Marcus Sheridan is one of three owners of River Pools and Spa in Warsa

Question

Marcus Sheridan is one of three owners of River Pools and Spa in Warsaw, Virginia. The company installs swimming pools and hot tubs throughout Maryland and Virginia. Since joining the business in 2002, Marcus has spearheaded tremendous growth at the company. Despite years of record rainfall, a housing slump, and the slacker economy, River Pools continues to grow: In 2009, it sold more fiberglass pools than any other company in the United States, where it’s among the top 5 percent of all in-ground pool companies.

A big reason for that, Marcus says, is his company’s approach to business. “I used to see my company as a ‘pool company.’   installed lots of swimming pools and therefore we were a pool company.

“In hindsight, though, this mentality was all wrong,” he says. “Today, I see my business as a content marketing company. In other words, my entire goal is to give more valuable, helpful, and remarkable content to consumers than anyone else in my field, which will in turn lead to more sales.”

Through a steady stream of blog posts and videos (the company publishes one to three a week) and an ebook on the subject of “how to buy a pool” (with the subtext “without getting ripped off”), Marcus set out to create the most educational and informative swimming pool web site on the Internet.

“I want our web site to be an encyclopedia of pool buying,” he says, not unlike a business trade magazine publisher might seek to have similar authority in any given industry. “I want someone with a question to come to our site and get an answer by reading it or watching it.”

The swimming pool industry is dominated by larger manufacturers, which makes it difficult for a small, young company like the nine-year-old River Pools to compete online for general search terms like swimming pool or in-ground pool. (When a potential customer searches for swimming pool information online using such terms, Google is more likely to return results for one of the big guys, not a small outfit like River Pools.)    1 
 1. Based on the information in the passage, which of the following would be the wisest next step in marketing River Pools?

(A) Starting a business trade magazine
(B) Increasing the frequency of blog posts and video streams from several times a week to daily
(C) Purchasing ads and billboards in states bordering Maryland and Virginia
(D) Increasing web presence through search engine optimization
(E) Hosting in-person seminars at major retailers that sell pool supplies

2 
 2. Which of the following would be the best potential heading for this passage?

(A) Marketing Made Easy
(B) The Value of Internet Marketing
(C) Creating a Competitive Advantage with Content
(D) River Pools: A Small Fish in a Big Pond
(E) How to Buy a Pool without Getting Ripped Off

3 
 3. Which of the following best describes what Marcus means when he says, “I used to see my company as a ‘pool company’”?

(A) He did not see the bigger picture when considering items River Pools could sell to its customer base.
(B) Initially, he did not fully understand that River Pools was different from others in the nationwide industry of pool manufacturers.
(C) He had failed to recognize how the Internet could allow a small company like River Pools to successfully expand its business beyond its home turf.
(D) He had overestimated the amount of knowledge the general public had about pools.
(E) He had failed to consider the less tangible services his business offered.

4 
 4. The author cites all but which of the following as a goal of River Pools?

(A) To have its website serve as a comprehensive online information source on pool buying
(B) To expand its customer base beyond Maryland and Virginia
(C) To provide valuable content to website visitors
(D) To establish the most informative swimming pool website available online
(E) To produce additional sales

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 194 Date: 13-May-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

VIGHNESHKAMATH · Answer

In my opinion, the answers are 1-D, 2-C,3-A, and 4-B. Waiting for the official answers.

Thank You
Vighnesh

thedoctor21 · Answer

My answer are, 
1- B/D
2- c
3- a
4- b

abhishektyga · Answer

Can someone please provide an explanation for Q2 and Q3?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. Which of the following would be the best potential heading for this passage?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

Title questions are main theme questions. Get rid of answers that are too general or too specific.  Choice (A)  is too broad, and  Choice (D)  is too specific. The passage uses River Pools’s experience to provide information about effective marketing, but River Pools isn’t the actual focus of the passage.  Choice (E)  is completely irrelevant.  Choices (B)  and  (C)  relate to the subject of marketing on the web, but  Choice (C)  is much more on point. The focus is good marketing content. The passage states that Marcus sees his company as a  “content marketing company”  and then goes on to explain how he realizes this vision.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. Which of the following best describes what Marcus means when he says, “I used to see my company as a ‘pool company’”?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

This quote appears in the  second paragraph .

