From the Publisher
The fishing seminars I hosted at the new Tarpon Boatworks facility last month had quite a turnout. As Capt. Gregg Mckee took the stage we counted 170 people. Thankfully a member of the Calusa Land Trust offered to loan us chairs, this saved money on rentals which ended up being used for more food.
The Calusa Land Trust was formed in 1976 to acquire land on Pine Island. Their purpose is to protect the natural diversity and beauty of the Pine Island region by acquiring, managing, and preserving, in perpetuity, land that is environmentally sensitive or historically significant. The CLT also seeks to foster public appreciation and understanding of the environment and our shared history.
Together, they have accomplished acquiring, preserving & restoring many special Pine Island natural areas for future generations to enjoy & respect. To date they’ve been able to acquire and protect almost 2,500 acres.
I’ve booked my first cruise. I’ve been on the water from Key West to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, but never on a cruise ship. I chose the eastern Caribbean for starters. From Miami we stop first at Coco Cay, which is a man-made party island in the Bahamas about 140 miles east of Miami owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Group, then we’re headed south.
I’m not a fan of crowds or lines, and I’d rather be bored than entertained, so I consulted with and booked through a “Cruise Planner” who asked dozens of questions and set me up with a custom cruise she thinks I’ll love.
Back in October I decided to start taking Nautical Mile’s online following more seriously. When companies like Facebook can be sued for being addictive, and more people join per day than quit, it’s time to grow an audience, plus load up on their stock.
I had a page which was “active” by definition but it had no value. There were about 3,000 followers but I didn’t know what they were following. I never posted much. I put myself through the “Junior Woodchuck School of Building an Online Audience” with mostly a few in depth videos, and I took that 3k to over 12k in about 4 months, mostly with informational content as opposed to what comes across as solicitation.
People may be interested in a product or service, but posts that are perceived as advertisements or solicitations don’t build followers. Information does. So I started a side-gig which I’m ready to turn into a business, but with a twist. I’m not managing social media pages, I’m adding to what is already in place. People who manage put you into a template and your following doesn’t grow for the same reason mine was not growing. They post, keeping a page “active,” but they are not adding value.
I know business owners who pay a grand a month to have someone post to their pages, yet their following has not grown in years. It’s “active,” but not growing. So I focus on growth so when you have something worthy of promotion, you have a larger group to show it to. Most use their kids or an employee for this, who may know how to push buttons and change colors, but that doesn’t grow an audience. I’m only charging $400 a month and only willing to manage a few at a time because coming up with content and being consistent takes more than you would think.
I’ve been getting entertained by social media pages run by what we call A.I. I say “what we call” because A.I. doesn’t exist. Computers are not thinking for themselves, they’re doing what people programmed them to do, therefor it’s not artificial intelligence. I saw an image of a girl holding a fish that doesn’t exist with mountains in the background advertising the Florida Keys. I commented something sarcastic about the inaccuracies, and the AI responded with, “Thank you for following our page.” I was not following the page, I only made an insulting comment, and nobody was there to know it. Turning your business over to A.I. with no human supervision will soon be disappointing business owners, and their clients.
As I write this I’m also packing for a 2-week trip split between Warm Springs and Dahlonega, Georgia. Just Robin & I with our hiking gear, then a 2-day stop on the way home at Postcard Cabins in N. Florida to spend some time at the many surrounding springs. I’m also stopping to see the Presidents Hall of fame in Clarmont, and likely a drive on the Apopka Trail. All things I wanted to do and just never got to it. I’d find more to do but our pet-sitter has other jobs booked.
SW Florida’s Tarpon are usually scarce during our cooler months but large fish were caught almost all winter. This may be a sign of an upcoming record season. If it’s been on your “Bucket List” this may be your year.
Summer is here, and so are the warm-water fish! Stay hydrated!
Jim Griffiths
Publisher, Nautical Mile
