Water Cooler My Eye

What do radio promotions and blogging have in common?

 

A lot... maybe.

 

Many who read this know that in a previous life I was in radio. I spent twelve years playing in that sandbox before jumping in to the related field of commercial banking. (see - sarcasm)

 

I know, it's weird.

 

Radio is a highly reactive industry, meaning the content must be associated to what is going on in the world. I remember sitting in promotions meetings at the end of the year, literally going through the calendar and marking local events and holidays.

"So, are we going to do the Freedom Rocks concert for 106X this year? We need a beer permit for the park and let's order some promotional balloons."

 

"We're kicking around the idea of doing an Easter Egg Hunt on K-Shasta where we hide eggs all over town and give away grown up easter baskets to the finders. We'll give clues on the air."

 

"Where's our booth going to be for Oldies 105 for Kool April Nights? Last year we were next to the smelly nelly and we got some listener complaints."

 

"Is KQMS going to hook up with the Mission again this year to collect blankets for the homeless? How about the canned food drive?"

 

Stuff like that. It was fun. And I miss it. Pulling off a great promotion, concert or giveaway is exhausting stuff, both creatively and often physically. But it's also extremely rewarding.

 

I started thinking about this blog last night, and all blogs for that matter, and how that same philosophy translates to blog writing.

If I was well organized, I would pull up a calendar and start mapping out Holidays and known events for next year and begin to plan what I might write in any given week.

 

I'm not. But if I was, that's what I would do.

 

In radio, in addition to calendar items, it was always important that the stations react to news items, whether in the entertainment arena such as a highly anticipated movie debut, or with major news event such as an election or a major disaster. I'll never forget coming in to work as the events of 9/11 were unfolding. You've never seen a group of mostly goof-off creative types become so focused and cooperative so quickly. I was proud to be managing that crew at that time and don't think any of us will ever forget it.

 

That certainly also applies to blogging. On the internet super highway (haha) search engines, Tweets, etc. are all driven by keywords. So if I want to attract people to my blog I probably should write about big events people are currently discussing.

 

Makes sense. And it's a natural thing to do. It's what's on everybody's mind.

 

For instance, I wrote a blog post about the recent tragedy in Newtown. You know, like everybody did. (Some were brilliant, by the way.)

 

I didn't post it. In the end I didn't want to jump in that pool. But I did write one.

 

Why is that? What am I thinking?

 

I should be writing Hobbit posts, Christmas posts, posts about the "fiscal cliff" and Mitt Romney's son recently talking about how Mitt didn't want to be president anyway. (That last one is something I saw on Yahoo this morning.)

 

Why don't I?

 

What do you think? Should I consciously connect my blog to the calendar and the news?

As Doris Day would sing, "Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps."

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Casey

 

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