business growth

HOW DO YOU WRITE A DIFFERENT FUTURE?

/ Duane Christensen / 1 Comment

How do you write a different future for yourself or your business? How do you make an impact? How do you change the outcome?

This should help…   2 quick Moneyball movie trailers –

And Whoa! I love this next one too –

…
When you need to make something different happen…

When you’re tired of the same outcome time after time…

When you need a change…

You need to do things differently.

“Your goal shouldn’t be to buy players…your goal should be to buy WINS.”

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

“Doing things differently is pretty much the only way I feel comfortable doing them. I used to feel bad about that. But not any more.”   

/ Duane Christensen

Click here to read the rest >> http://nonfatadvertising.com/2012/03/15/whats-the-goal/

Non-Fat Advertising

What would you like your advertising to accomplish? What goal are you trying to reach?

Before you embark on a BIG ADVERTISING ADVENTURE, you should have a GOAL. “I just want to get my name out there” is not good enough. Maybe you’re at $500,000 in revenues and want to grow to 1.5 million in 24 months. That’s a goal. You should envision what that will look and feel like also. If you were doing 3x the business, can your current staff handle that? Are you set up for that?

Yes, there’s a bunch of things you need to consider…it’s not easy. But if you want your advertising to work to its full potential, you need to first HAVE a goal. You need to know exactly what you want your advertising to accomplish. Then, you’ll need to allot the proper ad budget to help get you there. It doesn’t happen…

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Plant the seed – nurture – time – GROW

/ Duane Christensen

I discuss a lot of “advertising stuff” with people on LinkedIn. Not just with other advertising people, but small business owners, too. Mostly across the U.S., but even all over the world (isn’t the Internet great!?). Most have never experienced the power of good radio. They can’t even comprehend what the possibilities are.

Radio advertising around the U.S. is used mainly as a place to throw a few ads out, have a live broadcast remote, and attract a crowd for a special event. Or a business owner says, “I want to test radio. I’ll give you x number of dollars for 2 weeks. Let’s see what it can do.” And then the radio ad rep says dumbly, “Ok.” And then never call the business owner back after the ad schedule has run its course, because they knew it had no chance in hell of working.

Results Radio in Sioux Falls is one of the most out of the ordinary, effective radio groups in the country. Let me share a few reasons why…

It’s because we’ve learned how to create radio ads that impact listeners so deeply, they store that business in a tiny compartment in their brain. And then when they need that particular product or service the advertiser sells, that advertiser is among the top of the list of businesses they remember.

It’s also because you can’t have a group of ad sales reps working for you who fail to care whether your advertising works or doesn’t work. When I CARE about the precious money you invest…when I CARE that your advertising plan works…then and only then can I begin to create radio that will “move the needle”. Because if I didn’t care about your business succeeding, how much time and effort do you think I would put into the writing and creation of your ad campaign?

Another reason is because if I ever sold you something that didn’t work…I would mourn. I would lose sleep. I would be sick to my stomach.

So, how do we do this? How do we make radio work for our local business customers? What’s the magic bullet? What’s the secret?

The SEEDS are your message. The ads themselves. The content. WHAT YOU SAY in your ads. It’s all about saying things to people in your ads that they’ll listen to…and that they care about. Hint: They don’t care about YOU. They care about solving a problem they have. They care about how you can make their lives or their family’s lives better. They care about not making a stupid purchase. They care about finding a company to buy from that they know “has their back”. Knowing this, how would you write a radio ad? By saying the same boring, cliché things about yourself that everybody else does? Or by standing out from the crowd with ads that don’t follow the “rules” and saying something someone might actually listen to?

Now, you have to NURTURE your seeds. You have to keep telling your story in different ways. You change your ads after they’ve run their course (maybe 3 weeks, maybe 6 weeks depending on how many ads you’re airing). You have to stay on top of what the competition is doing. You have to research. You have to constantly talk to your customers and record their feedback about why they love what you offer…or why they love your business (What your customers tell you are like little gold nuggets. Nuggets you can use in your radio ads. Nuggets you can use to improve your quality of service and your customer’s overall experience. So, get your customers talking – just remember to listen). All these nuggets should be used when your ads are being “brainstormed” or written.

TIME. The farmer doesn’t plant the seed today and harvest tomorrow. All great things in nature take time. And so does your “break free from the ordinary” advertising plan. Who is in the market for what you offer right now? Not many. What’s your product purchase cycle? 3 months? 6? 4 years? 10? Are you trying to sell me a new couch today?…don’t bother because I bought one two years ago – I’m good. See what I mean? Or do you run a service company, like a plumber? You can’t predict when I’m going to need you…so why not plant the seeds in my mind, nurture them, and just be ready for my call when my need arises. Make me want to do business with you long before I need you.

When you plant seeds with great potential, nurture them, and are patient with them…you will be rewarded with a great harvest. You will GROW. Your radio campaign will talk to the people that need you now, and more importantly it will talk to the people who don’t need you now (the much larger group of people), but won’t have a choice of not knowing who you are. Those people who NEED what you offer will not be able to ignore you as a contender in this free market…because you’ve planted your “seeds” deep within their conscious and subconscious. You will be toward the top of their list of who they can trustingly buy from…and feel comfortable with that decision.

