GoPlow.com helps build business

We wanted to create a simple space that allowed people in the industry to read relevant content, and share thoughts, photos, and videos. 

By Brian Birch
The strategy was simple; create a space online to provide high quality, relevant content in various formats for industry professionals to use, including SIMA members. At no cost to the snow professional, period. And in June of 2010, with a lot of hard work, GoPlow.com was launched.

This was not a typical thing to do for a national trade association; traditionally associations have kept quality content hidden behind a membership login, to ensure members see value. However, in this day and age, with so much information available at our fingertips, anyone anywhere can create and share content easily. For SIMA, a proactive strategy was adopted to create GoPlow.com; we wanted to create a simple space that allowed people in the industry to read relevant content, and share thoughts, photos, and videos. Since then, the SIMA staff and key industry volunteers have built a solid resource that will continue to evolve and grow over time. We’d thought we’d share some of the progress so far.

In 2011, GoPlow.com was discussed in the book The End of Membership as We Know It by Sarah Slydek, a well-known association thought leader. In the book, GoPlow.com and SIMA are featured alongside other innovative associations like the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. These are best-in-class associations, and we are excited that GoPlow.com could serve as a solid example of a realistic approach to association-led content management online, alongside these great associations.

Here are some of the tangible resources available to anyone in the industry, right now, at GoPlow.com:

• 50 short videos produced by SIMA and Snow Business, including contractor interviews, short topical presentations, and brief demos
• Over 25 ‘Quick Tips’ on various aspects of managing a snow business, quick and bulleted tips for easy reading
• 220 videos uploaded by the GoPlow.com community, including videos related to products, plowing techniques, and more.
• 60+ articles and tips related to legal issues and insurance
• 30+ resources related to tools and technology in the industry
• Over 90 resources on ice management, including deicing, anti-icing, and more

SIMA realizes that GoPlow.com is not perfect, and we are committed to evolving and improving this asset to the industry. Share below any thoughts you have on how we can improve the site!