance in all three games. Thank you to our band, cheerleaders, parents, and community members for attending the State Tournament and supporting our players and coaches. It was a special time for all of Wellsville and one that will be remembered and cherished for years to come!

New Wellsville High School Shot Put Area -


Facilities updates continue to move forward. The new shot put area was recently completed just in time for the track season. The new area will allow more throwers to practice at the same time while the new location will assist coaches in supervising both shot and discus. 



Learn more about the Wellsville School District

Community Chamber Events

Community WJRC Events

Check out all the Wellsville Recreation Commission has planned for our community kids and seniors this month!



Learn more about WJRC events

Wellsville Library

Library Updates -

Wellsville Public Library website

Community Wellsville Events

Chamber Member Church Events

Family Church

Easter Services in Wellsville -

  • Saturday, March 29th at 4:30PM
  • Saturday, March 29th at 6PM
  • Sunday, March 30th at 9AM


Easter Services in Baldwin

  • Sunday, March 30th at 11AM


Sunday Services in Wellsville -

  • Two identical in-person services at 8:00AM and 9:30AM
  • Live online service at 9:30AM


Sunday Services in Baldwin -

  • In-person services at 11AM
  • Live online service at 11AM


Helping Hands Food Pantry Grocery Distribution -

  • Friday, March 15th
  • Saturday, March 16th
Learn more about Family Church
GriefShare -
  • A faith-based, friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone.
  • How GriefShare works: Support groups are led by people who understand what you are going through and want to help.
  • You’ll gain access to valuable GriefShare resources to help you cope with your loss and look forward to rebuilding your life. Grieving is a process and not meant to last forever.
  • Mondays at 7pm at Family Church
  • For more info contact Debra McCullough (913) 206-5372

Celebrate Recovery

  • A 12-step program to help you find freedom and healing from hurts, habits, and hang-ups
  • Meets weekly at Family Church on Thursdays at 7PM
  • For more info contact Mike Holtwick 913-710-6255

Open Table Community Church

Sunday Service -

  • One in-person service 10AM
  • Live online service at 10AM


Learn more about Open Table Community Church
Wellsville Baptist Church

Easter Service -

  • Sunday Sunrise Service - 3/31 at 7AM on Pork Chop Hill


Sunday Service -

  • One in-person service 9AM
  • Coffee and fellowship 10:15AM
  • Sunday School for all ages at 10:30AM
  • Potluck on the 1st and 3rd Sundays at 11:30AM
Learn more about Wellsville Baptist Church

Bible Study -

  • Wednesday mornings from 9:30-10:30AM
  • No matter how little or how much you know about the Bible, we guarantee you’ll learn something new at this study
  • All are welcome to join us for an hour of study followed by a visit to Hot Off the Press for snacks


Men’s Bible Study -

  • Tuesdays at 7PM


Revelation Bible Study -

  • Wednesdays at 9:30AM


Youth Group -

  • Wednesdays from 6:30-8PM


Small Groups -

  • Wednesdays from 6:30-8PM (starting this summer)


Homeschool Co-op -

  • Thursdays from 9AM-12PM


Men's Breakfast -

  • Saturdays at 8AM


Women's Brunch -

  • Every third Saturday from 9AM-12PM


Wellsville Methodist Church

Sunday Service -

  •  In person worship and Church@Home - 10:45AM
Learn more about Wellsville Methodist Church

Shared Experiences Bereavement Group -

  • First and third Tuesdays at 10:30AM
  • Open to anyone
  • Coffee, tea and refreshments will be provided



2023/2024 Wellsville Chamber of Commerce Officers

Wellsville Chamber President

Jackson Dwyer

Loan Officer - Wellsville Branch

Mid-America Bank

Wellsville Chamber Co-Secretary

Sydney Kuhn

Universal Banker

Oak Star Bank

Wellsville Chamber Vice President

Susan Stueve

Sales Associate

Farm Bureau Financial Services


Wellsville Chamber Co-Secretary

Sheila Robertson

President

Wellsville Health Coalition



Treasurer

Ken Larsen

CFO - Retired

Desoto School District


Wellsville Chamber Membership Benefits

Promotion/Business Development -


  • Rotating Logo Banner on Wellsville Chamber Home Page
  • Listing on Chamber Website Directory
  • Company Website Listing on Chamber Website
  • Special Articles about YOUR business
  • K-33 Chamber Billboard Opportunities
  • Downtown Events
  • Social Media Promotion
  • Monthly Events
  • KOFO Promotion
  • Ribbon Cuttings


Networking -


  • Monthly Member Meetings and Luncheons
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Monthly Chamber Coffee Chats


Communication -


  • Monthly Newsletter
  • Monthly Retail Sales Alert
  • Job Postings


Advocacy -


  • Partnership with Franklin County Development Council for County-wide Involvement
Visit our website