A Fresh Introduction to ScLoHo

A Fresh Introduction to ScLoHo

Here we are, smack dab in the middle of Summer 2025 and I’ve been meeting new people and reconnecting with older friends and a common question is, “What do you do?”

The short answer is, “I help businesses and organizations connect with potential customers and clients.”

And that begs for more detail, so today, I’ll dig in and reintroduce myself.

I’m from the 1900’s.

That’s become a fun way of saying I’m older than 26.

I started working in media as a teenage radio disc jockey at 16 and worked in and on the radio for the next 10 years.

At age 26, I moved my family to Detroit and started working in the advertising side of media.  Specifically to write and create radio advertising campaigns for businesses and organizations on radio station WMUZ-FM.  During the nearly 8 years we were there, I also returned to the air, either as a fill-in or as the morning show host; and I had my first venture in sales.

When we returned to Indiana, I also returned to on-air doing either afternoons or mornings full-time at a Fort Wayne radio station for about a year and then left the business for a few years and worked “real jobs.”  I drive a fork lift, ran a tool crib, set up a barcode system for a manufacturing facility, and ran a thermoformer as some of the jobs I took. I also did some part-time on-air work and was paid a few times for commercial voice work when I returned to Fort Wayne.

2003 was when I returned full time to the world of media and marketing.  By this time, on the personal side, I had 3 kids and two step-kids and was a couple years into my second marriage that is still going strong.  By the way, my wife and I are good friends with my previous wife and husband, but that’s another story.

In 2003 I had been in Fort Wayne again for a few years and joined a group of radio stations as a member of their 12 person sales team.  Over the next 8 years, the stations went through ownership changes, I did some management work at the stations and eventually got bored and left.  From 2011 to 2013, I took 3 different positions, each lasting 10 months before I decided that it wasn’t what I wanted to do.  I did website development sales, radio ad sales for another group of stations and then managed the social media for several brands of a multi-million dollar ecommerce company.

By the end of 2013, I had returned to radio, specifically Federated Media and their news-talk station WOWO.  I was the 5th person on a 5 person advertising sales team.  That last seat on a team often is a revolving door, but not for me.  By 2019, I was leading our sales team and in 2020 won the Sales Person of the year award for the entire company.

2020 also saw me change from selling to leading our sales team as the WOWO General Sales Manager.  By 2022, my management duties grew to include additional stations, Big 92.3, 1380 The Fan, 98.9 The Bear and WOWO.

Finally at the end of 2023, I hired myself back to sales and they brought in someone else to take over most of the management duties I had been doing for nearly 4 years.

I know I haven’t mentioned the origin of ScLoHo yet, but I will in a moment.

The past couple of decades, I’ve been able to help business owners with the advertising and marketing of their businesses.  Sometimes this includes an advertising schedule and campaign on the radio stations I work with, however, I’ve been able to help many more that never spent any money with me because of what else I’ve given them.

It started when I was 26 and began working with local business owners in Detroit.  I got to know some of the ins and outs; challenges and successes; and learned so much from those people.  Working for WMUZ and Crawford Broadcasting was my continuing education as I helped create ad campaigns for auto body shops, mortgage companies, doctors, transmission repair companies, retail stores and so many others.  I read some excellent books by Harvey McKay, Trout & Ries and a few others that helped spark the creativity and common-sense approach to what I know call Human Relationship Marketing Principles which I apply to the work I do now.

It’s not that I’m some great guru, it’s just that I’ve had these opportunities to not just listen to others, but to apply what I’ve learned and repurpose these concepts.  No matter what the medium, there are timeless principles that should be applied to your business’s marketing.  Many times, I look for ways they can make adjustments that cost them little or no money.  Sometimes it’s obvious to me but not to them because they are in the thick of it all and need an outsiders viewpoint and experience.

That’s the kind of stuff that lead to the creation of ScLoHo.

Initially ScLoHo was just an email address that I created.  While not as common as Smith or Jones, my name, Scott Howard is not uncommon.  I know personally another Scott Howard here in Fort Wayne and no, we’re not related. ScLoHo is a mash-up of the first two letters of my first name, middle name and last name.  If you pronounce it with just two syllables you say, :Sclow-Hoe.

