DO IT.....YOURSELF!

Bet you thought this blog was going to be about home improvements. Or...car repair....or something similar.  Nope. It's about promotion. The promotion of events, non profits, and even businesses.

Why the title,  "Do it Yourself?"

My business, the business of radio is supported by advertisers who believe in the power of our station, and get results from their advertising. It's a loyalty that builds over time. And, it's one that should not be handed off to any third party.  After all, who knows your business better than YOU? Certainly not someone you're PAYING to represent you to media outlets. They have to learn all about you before helping, and you're paying them the whole time from your pocket!

So, here are my "thoughts" about promoting of the things that are important to you.

1) If you're in a group that is holding a non-profit event:  DON'T FORM A COMMITTEE for advertising.  Committee is another word for "point to someone else to do the work and get nothing done!"  For most events of small to medium size in our area, you need ONE WELL QUALIFIED PERSON to contact:  The newspaper, the Shopper's guide, Our radio station, and Ionia Host Dot Com!  There's 90 percent of the area's media!  A simple "5-W" press release does the job in most cases.  (Who, What, Where, When, Why.)  A committee only serves to give more people the chance to NOT do what the committee is charged with doing (advertising) and to reduce efficiency, usually because "someone" was supposed to do it and "nobody" actually DID.

2) If you're the average Main Street or similar business in our area, place ANY advertising YOURSELF as Owner or Manager. You DON'T need someone else to do it for you (commonly called the " advertising agency"...also known as the lowest form of life on the advertising chain) instead, you need to target your needs, your goals, and tell the trained sales representatives that same information so the media can help you to reach the audience you seek.  Agencies simply take your money to do a job that you, as a business owner or manager are well-qualified to do.

3) With the above in mind, always remember there is NOBODY better equipped to focus on the important messages for your business than you!  Be PROUD of what you have to tell our local audience, and tell your story! (Churches, clubs, organizations, and businesses, too..) On the radio! In Print, and, on social media!  It only takes a small amount of time to tell others about your successes, goals, sales, growth, and about YOU. Don't trust your reputation to anyone else.  You may even find you ENJOY promoting your business.  Your own enthusiasm may grow!

Our radio station deals one-on-one with our clients.  We despise agencies that complicate the business of promoting YOU. Why? Because they can't do for your business what you can do directly with (all) our local media including WION!  Save the money you'd pay an agency and spend more in all the forms of local media. You may be surprised at the results!

At WION, part of the "flavor" of  our station is that a portion  of  the "information you need" is information about our local businesses.  As of last week,  that information is going worldwide to listeners in Texas, Ohio, Nevada, Canada, New York City,  and other locations.   Put your best "promotional" foot forward as we take Ionia County, Michigan to the world via streaming of our station. Granted, people won't fly here for a dinner, banking, or small transactions, but you, as our advertisers help make up the flavor of our town and our county.  Let's work (directly) together to ensure that what the world hears is a busy Ionia County with many events on the air,  and many good, healthy, enthusiastic businesses!  If we do that, listeners will know by what they hear that we're proud of our city and county!

Now, disband the committee, fire the agency, and get down to the work of promoting yourselves!  We look forward to working with you!

We're here to help! ....One on One!