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Window Company Might Need A New Radio Ad Strategy

/ Duane Christensen
Image courtesy of "domdeen" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “domdeen” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Listening to the radio the other morning, a window Ad caught my attention. That’s good. That’s what it’s supposed to do. Well, it’s the first thing it’s supposed to do, but that’s not the ONLY thing it should do.

The ad started out giving reasons why someone might need new windows. Drafty, fogged up, condensation, etc. I immediately thought of a few of my older windows. Then, I also thought replacing my windows is not something I needed to do right away. They’re not that bad. Maybe my heat bill is a few bucks higher…oh well.

But here’s the thing that the advertiser failed to do. They failed to make me feel good about THEIR company. They didn’t give me any reason to trust them more than any other window company. All they did was educate me on the signs that I don’t have a perfectly efficient window. I don’t even remember the name of the company (because they failed to give me a reason to remember them).

Here’s the thing about windows. It’s not like buying groceries. People will take a lot of time to consider their options. And people also don’t need to replace their windows very often…or ever. So, the number of people who are in the market right now for new windows is very very small.

The window company radio ads should either be branding themselves to the public. Or they should have had a whopper of an offer, call to action, or added value mentioned in their ad…in order to make the people who really need new windows ACT NOW.

The best kind of advertising would be of the branding sort. The kind of ad strategy that glues a business name in the public’s mind. That series of ads would make me trust THAT company above all others. That company would cause me to feel good about their company. And they would tell me their stories in their ads consistently and repetitively over time on the Radio. That way…I’ll remember them and feel best about them when the time comes for me to replace my windows.

You might say, why not just always have a great offer or a discount of some kind and only attract the people who need your product or service at this very moment?

It’s because that percentage of the population is really small. And you’d be fighting against all the other window companies making offers as well. And then you mostly attract the people looking for the best deal. And you have to make one heck of an offer or discount available…decreasing your profits. Over and over and over and over. It’s an endless cycle of PANIC and a “what kind of deal can we offer this week or month to drum up some business?” kind of situation.

But when you get people to basically love you and trust you and REMEMBER you for wonderful reasons BEFORE they ever have a need for your product or service…then you attract a better kind of customer who is on the lookout for a trustworthy and high-quality business to buy from. That buyer is far more profitable. That buyer won’t get quotes from 17 different window companies (or whatever industry you’re in). They’ll start with you. You’ll either be on the TOP of their list of who to call, or you’ll at least be the top 1, 2, or 3. And that’s WAY better than being the 11th option…or not an option at all.

See what I mean?

Radio can work wonders for you…when you have the right strategy and the right kind of branding message that causes people to remember you for the right things.

You might not even know that Radio Advertising can work really well. You might be considering a “mobile” ad campaign because everyone has mobile phones, right? That’s gotta be the best way to find a new customer, right?

And all that time you were wondering what new technology you could dive into to capture new customers…Radio was always there. And always with the huge potential to help grow your business. But you just weren’t using it correctly.

I hope this example from the window company radio ad helped shed some light on things for you. It’s not that the radio ads can’t help them. They can. Especially if there aren’t a lot of other window companies advertising. You can win a little just by default if your competition isn’t doing much advertising. But it’s just my opinion…this ad campaign can be much much better.

If you have any specific questions about radio advertising or about any other kind of advertising (digital, text campaigns, TV, print, etc.), all you have to do is ask. Either email me or call me. Let’s sit down and figure out the best things we can say to your potential, profitable new customers. Let’s talk over your options.

I want your advertising to work for you. I want you to see business growth and prosperity year after year. Let me know if you’d like some help.

Thanks. Have a groovy day!

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media (8 radio station group)

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

605-940-7984

duane.christensen@results-radio.com

I write this blog on behalf of my sales and marketing career at Results Radio Townsquare Media. My goal: Help more local business owners get more for their advertising buck…and be thrilled with the results.

Fixing a 30-second Radio Spot and Strengthening a Client Relationship

/ Duane Christensen / 2 Comments
Image courtesy of "digitalart" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “digitalart” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s not their fault. They didn’t know it was BAD.