Around 2004, I started a couple of blogs.  The first was a personal blog to capture random thought and ideas, the other was a place to save and share media and marketing ideas.  I got permission from a couple of online publishers to include their articles as long as I credited them and linked back to their website.  By 2008, I was writing and publishing over 25 articles a week to my blog websites under the ScLoHo name.

In 2011, I left the radio stations I’d been working for and joined a website development company and one of my friends and co-workers challenged me to combine the online ScLoHo with the in-person Scott Howard and marry the two with a fresh website.  The dot com domain for Scott Howard was taken by another Scott Howard as were a couple other domains so I settled for ScottHoward.me and launched in October of 2011.

I was able to take many of the previously published articles from my ScLoHo blogs and move them to the new website.  ScLoHo is still my nickname, and my ScLoHo email address is both a personal email and for anything not related to my work at WOWO and Federated Media.

When I started blogging a couple decades ago, there were a few other local people that were also blogging.  A blog was the written equivalent of having your own podcast these days. Many of those early bloggers stopped.  Either they lost interest, or thought that a blog was a way to fame and fortune online, I wasn’t looking for either.  I was just looking for away to save in the cloud some of the stories and articles and ideas from others and myself for future reference.

Speaking of podcasts, in 2016 Federated Media wanted to launch a marketing podcast and I was asked to consider creating one since they were aware of my blog and that I might have some experience behind a microphone.  March of 2017 was when I launched the Genuine ScLoHo Media and Marketing podcast and except for about a year when I was in management, I’ve been updating both this site and the podcast every week.  When I was in management, I decided to update monthly in order to keep up with my other duties.

This year we will surpass 1700 articles and 400 podcast episodes, all free as a resource to anyone interested.  My website does not accept paid ads and any ads you hear listening to the podcast are placed by the hosting company, not me.

As we look forward to the rest of 2025 and the years ahead, feel free to reach out to me personally about nearly anything.  Email is probably best. Scott@ScLoHo.net

Beyond the Click

Beyond the Click

The Truth About Trackable Advertising was the subject of a recent Sound ADvice email newsletter that I sent to my subscribers.  I’ll add you to the mailing too if you ask, it’s free and is delivered once a week.

Not everything that counts can be counted.

It’s easy to fall in love with advertising you can track. Clicks. Conversions. CPMs. These numbers can seduce business owners because they make us feel smart and in control.

Digital ads – Google, Social Media, YouTube, etc. – can absolutely play a role in your marketing. They’re great for short-term wins and direct response.

But the kind of advertising that builds great brands, that earns customer loyalty, price flexibility, and long-term growth, that kind usually isn’t trackable. Branding advertising is emotional, it’s remembered, and it often takes time before it shows up in a sales report.

Here’s the trap: When everything has to prove ROI in 30 days or less, you end up making ads that say little, do less, and vanish without a trace. You stop planting seeds and only harvest what’s already grown. Keep planting seeds.

The truth is that your brand lives in the minds of your future customers. You don’t know when they’ll be ready to buy. If they don’t know you, trust you, or like what you stand for – then no amount of perfectly targeted digital ads will change that.

So yes, keep running those trackable campaigns. Just don’t stop there. Great businesses are built on stories, feelings, and familiarity – none of which fit neatly in a spreadsheet.

If you’d like to see 3 Tips to Think Beyond the Clickclick here.

Besides my work in radio, I’ve also worked full-time in other medias including social and other digital spaces that I just mentioned.  I know the benefits and shortcomings personally and even though I was paid the big bucks to run digital campaigns, i know that it’s not enough.

A few years ago I had a client that was a local business owner who was spending $20,000 a month on Social Media ads and just $4,000 monthly on my radio station.  When we looked at the results, the number of appointments from Social Media ads were double the number of appointments from his radio ads.  How many of those appointments stuck and became a real selling opportunity?  90% of the radio ads and just 40% of the Social Media ads.

How about actual sales?  Of the appointments kept, the radio ads were also 90% real sales compared to less than half the social media ads.  And the total dollars per job from the radio ads were 50% higher than the social media.  It was eye-opening.

Yes, you need an online presence.  but you also need to build relationships with potential customers the way radio can do.

Spring Reset And Refresh

Spring Reset And Refresh

This week I’ve got the contents of another Sound ADvice newsletter that my subscribers received this year, about a month ago.  If you’d like to get them hot off the press, let me know, Email Scott@ScLoHo.net. They are free and usually have business tips along with a link to get even more information.  Wednesday’s is when they hit your inbox most weeks except for a few holiday weeks.