Have you ever needed something, but didn’t know where to get it or who to buy it from? You won’t give radio listeners a chance to have that problem. When you advertise in the manner that I’m trying to describe, you can be the one that people feel deeply about. The one that’s remembered. The one that’s trusted. The one that is contacted.

I guess it all comes down to caring about our clients. About me caring about my advertising customers. Yes, I’m getting a little sappy on you. But that’s what it takes. It’s not about me showing you a bunch of statistics and pie charts. It’s not about me telling you we have the tallest radio towers and the best listeners with the fattest wallets. It’s all about caring enough to figure out the right things to say to people…so you can grow. So you can attract profitable customers at a faster rate than if you weren’t advertising at all. So you can worry about doing the things that matter most to you personally, and what matters most in your business – taking care of your own customers. Why should you have to spend 25 to 35% of your time worrying about what you’re going to do next to “bring in some new faces”?

Advertising works when it’s done right. And for local business, Radio advertising works better than most of the other options I’ve ever seen…when it’s used properly. I’ve been working at Results Radio since 1998…if I thought some other form of advertising could give most of the local businesses in Sioux Falls a better return over the long haul, I’d go work for them. If you’ve got a growth goal that needs a nice “boost” to help get you there, I’m pretty sure Results Radio Cumulus Media is where you want to start. And I’m confident that I know someone in particular that you should work with. 😉

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

Results Radio

Can you double your revenues in one year?

/ Duane Christensen / 1 Comment

What’s it gonna take?

Do you want to reach a lofty goal? Do you want to double your revenues? Do you want to be the most well-known business in your market?

Then, you have to ask yourself a tough question. “What’s it gonna take?” The answers aren’t easy. They might be painful. You might even think impossible. But they’re not. Write down your answers to the question, “What’s it gonna take?” Start today. Make a list.

You’ll have a much better chance to do something magnificent, if you ask that question, and start writing down the answers. Some will be absurd, funny, scary, crazy, and seemingly impossible. But those are the answers that can move mountains. The ideas that stun or get laughed at initially, are the ones have the greatest potential to make something phenomenal happen.

Have a glorious 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.

Is Radio Advertising Like TV Advertising?

/ Duane Christensen

She asked, “Is radio advertising kind of like TV advertising?”…

I said, yeah, except you can afford to buy more ads on radio, radio production is free, and it’s pretty tough to reach a solid number of people consistently with TV.

She said, “Sure, radio production is free, but is radio production really that good?”  I said, it IS at Results Radio. And you have to make sure you change your ads up at least every 6 weeks. You see the same local TV spots airing for 12 months or more because average TV production costs too much for the small business.  BUT “production” isn’t the most important ingredient in successful advertising.

She said, “It’s how many people you reach, isn’t it?”  I said, No.  Because does it really matter if I reach a lot of people, when I have nothing good to say?  The most important ingredient is a combination of a couple things.  #1:  What you SAY in the ads… AND  #2:  The overall strategy (how will you position yourself in the minds of the public).

She asked, “So, you’re confident that you can help me grow my business?”

I am. If you have the inside of your business running pretty smoothly, I can help. All advertising does is speed up what was likely to happen anyway. If you’re already creating happy customers, good advertising will help you create more of them. If you’re creating unhappy customers, advertising will bring more people to you and your unhappy customers will increase along with bad word of mouth. So, make sure you’re churning out happy customers that will come back to you when they need you…then you can be confident that good advertising will get you to your goal.

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.

The Best Golf Ball Whackers in the World Still Have Swing Coaches

/ Duane Christensen

The best golfers in the world still have swing coaches.

The best opera singers? Voice coaches.

And, when you start a small business, you’re advised to get coaches, too: retain a lawyer and an accountant immediately, right?

But your marketing? Your strategic planning? You can handle that on your own, right?

Maybe you can even get your spouse to help. He’s pretty creative.

I see it quite a bit. Either a Sioux Falls business owner handles the marketing, or even the spouse is often given that role. They think, “It can’t be that hard to get our name out there.” Sometimes the Office Manager is in charge of “marketing”. Or they hire a “marketing person” that has a bachelor’s in communication that was never taught how to make local advertising actually work for a small business.

If this seems at all familiar to you, then I may have touched a nerve.

So, what is a good marketing person? A “marketer” for a business is supposed to take a product or service to the public in the attempt to make a few bucks. But often, the marketing person knows nothing about advertising. They try this and try that. And in the end, they might figure out that some things work better than others, but they still haven’t found what REALLY works.

TELL ME if this sounds attractive to you or not –  What if people REMEMBERED you in their time of need for what you offer? What if you didn’t need to offer discounts and coupons in order to attract new customers?

Well…that’s what I do for local businesses in and around Sioux Falls. It’s not something that’s done overnight. It takes a lot of thought and research and “digging” to create the right message to attract new, profitable customers, consistently. But it doesn’t seem like work…because it’s what I love to do.

