What’s Your Reason for Advertising?

July 8, 2013 / Duane Christensen

Image courtesy of “Stuart Miles” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why do you want to advertise?

Because business is slow?
Because you now have some cash flow and want to keep growing?
Do you need a short-term “fix” or spike in sales?
Because you can’t keep customers happy and need to constantly replace them with new ones?
You’re a new business?
Something else?

I love helping those businesses who want to grow, and who want to continue to grow and take a bigger slice of the market. Or those who have a lot of competition and are fighting to maintain their share or would love to “move up in the ranks” within their local market.

And that can’t be done by quick bursts of advertising like a shotgun at the hip hoping you hit something. A splash here, a splash there, a sprinkling of ads to reach everyone – it just doesn’t work..

You wish that would work. Everyone does. But it doesn’t.

I want to help you and CAN help you, if you answer Yes! to these questions:

Are you looking for consistent growth, year after year?
Do you want an advertising campaign where you don’t have to discount your prices in order to snag a new customer?
Would you like someone to help you manage your ad campaign? (meaning someone who will stay on top of things, write ads, keep ads fresh, give you time to do other things like run your business)
Would you like help with what you say in your ads? (ad writing, set you apart from your competition, slogans, etc.)
Would you like to work with an advertising person who has your best interest at heart and can advise you on other marketing tactics?

Radio advertising is currently helping hundreds and hundreds of local Sioux Falls businesses. The businesses in which Radio Advertising helps MOST, are those who are being a little “different” in their advertising message. They’re not just using Radio for the sake of using Radio. They’re using it to engage on a deeper level with Radio listeners. They’re branding themselves as one of the top go-to places for Sioux Falls and surrounding area consumers.

Sure, Radio can “get your name out there”. But what good is that if nobody will remember your name when they actually need what you offer? Great radio advertising will brand your business name into the hearts and minds of the large radio listening audience. When you do that, you’re not only advertising to the miniscule slice of people who need your product or service NOW…but you’re branding yourself. That way, when the other 99% (give or take) of your radio audience who need you down the road…will remember you. And then, you’ll be one of the top choices they contact, or possibly the FIRST businesses they choose to contact.

Can you imagine how something like that could immensely improve your situation and bottom line?!

Radio is mass media. Which means it reaches a ton of people. Don’t get overly worked up about your “target”. People are people. And they listen to all different kinds of Radio. There is not one kind of person who listens to one kind of Radio. Radio reaches the masses. And you’d be surprised at which radio stations people listen to. Don’t use Radio for “targeting”. That’s what Direct Mail is for. Radio is for branding your business into the hearts and minds of massive amounts of people.

If you know the type of person you’re looking for (a profitable customer whom you enjoy serving and doing business with)…your Radio advertising should talk very directly to that person. Talk to their likes and dislikes. Talk to their heart. Befriend them with your Radio ads before they ever do a lick of business with you. Earn their trust. Help them feel confident they’ll be treated right if they decide to visit you. Make them feel like you’re “the one” to help solve their problem or improve their life.

What’s YOUR reason for advertising? Is because you’re dabbling with entrepreneurship? Or is because you want to take the bull by the horns and make something happen? Business growth and success does not happen automatically or magically. Successful local businesses went after it. They knew there were obstacles and possibly even a lot of competition in their field. They knew they had to advertise, commit to a plan, and do it differently than everyone else spinning their wheels and sprinkling their ad budget around hoping something sticks.

This isn’t a “DO THIS or you will fail” message. I just want to be one of the first people you contact when you have advertising and marketing questions. I’d like to help you understand what works and what doesn’t when you decide to invest in a successful advertising plan. I want to help. I love to see good businesses (who are good to their customers) succeed and prosper. I want to introduce you to MORE people who would appreciate the products or services you offer.

A good Radio plan can work wonders. And it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. I’ll explain how it all works – just give me a call and we’ll talk. No annoying pie charts and statistics about how Radio is the biggest, baddest thing since sliced bread. Just honest advice on how you attract more profitable customers and grow. Radio is helping my clients do that. Let’s help you do the same.

Have a great day! Hope to talk to you soon.

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media – Sioux Falls

605-940-7984

My work website: http://duanechristensen.townsquareinteractive.com/

If you have questions about the cost of radio advertising, which radio stations would be a good fit, or how to get started attracting more customers, don’t be afraid to ask. I like to help good businesses take a bigger slice of the Sioux Falls market.

I’m a 39-year-old ad writer, radio marketing guy, and business helper. I’ve been learning and growing at Results Radio since 1998. I’d like the chance to show you what we can do for you.

A Story About Tracking Your Marketing Efforts

February 5, 2013 / Duane Christensen

I whipped my phone out and searched for All Tune & Lube in Sioux Falls (because they’re my “go-to” people for anything car repair-related). I needed to set up an appointment for new tires. And I didn’t have their phone number in my phone…and I couldn’t remember the number even though I’d called it many times before. Getting old I guess. The info I needed came up on Google after I typed in “All Tune & Lube Sioux Falls”.