I recently received a radio script from new client. It was 30 seconds worth of words that sounded like every other ad that their industry cranks out. It was going to be ignored. It was going to blend in with every other craptacular 30-second radio spot that talked all about the business, but not about the listener.

So, I had a dilemma. I already knew they were going to spend some money to air the radio spot. I’m assuming most advertising people would have just let’r rip! “Let’s take their money and run for the hills!” But I didn’t do that. I called the client and started to explain myself. I gave the biggest reasons why it wouldn’t work. And then I said, there are a few things in the radio ad I’d like to keep…but I want to re-write it and see what you think.

A few hours later I sent a 60-second radio spot. I added some flair and “likeability” to the ad…but I focused the entire spot on that one main point that the business was trying to get across. I shined a light on it…instead of just mentioning once or twice. I made it impossible for listeners to ignore the message. Because the point of the ad had a good chance of attracting the right new customer. It had some merit.

Now, the radio spot was actually easy to listen to and keep someone’s attention. I added humor to it. I added unpredictability. I added a few production elements that added to the point we were trying to make.

They loved it. I don’t think anyone had ever explained how advertising works to them. They only dealt with order takers in the past…not marketers. They told me straight up that they appreciated my honesty up front and my experience that turned a mediocre ad at best into one that actually WORKED! They ended up making another buy and I think we’re on our way to a beautiful friendship.

And I felt better about myself because I did the right thing. I ran the risk of losing a potential new client because I told them their ad wasn’t going to work. Even if I did take their money initially…it would have been very short-term. They would have moved on to the next advertising medium or rep…and tried the same thing.

Now the business understands that it’s not only about WHERE you’re advertising…most importantly, it’s WHAT YOU SAY to the people that will make all the difference. Victory!

If you’d like to talk about how to NOT let your advertising blend in with all the background noise, just give me a shout. I’d love to discuss real options and different ideas.

Thanks for reading. Have a groovy day!

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

605-940-7984

duane.christensen@results-radio.com

I write this blog on behalf of my own sales and marketing career at Results Radio Townsquare Media in Sioux Falls. (8-station radio group + ad writing + strategy). This is not the company website. This is my own personal radio advertising blog. I hope to educate future radio clients as well as share some extra insight to my current radio clients.

Blech! Advertising is So Confusing!

/ Duane Christensen
Advertising is Confusing

Image courtesy of “Stuart Miles” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Advertising is Confusing!

What if you decided to finally do it right…and make an impact with your local advertising efforts?

What would you do? Where would you start?

If you look online, you have a ton of choices. Choices that provide no help in “un-confusing” you. Yuck! How could you ever get a feel for one of those advertising companies? You really couldn’t from their online presence. Their websites seem to be full of fluff and “creativity”. I never see any real proof from them that they know how to make local advertising work.

Now, if you stumble across my blog, you may be able to look at a few posts I’ve written…and make an informed decision. You could even listen to some of my sample radio spots. You would either think I’m a crackpot, or you’d be given enough confidence to contact me. But you’d have more than enough information to make that decision. Now let’s get started un-confusing you regarding your advertising.

Radio advertising works…

But first it depends on whether you’re committed to a genuine marketing effort. If you’re looking for the magic potion of advertising results, keep looking. And good luck. If you’re interested in finally figuring out what works and WHY it works, I think you’re in the right spot.

I recently met with a fairly new radio client. There were 3 people from the company ready to answer my questions. I was digging for some new info for future radio ads. One question I asked was, “Is there anything you DO that surprises your customers?” They gave me some great information. Then, we talked for a few more minutes…and the store manager said, “Sorry to go back to that ‘what surprises our customers’ question, but I just thought of something else.” I told him that we could spend the whole meeting on that topic because in your radio ads we need to surprise the listening audience. We need to tell them things they don’t expect to hear. Because otherwise, they’ll tune out. Don’t use advertising to tell people things they already know, surprise them. That’s what will make your radio work better. I heard a few of  them say out loud, “That makes sense.”

