Are you the one?

The one who people think of when someone mentions your particular product or service?

If not…maybe you’re the second or third business that people think of. Hey, that’s not so bad, right? But what if people don’t think of you at all when they need what you offer? What if they think of someone else. A competitor of yours. Then, you’ve got a marketing problem. A branding problem.

When I say “branding”, it’s not about just sticking your name out there as often as possible. That’s not branding. You are BRANDED when:

1) Someone mentions your company’s name and they immediately know what you stand for and what they should expect when they do business with you.

2) Someone mentions a product or service that you sell…and they immediately think of you or your business.

3) Someone mentions frogs and they think of the last time they drank too much. (Budweiser)  🙂

So…to be the ONE people think about first, you need to brand yourself. It’s easier for the small, local business to brand itself and see the results than for huge corporations to see the results from their branding efforts.

How will we brand you?

First, what do you want to stand for? (besides quality, integrity, honesty, etc.) Make it something that your competitors can’t claim, they’re not advertising, or it’s not one of their strengths. But you also have to make sure that what you stand for is important to your prospects.

THEN, once we figure that out, we can begin decide what kind of ads will deliver your “brand” most effectively. It’s not about saying who you are, where you are, and what you are…it’s about painting a picture for people about WHY they should do business with you and not your competition. The goal is to make people feel really good about your business before they’ve even met you.

Then, comes the easy part. Buying radio spots so you can share your messages, stories, and unique offerings to the listening audience. There are formulas for buying radio schedules. It’s possible to buy too many radio spots…and too few radio spots. Let’s air just the right amount so that the average radio listener hears your ad an average of 3 to 4 times each week.

You must also decide HOW WILL YOU MEASURE SUCCESS. It’s not about asking people where they heard about you. Your radio campaign will be so good…they will also affect those that don’t even hear your ads. Meaning that your ads will make such an impact with your audience, that they’ll talk about you with their friend that is wondering where to buy. They’ll tell their spouse that they should check you out. It’s all about creating a message that has meaning and impact. Your radio campaign is a process of intelligent and subtle seduction.

So, I’ll ask you, “How will you measure success?”

Don’t do it with a survey to your customers. Do it with your revenues, foot traffic, phone calls, requests for free estimates, or whatever matters most to you. If you normally get 4 phone calls per day, then 4 months after your radio campaign has started, you’re getting 11 calls per day, would you call that a success?

If you’d like to BE THE ONE, it takes more than just an advertising salesperson selling you an “ad package” who you never see again. There’s no one-size-fits-all radio ad schedule, radio ad strategy, or branding strategy. I understand you might think this is complicated. But it’s not when you talk to the right person that knows how to advertise and/or brand a local business. 😉

Peace out.

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media

Sioux Falls

605-940-7984

http://duanechristensen.townsquareinteractive.com/

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising

Results Radio Cumulus Media