Many profit seekers are hacking internet marketing these days. It’s so easy to forget that marketing is marketing. Every medium has power. Advertising on billboards has its advantages. Postcards have power. Business cards have some power. (I once did a mailing and sent three business cards in an envelope. No letter. No explanation. I got a huge response from that mail. They got curious. They called in packages asking “Why am I getting this card?” the failure was not having a sales script ready to launch. I forget why we sent the email. It was years ago. But we got an amazing response.)
Anyway… I am writing to give you some ideas about radio advertising. Radio is an overlooked darling in the marketing mix. The radio has a loyal following. Radio is intimate. The radio is immediate.
Here are my random thoughts on radio advertising.
1. Use 60-second ads. The 30s and 15s are too short to make a real sale. If you can get them, use 120 seconds.
2. Be human and make mistakes. My example is the old Paul Harvey ads. Mr. Harvey would pause, sta… sta… stutter and sound very serious when he endorsed this or that product.
3. If you’re going to take my advice, skip the “donuts.” Donuts are radio ads with music at the beginning and end, and your message in the middle. Most companies that use donuts do not measure RESPONSE. If they measured the response, they would know that the music at the beginning and end is the equivalent of white space in their print ads. White space sells nothing. In your print advertising, you want to package your ad with compelling copy. Over the years, I have collected many ads that were mostly blank spaces. For fun. I even have a NY Times ad that was ALL BLANK except for the seller’s address in the middle of the ad. No company name. No message. No offers. It’s not convincing. There is no reason to pause. There is no reason to ponder. There’s no reason to slip a check under the door… no matter what the address of the business is. The creators of the ad were full of themselves. But buyers care less about you, the seller. They only care about what is in it for them. So… fill your radio ad with persuasive and compelling REASON WHY copy. Don’t waste your money on music. Let the radio station supply the music. Your job is to convince the listener to stop what he is doing and change the course of his life and buy what you are selling.
4. Be sure to MEASURE your answer. Ask the listener to do something RIGHT NOW. Call this toll free number NOW. Go to this website NOW. Write down this number NOW. Mention this offer code x889. Etc.
5. Identify yourself at the beginning of the ad. Listeners want to know who is speaking to them. It also implies authority.
6. Preach BENEFITS in your ad. Benefits are different than FEATURES. You need some features for the benefits they get to be credible. But the BENEFITS are the key to getting an answer.
7. Don’t try to be too cute, smart, or funny. People don’t buy from clowns. They buy from serious presenters who present a deal that will really give them a head start in their lives.
8. If the people at the radio station tell you that your ad is good. Kill the ad. They are so used to hearing everything that they usually think that an ad that is funny, clever or cute… is the winner. NO. NO. NO. You want your ad to be INVISIBLE. If people say yours is a good ad, you’re in trouble. Instead, you want people to listen to the ad and say, “Wow, that sounds like a great product/service.” If you can make the PRODUCT or SERVICE shine… your ad becomes invisible. You can get the wrong kind of attention. Your goal is sevenfold: (1) Attract and (2) Maintain (3) Favorable Attention (4) from (5) Right Kind of People (Buyers) while telling a (6) Sales Story already (7) Induce the desired reaction. It is not to entertain.
9. Identify your buyers early on. “If you’re a homeowner, listen…I’ve got good news for you.” Or… “If you’re looking to supplement your income, this is a proven way to make money in today’s tough economic world.” Etc.
10. Use enthusiasm. You can’t bore people into listening to you and buying from you. If you’re excited about your product or service, let your enthusiasm shine through.
11. If you want to know WHICH station(s) to advertise on…go to your local car wash. People will tell you that they listen to this or that station… because people say one thing but actually do another. But if you go to a car wash, you can take some wet wipes and clean the interior of your car. While you’re sitting there, turn on the radio. You will see for yourself exactly what people are listening to the most. A surprising number of people listen to talk radio. Rush Limbaugh stations are hot and have been for a long time.
12. Negotiate the price. Some radio stations will run “on request” ads. But you must have a payment history on those deals. Or be associated with a legitimate inbound call center that tracks inquiries and sales. Also, remember that a radio only has TIME to sell. And if they don’t fill those spots, they’ll never be able to recapture that lost income potential. They will negotiate. I often say… “What do you want for 5 points a day for 10 days?” …and they say “X$ amount”. So I say, “I was only thinking about half that amount… what if we meet in the middle?” Your goal is to make a profit. Not to profit from radio stations. Know your numbers. If you sell a product for, say, $100… you need to sell at least one product for every $100 of advertising spend. You will be losing money, but know your numbers. Most companies lose money early on when marketing a product or service. But they more than make up for it on the “back end”. The “back-end” is when a single buyer becomes a multiple buyer. Know your numbers.
13. Test in small markets. Deployment in larger markets. You can buy radio time in small towns like Beaver, Utah… or Clinton, NC for $5 or $10 per spot. Larger cities require between $100 and $400 per spot.
14. Mix your radio with other media. Even with a 60 second ad, you probably need to be more convincing. Have your phone people ready with a convincing script prepared. Take them to your website. Tell them to check their mail for a special offer from you.
15. If you’re going to do mass radio… slightly change your message so the listener doesn’t leave you out. Maybe you have read about Broca’s area of the brain If things get too predictable this is the area of the brain that gets bored and looks for something new and more entertaining. By changing its message slightly every other ad, the brain says “wait…didn’t I hear that different before?” Suddenly they get more involved.
16. Wear celebrities if appropriate. There are many actors and actresses who are out of work. If you can find one that fits your target audience…or fits your product model, a celebrity can drive response.
I hope these ideas help. If you want to talk, my contact information is below.