First, here’s the content of the April 16th newsletter:

Spring cleaning isn’t just for closets, garages, windows, and lawns – it’s a great time for businesses to clean house, reset priorities, and set the tone for a strong second quarter. Suppose you’re running a service-based or retail business. In that case, this is a critical time to streamline operations, re-engage your staff, and strengthen customer connections before the busy summer season kicks in.

As business picks up and consumer habits shift with the seasons, Q2 offers a valuable window for growth-minded owners to pause, reflect, and fine-tune. With tax season winding down and a few months of the year under your belt, now is the time to ask what’s moving the needle and dragging us down.

This kind of seasonal reset isn’t just about tidying up – it’s about creating focus and momentum, especially before you and your staff start dreaming about summer vacations and “mental resets”. Small improvements in how your team works, how you present your brand, or how you connect with customers can have a big cumulative impact. Whether you’re dealing with employees or hiring challenges, operational inefficiencies, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, now is a good time to simplify and strengthen.

If you’re in the mood for a little sprucing up, click here to see 4 Spring Cleaning Tips for your Business. It’s something that no one likes to do, but once completed, your business will look, feel, and maybe even smell better.

Now many of the businesses that I work with have their slow time of the year in the first quarter, when it’s cold outside.  For them, a lot of the clean-up, reset, and refresh happens in January or February.

However the majority of the business people I know, don’t take the time to pause and do this exercise because they are so darn busy year round.

I urge you to take the time, either now, or in the near future to do this clean-up, reset, and refresh exercise once a year, starting this year.

 

It’s Okay

It’s Okay

It’s nearly noon on Mother’s day 2025 and I’m at Parkview Regional Medical Center.

It’s okay.

I’m not here for anything health related.

I’m just here on the second floor sitting in a comfortable chair just down the hall from their chapel, with my laptop to do some writing and reflecting.

Yesterday at church with my wife we heard our Pastor-Elect share this weekends message that included an acknowledgement that while Mother’s day is usually portrayed as a joyful celebration of thankfulness to Moms, for many, it can be a mixed bag too.  (There is a similar sentiment with Father’s day too.)

My wife of 24 years and I had just one parent living when we met, a quarter century ago.  Our Moms.  And within a few years both our mothers had passed too.

Today, I started my Sunday as usual with a special twist.  Most Sundays I leave the house and head out for breakfast at a local coffee shop and then do some exploring of our city, snap a few pictures, find a place to sit with my laptop (like I am right now), and do a combination of work prep or personal stuff while also running some errands like grocery shopping.

The twist today is with it being Mother’s day, I gave Kathy a card with a couple of her favorite things before leaving the house.  Right about now, she should be visited by her son and one of his sons for a couple of hours and his gift to his Mom is to help her with some weeding at the house and time together.  I’ll be back home earlier than usual for a Sunday as I have a seafood meal planned: Linguine Tutto Mare.  The menu from Casa’s describes is as: The ultimate seafood pasta – succulent shrimp, crabmeat, mussels and clams accented with sautéed mushrooms with a light butter sauce; bread and salad.

As much as I’m looking forward to that dinner today, as my mouth is watering right now, let me get back to the other stuff I felt compelled to write about right now.

Mother’s day 1998.

My Dad was laying in a hospice bed, it was his final week on this planet.  He was just 67, I was 38.  The day before, as a divorced Dad living about an hour away out of town, I brought his three grandkids for a visit.  We talked to him, and prayed with him. He was unable to speak but could answer with a gentle squeeze of the hand.  I left in his room a Mother’s day card and rose that he could give to my Mom when she visited the next day.

They visited on Sunday May 10th for the last time and we got word the next day that my Dad passed away Monday May 11th.  I believe he hung on through that weekend and waited until he was alone so none of us would witness his passing in person.

That summer of 98, I moved back to the house I grew up in to help my Mom downsize and prepare for a smaller place.  Originally, I thought it might be 3 to 6 months. Turns out it was 3 years.

It’s okay.

On one hand the reason it took longer is because with my living there, the urgency was not there.  My parents took care of one another with each of them having different health issues, and my being under the same roof again enabled my Mom to be able to stay longer without my Dad.