But the phone number didn’t seem familiar. I called. All Tune & Lube answered. I said, “Did you guys change your phone number?” They said No.

I’m assuming that they were doing some kind of tracking with that different phone number. Tracking their online calls.

Image courtesy of “Paul” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Measuring your return on your marketing isn’t always as easy as you wish it would be.

So, what’s going to happen here? They might “count me” as a customer who found them online. And then, they’ll think “online” is where they should put all of their marketing and advertising efforts??? Or maybe there’s an Internet marketing company who sold them an SEO package of some sort with a different phone number??? That’s great as long as they realize that their past customers who love them… may find that number online (like me). And that their past branding efforts have glued “All Tune & Lube” into their audience’s brain – so those people already know who they want to call.

Those people they had reached effectively with their radio campaign don’t have to type in “auto repair” into Google…they type “All Tune & Lube”. So, was it the past radio ad campaign that should get the credit? Or the expert service and above average customer service they received in the past? Or the word-of-mouth? Who knows. It should all work together when you’re marketing correctly. As long as they’re reading those online metrics properly…and my phone call isn’t being categorized as one more new “online prospect snagged”…I’m totally cool with it.

Maybe they are tracking the number of online calls versus Yellow page calls. Great. They’ll soon realize they should shift all or most of their Yellow budget into their SEO plan or something else.

If I owned my own local business… I wouldn’t care HOW people found me… just as long as they do. My tracking would be with my sales revenues. Or number of customers daily/weekly/quarterly. Or whatever best illustrated that I was attracting more new, smiling faces. But it would be over a matter of many months or even a year. Of course, since I know Radio Advertising can work wonders, I’d put most of my budget into radio. You may think I’m biased, but I’ve seen how it works. I’ve heard the feedback. I’ve seen the growth numbers. Shiny and new marketing efforts aren’t a substitute for tried and true.

Are there BAD radio advertising campaigns out there? Absolutely. Even a lot of the national radio ads I hear are completely missing the mark. That’s why you might want to work with yours truly. “Creative” is no substitute for “Selling”. I believe what David Ogilvy said, “It’s not creative if it doesn’t sell.” Your ads need to WORK…not just be something cutesy, funny, bizarre, or creative. But when Radio is done right…with the right message and strategy in place…prepare to be delighted with the results.

Radio is one of the only mass media advertising mediums where the audience is holding strong. Are some of those listeners also listening to Pandora and their iPods? You bet. But they’re also still listening to Radio. Around 90% of the population tune into their local radio stations consistently. And when you find a radio group who’s progressive, keeps enough live and local DJs in the booth, and constantly wonders how they can make a radio listener’s experience better…it’s a good group to go with. Hey…like us! I’m happy to be with a company who knows we have to stay relevant and change when we need to change.

Just be careful with your tracking and measuring. Don’t give something credit if it’s not deserving of the credit. I know you want to know absolutely, 100%, which advertising and marketing dollars are giving you the best return. But it’s not a simple thing to do. You could start by NOT dividing and spreading your ad budget around to so many different mediums. Then, you’ll never know which works well and which ones are just money thrown in the garbage. Start with one or two. Don’t sprinkle. “Own” the advertising medium you choose. Be there. Be there in force.

If you want to have an honest talk about local advertising, let me know. We won’t just talk about Radio…but how local advertising really works. And how we can make your local advertising efforts pay you back many times over. We’ll also talk about how you’ll plan to MEASURE your RESULTS.

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

Radio Marketing / Ad Writing / Sales

Results Radio Townsquare Media

Sioux Falls

605-940-7984

“Making it Work” (Watch them Squirm – the sequel)

February 24, 2011July 2, 2013 / Duane Christensen

To answer the question, “How do you plan on making my advertising work for me?”…

I plan on squeezing every drip of juicy detail out of you that I can. That starts with asking questions you’ve never been asked by a typical advertising rep. These are NOT questions like, “How long have you been in business?” and “Do you have a website?”

Deep, deep “digging” is crucial.

Then, I plan on using words, phrases, and stories in your advertisements that will snap a listener out of their trance. If you say the same boring yada-yadas and blah blah blahs…you’ll get the same un-excitable results.

I also plan on building your ads around a strategy that always gives people a reason to do business with YOU instead of your competition.

All of this should be done in ANY advertising medium, website copy, sales letter, online ad, etc. But I rarely see this kind of effort put into ad campaigns. That’s why so much ad money is thrown to the wind and results are scarce. Nobody wants to learn about what makes advertising really work…and nobody wants to take the time to dig deeper.

Give me a call. Let’s make it work for you!

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media – Sioux Falls

605-940-7984

My work website: http://duanechristensen.townsquareinteractive.com/

If you have questions about the cost of radio advertising, which radio stations would be a good fit, any marketing in general, or how to get started attracting more customers, don’t be afraid to ask. I like to help good businesses take a bigger slice of the Sioux Falls market.