THAT was something they had never heard before. In the past, they had been puked on with words, phrases, and industry jargon like, Top of Mind, Branding, Awareness, Demographics, Reach, Targeting, Cost per Thousand, Cume, Dayparts, Circulation, Impressions, etc. etc. Nobody had ever told them that what you actually SAY in your advertising matters. Nobody had ever told them about what kinds of things their “target” might want to hear. Nobody had ever told them that it wasn’t about THEM…it was about how they can surprise, delight, and help someone else – their future customer.

Everyone walked away from the meeting feeling extra confident that we were on the right track. That their ad dollars were being invested wisely.

The only reason advertising might be confusing to you is because nobody has ever really explained it right (or maybe most ad people don’t know).

I don’t sell my clients; I lead them to discover the truth in advertising. I want you to understand what we’re going to do and why it’s going to work before you ever invest a dime.

Give me a shout and let’s talk. Afterwards, advertising won’t be so confusing for you.

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Marketing guy for: Results Radio Townsquare Media in Sioux Falls

605-940-7984

duane.christensen@results-radio.com

You Paid Too Much For Your Fireworks

/ Duane Christensen
Image courtesy of "graur razvan ionut" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “graur razvan ionut” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I got annoyed the other day, listening to all of the fireworks ads.

Yowza! If there’s any industry who needs to “say something different” in their ads…it’s the fireworks people. You know the ones with the big red, blue, yellow, white, or black buildings?

Here’s what they tell you…

“The lowest prices, the biggest bangs, in the big (insert color) building.” yada yada yada

Then, I heard this in one of them…

“If you didn’t get your fireworks at the big blue building, you paid too much.“

Then, a few minutes later, I heard another advertiser say this…

“If you didn’t get your fireworks at the big black building, you paid too much.“

Now, I’m confused.

Do you know where I got MY fireworks this year? At the smaller fireworks shop that was closest to where I live. Did they have the lowest prices? I have no idea. Even if I paid a couple bucks extra for the $57 of bangers I picked up…whatever. They were really busy for about two days before the 4th of July. And I’m sure they didn’t advertise.

Listening to all the fireworks ads, I thought, “There’s no way these places are getting much ROI from these ads.” These advertisers are trying to persuade us to go to their establishment based on price mostly – which there’s no way that fireworks prices differ that much between buildings. Or they’re trying to tell us that they have the ultimate boomers and sparklies to light up the sky. I don’t believe it.

So, what would I do if I owned one of these places? My radio ads would let people know where I’m at… “Hey if you live or work near (insert location), stop by and let’s get you all set up for your Independence Day celebration.” My radio ads would also let people know that most fireworks are going to cost pretty much the same wherever you go…so you might as well shop at a place with some friendly smiles and free “big daddy” punks.” (or some kind of freebie that you give them with every purchase)

But the biggest way to make a fireworks ad go a long way is to make the WHAT YOU SAY and the WAY the ad is voiced totally different from every other fireworks ad. Don’t make it sound like the monster-truck-sunday-sunday-sunday! ads. Just tell it like it is. “Yup, we sell fireworks just like the 50 other places in this town. And the prices aren’t really that different. We’ll greet you with a smile, give you the help you need if you want it, and thank you for your business when you’re done shopping.”

Call me crazy…but that kind of message would stand out against a crowd of fireworks ads who all tend to be saying the same exact thing.

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, 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.

Radio Advertising: How To Find Success and Results

/ Duane Christensen

How many successes in your life can you account for…in which you didn’t have to put forth the time, effort, and work to get it?

…

Success in your marriage?

Time and effort.

Success in parenting?

Time and effort.

Success in school?

Time and effort.

Success in business?

Time and effort.

Success in Cheesecake making?

Time and effort.

Success in advertising though? Well, that should happen immediately! And there should be a 1-size-fits-all formula to make it virtually effortless!

Something smells wrong here.

Image courtesy of "Naypong" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of “Naypong” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’ve made the occasional mistake of letting a business owner advertise “the wrong way”. I gave a recommendation, but they rejected it, and put forth his own terms. Even though every other ounce of advertising he’d done in the past could have been considered less than successful, he wanted to keep doing it the same way.