The urgency didn’t return until I remarried in 2001 and now my Mom was on her own.  I lived just a mile away, but she was determined not to be in that house alone during the winter.  It would have been challenging, so that year we finally got her moved with a few new things in her new place, a bunch of stuff in storage, and a lot of it given away, sold or tossed.  Halloween 2001 was her last day there and first night at her new two bedroom-with-attached-garage-single-floor-apartment.

Then life happened again on Thanksgiving day when I went to pick her up and bring her over for our family meal.

I discovered she passed away the night before.  Her life in her new place was just 3 weeks long.

Losing one parent is hard.

Losing both of them is worse.  I was just 41.  An adult orphan is what I felt like.

All of that started 27 years ago and it’s okay.

I rarely visit their grave, but did this morning to snap a picture again.   I drive by my old childhood home monthly because that’s where the memories were made, not the cemetery.

My Dad’s parents passed away before I was born.  My Mom’s dad and step-dad passed away when she was a young girl.  I have a cousin who is the mom of two sons but only one is still with us.  My first wife’s parents have passed too, years ago.

We’re blessed to have had relationships and memories with these people and while we still grieve the losses and miss them, it’s okay.  All of it is okay.

I have friends who were not raised by both parents.  I’ve seen them struggle and thrive, just like the rest of us.

It’s okay to miss those people on Mother’s day, Father’s day, any day.

One thing I urge you to do is to not ignore, neglect, or take for granted the people that you still have, that you can reach out to.  Even if it’s been awhile, if it’s been too long, if there are hurts or distances, set that aside for a moment and reconnect to let that person know they are on your mind and heart.

In hindsight, having 3 years with my Mom after my Dad passed away was a blessing that I didn’t realize in the moment.

One last item that was shared at our church this weekend is how a mom lost her son when he was just 29 years old.  He was a drug addict.  They said those words in church, clear as you just read them.  His Mom took her grief and well, here’s what was shared:

Many in our Holy Cross family remember Kyle Joseph Conroy—his energy, his creativity, and his presence among us as a child and young adult. Kyle, son of Julie Conroy, passed away unexpectedly in January of 2023 at the age of 29. This spring, Julie is graciously sharing a collection of Kyle’s artwork with The Garden for a special exhibition titled Ink & Absence, on view May 21 through June 15.

The opening reception will take place on Wednesday, May 21 from 6–9 PM during The Garden’s May Night Market, a community gathering that will also include live music by Gracie Jo and DJ J Tubbs, live painting by local artist BonJo, food trucks, artisan vendors, and drinks.

This event will also feature a special visit from HOPE for the Family of an Addict (formerly Moms of an Addict)—a support ministry that exists to walk with those who love someone struggling with addiction. Their presence offers a quiet but meaningful invitation for families who may feel isolated in their pain to begin seeking community, healing, and hope.

As a church family, this is a chance to show support for Julie, to honor Kyle’s life and artistic gifts, and to offer a spirit of compassion to all who are silently carrying similar struggles.

Fortunately, we are all multidimensional, defined not by just one thing about us.  Along with our flaws, we have positive traits too.  Same can be said about our relationships.

And it’s okay.

The Kids Table

The Kids Table

You likely have a lot of competition. So, what causes a person to buy your product or service instead of a competitor’s?
 
Isn’t that the big question?
 
You may think it’s only about “being out there” – social media posts or buying ads here and there and hoping it works to some degree. Deep down, you might even think that advertising doesn’t work. You want there to be a switch you can turn on when you need to increase sales.
 
Well, there is a switch you can turn on, but it’s not instant gratification. It’s for the long game. It’s how you brand your business in the minds of consumers as the most competent and risk-free option out there. This means you’re not only talking to the tiny group of people who need your product or service right now, but more importantly, you’re talking to the LARGE group of people who will need you down the road; they just don’t know it yet.
 
You think that the goal of advertising is all about Awareness, but “awareness” sits at the kid’s table in the long run, and “branding” sits at the big table like royalty.
 
Martin Lindstrom, one of the world’s most renowned marketing experts, says that branding is not about marketing, it’s not about endorsements or celebrities, and it’s not about colors or fonts. He said that, at its core, branding is about identifying and magnifying your differences.
 
If you’d like to learn how to upgrade your advertising efforts to the big table and hear Martin’s number one piece of business advice, click here.
 
Last month, subscribers to my free Sound Advice email newsletter read this article when it arrived in their inbox.  If you’d like a free subscription, send me an email, Scott@ScLoHo.net