It was 33 years ago today that I started my professional career in radio broadcasting. Yes. No kidding. April 1, 1982.
My first full-time radio gig in 1982
I was 33 years old when I restarted a college education after deciding to leave radio for PR. Since then, the world of Public Relations has been rocked by the internet, social media and the incredible technology we now hold in our hands. And I’ve tried to pay attention along the way.
Today I embark down a specialized branch of my latest chosen career, to help small business owners better understand today’s online presence. Owners who need to concentrate on the business and don’t have time to learn the technical aspects of this new world.
Small business owners need to market products or services, yet can’t keep up with the latest online marketing techniques. Many times they don’t even know where to start.
I have long-enjoyed my relationships with small business owners and this is a way I can help some of the more established owners make the changes they need to survive today.
Let me make this clear. I am not leaving my position as Electronic Marketing and Communication Specialist at EYE Lighting International. I enjoy my work there. I think it’s a great company that offers me resources to work on talent development. (One of the company’s four guiding principles.) These are resources I would not have if on my own.
Plus, the knowledge that my research for this project has given me has already helped my employer immensely. But as you will find out, some of that help is not extremely evident or visible.
I’ve been seeking a way for me to prove how valuable I can be to help bridge the gap between what small business owners have been doing and what they need to do now. It’s time to teach an Old Dog New Tricks. And I’m looking forward to having people look to me for advice when it comes to this new personal specialty.
This “new concentration” will enable me to combine everything I have ever done over a previous radio career and my current public relations one. It will enable me to be extremely flexible on how I deliver the message to the people who need it most. Once everything is up and operational, this subject of online marketing help for small business owners will truly be multi-media. It will take a while for it all to be realized, so I’m taking it one step at a time, but here’s my plan.
It starts with the BLOG
I’ve always loved to write. I’ve toyed around in the blogosphere a bit with my Main Stream Media Watch, which will be taken down, and my Being Frank, which will not. (I still have to have some personal space.) With this new concept, I really think I’ve hit a nice mix of research and writing in order to put my thoughts into words. I also plan to demonstrate my knowledge and expertise in the field. Hopefully in a way that will make sense to people who don’t do this for a living.
I plan on posting once a week. Yes, that sounds ambitious, but the first four are actually already done and loaded. (Kind of like the first month being released all at once.) Several have been written and are just waiting for final touches. Then there is the incredible list of ideas that I developed when I thought about and started researching this idea a couple of months ago.
There is so much that small business owners need to know and I want to be able to put it all in one place for them.
A foray back into radio
My last full-time radio job ended in August 1995, but I remained connected and even sometimes employed part-time in the business since. I’ve always felt that connection to radio; however, there is so much I know I wouldn’t enjoy about today’s radio business. That being said, I think there’s a place for this information on radio. I am concentrating on small businesses in the northeast Ohio area.
I’m still in negotiations with a local station in order to do a weekly on-air segment. It would be a topical discussion driven by the subject of the week’s blog post. We would also take calls from business owners in the listening area.
Podcasting for on-demand listening
The radio show would be recorded and reformatted as a podcast. Once the show is done, then I can add more detailed information about the subject matter. The show will be lengthened and edited to be distributed through the website.
What a great platform for there to be a library of the radio shows.
Did I mention the video camera?
The internet is a visual medium (and those who know me know there is usually a video camera in my hand). We will only be able to explain so much through words and descriptions. It will be great to get this conversation recorded and then use that recording as the soundtrack of images and video further explaining the discussion.
If a caller has a certain problem that we can talk about on the air, it will be nice to be able to go back to the conversation when video is added to demonstrate what we’re talking about.
Real Training for those getting their feet wet
Not all of these ideas will be ready right out of the gate. I will be building this slowly, but there are other ways to teach business owners what they need to know. I’ll be starting with a couple of free lunchtime webinars, once the infrastructure is in place. This will enable people to see if they want to come to a full day of small business online marketing training.
Business Seminars
I think the best way to get business owners into the swing of things and get them really excited about the latest techniques in online marketing is to get them all into a room together. There’s a real energy about these types of events.
As Old Dog New Tricks gets more followers, then these seminars will become reality.
Bottom Line
So there you have it: a new direction for my free-lance work that concentrates on the small business owner who is really the one who needs this kind of help. Plus I get to use a multi-media format for today’s consumer. I know it sounds ambitious, but what else have I got to do?
Let me know your thoughts.
PS…Of course, there is social media to back this up: Facebook AND Twitter.