There is actually a rough formula for advertising success…but two important factors in that formula are time and effort. And this is so important in Radio advertising (but also most advertising). Don’t you plan on being in business for longer than 2 weeks? Then, why do you keep searching for short-term, magical advertising successes?

Can you tell a child to “Be good” just ONE time…and that child grows up to be a generous, caring, benefit to society? We wish.

All lasting, good things that we acquire throughout our lives require time and effort. Of course, you can add in other ingredients to the recipe, like discipline, patience, nurturing, intellect, etc. But I need you to understand that advertising success isn’t automatic. Just because you’re “on TV” means nothing. Just because you’re “on the radio”, “in the newspaper”, or “on the Internet”… means nothing.

When you want to “do” advertising in Sioux Falls (or anywhere) the right way, call me and let’s get to work.

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media

Sioux Falls

605-940-7984

I write ads, prepare radio schedules, create strategies for your ads (so you can stand out from your competition), give online and other marketing advice, and will keep your advertising fresh and new. I hear a lot of ads that air for 6 months or more before they’re changed out. That’s way way too long…and it’s not doing you any good. You have a lot of things you can share with the public that will help you become a trusted resource to them. Then they BUY. Let’s do that!

My Results Radio Townsquare Media website: http://duanechristensen.townsquareinteractive.com/

Small Business Advertising: Butts in Seats

/ Duane Christensen / 1 Comment

What’s the purpose of local advertising?

To put “butts in seats”.

Like David Ogilvy said, “If it doesn’t sell, it’s not creative.”

Photo courtesy of "Sura Nualpradid" / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Photo courtesy of “Sura Nualpradid” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So, the point here today is that you can be as funny or creative as you want in advertising…but if it doesn’t move the needle for your business…why bother? Being creative in advertising is important because you find new angles to use in advertising your company. You make people think differently about you and help them come to the conclusion that you’d be a trusted choice when they need what you sell.

But you need to make sure your creativity is helping to drive your main point home. Don’t be creative for the sake of being creative… be creative to help prospects understand how you’re different. You take a point of difference (how you’re different from your competition) and you exaggerate the hell out of that difference.

You don’t have a lot of ad dollars to waste, right? So, make sure the message of your radio ads (or any ads) are “putting butts in seats”. Make sure your ads have the ability to make an impact. Will they be remembered when your prospect needs you 3 to 6 months from now? And figure out HOW you want people to think of you…when they see or hear the name of your business. When you know what you’d like to be branded as… then take the steps to make that happen. It’ll help you put “butts in seats” consistently and for the long haul. Not just for your next 2-Day Mega Sale.

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media

Sioux Falls, SD

Home

…

Local Branding: Part 2

/ Duane Christensen

Here’s the final piece of my branding video —

 

Did I clear anything up for you? Did I confuse you more about advertising or branding? I’d like to know. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you’d like to talk about your unique situation. Thanks!

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

 

I’m a marketing guy, ad writer, and business grower at Townsquare Media in Sioux Falls. I’m on a mission to help local businesses get more from their advertising bucks. I also wrote a  a no-nonsense book about how to take a bigger slice of market share with better advertising. It’s called “Take a Bigger Slice”.

/ Duane Christensen

Click here >> Reblogged from Non-Fat Advertising: to view entire blog post.

Non-Fat Advertising

“We’re the best in the business. We’ve been family-owned for two centuries. We have what you need, when you need it. Our knowledgeable staff can handle anything you throw their way. When you want quality, we’re second to none.”

You may think that it doesn’t matter what you say in your ads. And that you just need to find “the right people”. I’m saying…that is completely backwards. Of course you have a “target audience” and you might not want to send a direct mail campaign to the “slums” of your town. And you might not like the people you get by advertising in the local “shopper”. So, then you start believing that WHERE you advertise is most important.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you can find a better audience to advertise to. But if you’re putting an ad out there that “toots your own horn” about crap that nobody cares…

View original post 705 more words

Help Wanted!

/ Duane Christensen

What’s the first thing you do when you need to hire someone? You might see if word of mouth can get you a few applicants, but if that doesn’t do the trick, you probably say, “Let’s put an ad in the paper.” In my experience, you either get a bunch of people applying that aren’t exactly right for the job, or you get none at all.

So, who is looking at the newspaper help wanted section? It’s people who are either unemployed already or that are really “fed up” with their current employer. And a lot of those people who used to look at the newspaper for jobs are now doing it online.

I’m going to offer a better solution. Radio.

The reasons:

  • Statistics say that about 60% of people would consider making a switch for the right “offer”. (But most of those aren’t actively looking yet. Radio can talk to those people.)
  • Radio gives you the chance to really tailor your ad in a manner that lets people know exactly who you’re looking for, and exactly who you’re NOT looking for.
  • Since you’d rather hire someone who already has a job (you know they’re “employable”), radio reaches those people already working, but not actively looking.
  • A good Help Wanted radio ad can help shine a light on your company in a manner that a Print ad cannot. You’re using the spoken word. You’re adding EMOTION to your ad.
  • And one of the most overlooked reasons is that friends and family members of your “target” can hear the ad, too! Especially spouses. They hear an ad, and then tell their spouse about your company, and that maybe they should check into the opportunity you were talking about on the RADIO. (We see as much as 50% of Radio Help Wanted success comes from friends or family telling someone about your opportunity.) These are people that definitely wouldn’t be looking in the newspaper OR online to find a job for someone else.

Why radio for Help Wanted? Because we can close our eyes, but we can’t close our ears. Which means you get to reach people and affect people that aren’t actively looking for a new job. You can attract those really great employees that hear your ad…and say to themselves, “That’s worth looking into!”

Let me know when you need to hire. Radio can bring you applicants you wouldn’t normally get. AND it can also reduce the number of bad applicants you normally get. Which saves you time and money in the interviewing process, PLUS what about the wasted training, time, and money put into that person that quit after only working 2 weeks? Before you automatically buy an ad in the newspaper, I’d like you to consider Radio. Give me a call and we can talk about it. I’ve got a lot of experience in Help Wanted radio ad writing… which has resulted in attracting better applicants for local businesses that are tired of “so-so” or non-existent results.

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen   605-940-7984

Results Radio Townsquare Media – Marketing Strategist

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

I’m a marketing guy, ad writer, and business grower at Results Radio Townsquare Media in Sioux Falls. I’m on a mission to help local businesses get more from their advertising bucks. I also wrote a  a no-nonsense book about how to take a bigger slice of market share with better advertising. It’s available as an e-book on Amazon. It’s called “Take a Bigger Slice”.

Local Advertising: Newspaper ads (inserts)

/ Duane Christensen

Who looks at newspaper ad inserts? There are 4 categories of people.

  1. Only look at the ads of businesses where they already shop.
  2. Finger through every ad.
  3. Read the newspaper, but don’t look at any of the ads.
  4. Don’t ever read the newspaper.

The thing about buying advertising inserts is that most of the people who look at them…only look at the businesses they’re familiar with. The rest get tossed into the recycling bin. So, if all you want to do is entice people to come back and shop with you more often, let’s talk to them on the radio. And by using “not-your-average” radio ads…you don’t have to give people a discount in order for them to want to buy from you, for a bigger profit on every sale.

What about Black Friday though? I guess if I was a heavily trafficked retail store, I would maybe put an insert in that day’s newspaper. But I would definitely have been advertising to them on the radio for the 11 months prior. Which would give me a heck of a lot more response to the newspaper ad than the businesses that don’t do any radio advertising prior to the biggest shopping day of the year.

Why not be in the “black” before Black Friday? I’m just saying that the reason a lot of big retail stores struggle is because they’ve become dependent on discounting and having their “biggest sales of the season” 5 times each season. Pretty soon, you’ve trained your customer to wait for your next sale, and never pay full price.

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media – Sioux Falls

605-940-7984

My work website: http://duanechristensen.townsquareinteractive.com/ (And if you’d like a business website like this, or nothing like this, give me a shout. I’ll point you in the right direction)

And 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 market.