The computer may highlight the quote for you so you can spot it in the passage. For this question, the entire  second paragraph  may be highlighted.

After Marcus says,  “I used to see my company as a ‘pool company,’”  he delves into how he increased sales through his content-heavy, up-to-the-minute online and social media efforts. After he looked at the bigger picture, so to speak, and began to think of new ways to gain consumer trust and attention, his sales increased substantially.

Choice (A)  is wrong. The passage (and the company name) doesn’t imply that River Pools sells any products other than pools.

Marcus doesn’t seem to be especially concerned with competition, so  Choice (B)  isn’t the best answer.

Choice (C)  isn’t quite right because it implies that Marcus suddenly discovered the concept of the Internet, when in actuality, River Pools already had a website and web presence; it just wasn’t maximizing its potential.

Choice (D)  is out, too, because the author’s main purpose in improving the quality of his web content is to improve sales rather than inform the public. If information was his primary focus, he’d set up a consumer information service. Marcus’s marketing strategy changed when he realized he could offer pool information as well as actual pools.  Choice (E)  is best.

Answer: E

parthwagh · Answer

Passage Summary:

The passage narrates the success story of River Pools & Spa, a small company that achieved remarkable growth by shifting its focus from being a mere "pool company" to a content marketing leader. By creating an informative and helpful website with valuable blog posts, videos, and ebooks, River Pools overcame challenges posed by competition from larger players and attracted customers beyond their initial regional reach. Their strategy aimed to educate potential buyers and establish trust, ultimately leading to increased sales.

Tone of the Author:

Neutral and objective. The author presents the facts surrounding River Pools' transformation without expressing personal opinions or judgments.

Answers to the Questions:

1. Answer: (D) Increasing web presence through search engine optimization (SEO)

Reasoning: The passage highlights the difficulty River Pools faced in competing for online visibility due to their size and limited initial reach. SEO directly addresses this concern by optimizing their website and content for search engines, making it more likely for potential customers to find them organically.
 Other Choices:
 (A) Starting a magazine is irrelevant and contradicts the shift to online content.
 (B) While increasing posts might help, daily creation could be unsustainable and saturate their audience.
 (C) Ads outside their core area might not target ideal customers effectively.
 (E) Seminars have limited reach compared to the wider online audience they seek.

2. Answer: (C) Creating a Competitive Advantage with Content

Reasoning: This captures the essence of the passage: how River Pools leveraged content marketing to carve out a niche and stand out in a competitive industry.
 Other Choices:
 (A) Marketing Made Easy is too broad and doesn't reflect the specific strategy.
 (B) The Value of Internet Marketing is relevant but not as specific as (C).
 (D) While true, it's not the main emphasis but rather a consequence of their approach.
 (E) This is a specific aspect, not the overall strategic shift.

3. Answer: (C) He had failed to recognize how the Internet could allow a small company like River Pools to successfully expand its business beyond its home turf.

Reasoning: This directly aligns with Marcus's statement about realizing their limited online reach due to the previous "pool company" mentality. They initially lacked an expansive vision for using the internet.
 Other Choices:
 (A) While true, the passage doesn't directly mention missing broader product possibilities.
 (B) Understanding industry differences wasn't the main focus of the shift.
 (D) Overestimating knowledge isn't mentioned as part of the initial approach.
 (E) Less tangible services aren't explicitly referenced in the context of the change.

4. Answer: (B) To expand its customer base beyond Maryland and Virginia

Reasoning: While the passage mentions wider reach as a benefit of the strategy, expanding their geographic reach isn't explicitly stated as a direct goal. Their primary focus is creating informative content, not specific customer base plans.
 Other Choices:
 (A, C, D, E) These are all explicitly mentioned as goals or outcomes of the content marketing strategy.

Marcus Sheridan is one of three owners of River Pools and Spa in Warsa

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Marcus Sheridan is one of three owners of River Pools and Spa in Warsa

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards