Radio Advertising: How To Find Success and Results

May 31, 2013June 27, 2013 / 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

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: Horsepower & Flavor

March 13, 2013October 23, 2014 / Duane Christensen / 1 Comment

What if you decided to give $20 to the first 100 people who called a special phone number? No strings attached. You call…you get twenty bucks.

So, would an online ad work to advertise this cash giveaway? Absolutely.
Would newspaper work? Yup.
Would Radio work. You bet it would.
TV, Billboard, or Facebook ads? Dang right it would.

All advertising mediums give you access to an “audience”. You get access to PEOPLE. When you buy advertising space or spots, you are renting an audience. Some ad mediums just have bigger audiences than others. It’s part of the reason why one might cost more than the other.

Image courtesy of “M – pics” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So, doesn’t that help you realize that all advertising mediums can work? All you’re trying to do is reach people with a persuasive message.

Think of it this way…

The Porsche 911 Turbo – everything about it drips performance, class, and testosterone. But what if the legendary Porsche engine is replaced with something you would find in an old Yugo? Performance just went down the toilet. It’s the same with your advertisements. The MESSAGE IS THE ENGINE. The message is what drives your advertising success. Without a message that has “beefyness” to it…you might as well save your money.

But before you just pick an ad medium to get your message across, you need to understand that each have different ways to be most effectively used. Some allow you to use a lot of words. Others are for short, direct messages where the point you’re trying to make doesn’t need a lot of explaining. Radio and TV can tap into emotions and make a huge impact when used properly. Personally, I like Radio most of the time versus TV for small businesses. It’s easier to produce an ad. And cheaper. Plus, you can make people visualize whatever you want in a Radio ad.

The greatest branding gets us emotionally involved. Print and Internet advertising can make things happen pretty fast when you use a picture of a product, a punchy headline addressing a problem, a possible solution, and a sweet bonus offer at the end. They each have strengths and weaknesses and

Image courtesy of “lemonade” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

have different rules to be followed regarding placement, the number of ads you buy, and the length of time you run those ads.

Just remember that the message is what drives advertising success. Give your message some FLAVOR! Are you going to serve up some high school cafeteria turkey loaf? Or would you rather give them a piece of Mom’s blueberry pie that causes them to sit back, shut their eyes, and roll them back into their head? If you want above average advertising results, you have to advertise with horsepower and flavor.

Duane Christensen

Results Radio Townsquare Media (marketing rep)

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I Love Your Radio Ads

December 31, 2012February 9, 2015 / Duane Christensen

“I love your radio ads.”

Some people say that…to a pretty good handful of my radio clients. That’s great! But it doesn’t mean much if the ads aren’t working.

But…

There’s something to be said for getting people to like your ads. That means they’re listening all the way through. If you bored the snot out of them for the first 5 to 20 seconds…they won’t stick around to listen to the rest. And therefore…they won’t tell you “I love your ads.”

Image courtesy of “basketman” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What does it take to have radio ads that are liked or loved?

It usually involves a story. Or some piece of interesting information shared in such a way that engages the listener. Maybe you teach the listener something. Maybe you get them nodding their head saying, “That’s me. I know exactly what you’re talking about.” Or your ads are sincere and touch an emotional hot button…and then provide a solution to a problem that doesn’t seem “sales-ey”. When you truly want to help…that shines through.

I read a quote recently (and for the life of me I can’t remember who said it) “People don’t listen to ads. They listen to what interests them.” And I remembered the quote because it’s soooooo true. Just because you’re on Radio, TV, online, Facebook, Twitter, billboards, bus benches, etc…. it doesn’t mean you’re actually getting your message across to those people who use or come in contact with a particular advertising medium. You better be telling them something they care about or providing enough intriguing info that keeps them listening.

A good headline is crucial. But if you decide to take the easy route (after the interesting headline) and start telling them how great you are, that you’re the best, that you have excellent customer service, yada yada yada…you’ll lose them. Have an intimate conversation with the listener. (I say listener instead of listenerS because your ad needs to speak to one person. It’s one on one. Make it personal. Make them feel like you’re face to face with them. Keep your radio ad about your prospect – not about you.)

I forget that I need to say this more often: People don’t care about you…they care about themselves and their family and how you might be able to HELP them. That’s it. If someone doesn’t feel you have their best interest at heart, good luck snagging that fish.

Not everyone will say, “I love your radio ads”. But when you finally get on the right track…some people will. And you’ll notice the effect it has on your business.

I can’t end this without a little disclaimer though. There have been thousands of advertising campaigns that have won big awards and popularity contests…but they didn’t end up attracting any new business for the advertiser. Humorous, outrageous, or heart-warming might get some attention…but your ads still have to sell. They still have to move people closer to doing business with YOU instead of your competitor. It can get kind of tricky. The right strategy comes into play here. You need to make sure the message you’re conveying is something that people will care about and can cause them to buy more of what you sell.

Have a great day!

Duane Christensen

Sioux Falls Radio Advertising blog

605-940-7984

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Five Results To Expect From Great Radio Ads…That You Didn’t Expect

July 11, 2011December 2, 2013 / Duane Christensen

Which ads are the ones that really work great?

Which ads are the ones that bring in the cash?

Here are 5 results you can expect (that you didn’t expect) from great ads…

They offend a few people.
They make people go, “Did he just say that?”
They snap people out of their trance.
They cause people to re-think what they thought was true.
They challenge tradition.

Words can fire people up. Words can make people think differently. So, let’s use words and combinations of words in your advertising that make people stop and take notice of you. It’s better than them NOT noticing you, right? Because that’s what most advertising is. It goes unnoticed. Or if by chance it IS noticed…it’s forgettable.

Bad advertising = Blah, boring, and safe.

Good advertising = NOT blah, not boring, and not 100% safe.

Great advertising = Connecting with the people you’re looking for in a way that makes them feel awesome about your company.

Every ad medium has ads that are good, bad, and totally idiotic. Radio, TV, Billboards, Yellow Pages, Internet, etc. It’s not the ad medium that’s at fault. It’s the person that’s crafting the ad messages. Of course, I like radio because I get to hear from my happy clients consistently about the positive effects it has on their business. And when radio is done right, it can do things for your business more efficiently and effectively than anything else I’ve seen.

Be honest with yourself. If your advertising is BAD (blah, boring, and safe), then it’s like putting hundred-dollar bills through the shredder. Good advertising has very little to do with the “production” of it. But everything to do with what you’re saying to the people you’re trying to talk to.

Have a GROOVY 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, 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 market.

Why Radio?

February 14, 2011July 3, 2013 / Duane Christensen

What IS a radio advertisement?

I’d say that it’s kind of like a print ad or a billboard…brought to LIFE…and on steroids.

Radio is entertainment for listeners. Some are actively listening…others have it on in the background. It’s company. People use radio as a companion.

How else can you effectively reach a large number of people over and over and over in such a way? I can’t think of any. TV isn’t like radio because people watch TV programs, not TV stations. My TV habits are all over the place. One show here, another there. Different stations. And they’re all on my DVR to watch whenever I want.

The key to effective advertising is getting your message to people repetitively. And you can’t predict when they’ll need you or when they’ll be ready to buy. That’s why it’s important to brand your business. Branding isn’t just tattooing your business name on their brain. It’s giving people a feeling or set of words to remember whenever they hear your name.

Branding can’t be done with print (it’s tough to do without sound). And it’s pretty darn expensive to do it on TV (I’m not talking about small cable stations). Sooooo, I’ll bring you back to radio. Radio allows you to communicate with your prospect multiple times within a one-week period. When you do that, you’re starting the branding process.

When radio is done right, I can’t think of a more cost-effective way to guide people towards your business instead of your competitor’s. If you can…I’d consider working for that ad medium instead of radio. But I don’t see anything out there yet that works better. So, for now, I’ll be right here at Results Radio.

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.