The next time you say to yourself, “I wish advertising worked better,” I’d like you to call me. There are businesses that are struggling all over the area. They’re trying anything and everything to attract one new customer who is probably the wrong customer that doesn’t give them any repeat business.

The radio group I work for has a different philosophy on advertising than what you’re used to hearing. And it’s a difference that tends to be working out pretty dang well for our small business clients.

A small business owner told me this the other day…

“I’m tired of being flat or down or barely squeaking out a profit year after year. You’re telling me that you can help me grow to where I want to be?”

I said, “Absolutely.”

IT MAY TAKE MORE than just advertising, but I’m here to help and advise and offer honest feedback in your quest for the growth and success you’re looking for.

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.

Is there such a thing as GREAT advertising?

/ Duane Christensen / 1 Comment

Pretend you’re at a networking event. And to introduce yourself, you have to say your name, followed by your advertising slogan (or a version of it). For example:

“Hi, I’m John Smith, when quality counts.”

“Hi, I’m Jenny Johnson, we’re people you can trust.”

“Hi, I’m Lenny Doonesbury, you belong with us.”

Those don’t really get you pumped up to learn more about them do they? But that’s the kind of drivel that’s used in advertising every day!

You want to use slogans and words in your advertising that create intrigue. Or that says something about you that nobody else could claim. Or hits an emotional hot button.

How about some BETTER examples:

“Hi, I’m Derek, we give you back your summer.”  (It makes you want to know HOW he can do that.)

“Hi, I’m Pete, I make taste buds do a jig.”  (Tell me you don’t want to know more about the food Pete creates.)

“Hi, I’m Angie, I help people wake up with more energy.”  (The majority of people would LOVE that! The person Angie said that to, raised their eyebrows about an inch.)

The goal of any communication with the public should be for SOMETHING to happen. Boring, cliché, and predictable advertising makes nothing happen. Yes…nothing. You might believe your ho-hum, yawn-city advertising is making people “aware” of you. But bad advertising doesn’t create awareness. It doesn’t make people “aware” of you because nobody sticks with your ad long enough for them to care what you’re telling them.

When you say things in your advertising that make people pay attention, good things result. Will advertising make people act IMMEDIATELY? Will they buy something from you right now? Not necessarily. Not everyone needs what you’re offering right now. In fact, only one or two percent of the population probably needs what you’re selling at this moment in time. And how many competitors are going after that one or two percent?

So, here’s how GREAT advertising works…

Your advertisement should make your prospects that need you now…ACT (a very small percentage). And mentioning your business name, location, website, and phone number six times  in your ads, will NOT make that happen.

Your advertisement should also move people who don’t quite need you now…closer to actually buying from you. Your ad should help them trust you more. It should make them feel good about your company.

When your prospects are “touched” by another ad from you, and then another, and another…their feeling of trust should keep growing. And guess what happens over time? When they finally are in the market for your product or service…they think of YOU first. THAT is what GREAT advertising should do. GREAT advertising is a process, not an event.

Good advertising brings you new customers that need you NOW.

GREAT advertising brings you new customers consistently because they remember you when they need you.

GREAT advertising eliminates the need for promotions, gimmicks, and price reductions.

It’s not “make-believe”. YOU can have great advertising.

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.

The Boy, the Cow, and the Doc

/ Duane Christensen

The vet said that he’d have to do a C-Section on her.  She was one of Dad’s cows.  She was big, black, beautiful, and had sad eyes.  She was in pain.  The vet shaved the side of her belly, scrubbed it with brown iodine or something, drew a line, gave her a few shots, and then said, “You wanna help me?”

What!?  I was terrified.  But I wanted to be brave.  He gave me the scalpel and took my hand.  We made the first incision all the way down.  And then another few incisions to get through all the layers of thick tissue.  There was her calf!  Holy $%&*^#!!!  He said, “Let’s get this mama’s bundle of joy out of here.”  We reached in, grabbed hold, and gently pulled this slimy little thing out.  Doc said, “It’s a boy!”

He grabbed a piece of straw and ran it up the calf’s nose to get him to snort and start breathing.  Then, I even got to make a few stitches when Doc was sewing “Mama” back up.  Wow!  I couldn’t believe what I had helped do!  I was about 6 years old.  That was the end of my fear of trying new things and taking leaps of faith here and there.

The first time a business owner takes a chance by doing something that’s never been done in the industry…it’s scary.  But then people respond to it in great numbers.  Hallelujah!  And the next big idea isn’t so scary.  And the next is not even scary at all – just exciting.  It feels like a weight has been lifted.  You get used to not waiting to see what your competitors are doing.  They wonder what YOU are doing.  They wait for you to try something new.  But by the time they try to catch up…it’s too late.  You’re already halfway through planning your next big idea.

If you’re not taking any chances with your business…you’ll slowly fade deeper into mediocrity.  If you’re OK with mediocrity (or worse), then keep running your business the same way.  Keep marketing timidly.  That’s what your competitors want you to do.

If I would have shied away from Doc’s invitation…would I be a different person today?  I think I would be.  Would I be as open to change and to learning new things?  Probably not.

Let’s take a few strategic chances that can’t guarantee you anything…  THAT is where the big rewards are hiding.

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.