Radio To The Rescue

Radio To The Rescue

What advertising and marketing medium should I use right now, is a question I hear all the time and especially now.

As you know, I have spent the majority of my life in the radio business, starting out as a teenage disc jockey and then 10 years later moving to the business side in advertising and marketing.  I also have walked away a couple of times and learned out to drive a forklift and run a plastics thermoformer for a living.

I also left the radio business a couple of times to work in the online world and know a thing or two about website development, social media and digital marketing.  I even have spent time in the print business working with newspapers and magazines.

In 2013 I joined WOWO radio in the advertising sales department and this year was named our stations General Sales Manager after a nationwide search.  I have a few other credentials but let’s get to what I really want to share with you.

During the stay-at-home orders that many states have mandated for the health and safety of our people, the common thought was people would be watching a lot more television. That was initially true with a growth of about 30% for broadcast and cable TV.  But then two things happened.

The TV studios ran out of shows as their seasons were cut short because of the social distancing rules and so fresh dramas, comedies and the reality shows had to either go on hiatus or create a version of their former selves.  Streaming services with no or limited commercials were the real benefactors.  Even the TV news networks are losing viewers due to Corona Fatigue.  With the change of seasons and warmer weather, more people are getting outside in a safe, social distancing manor.

The newspaper business has really been hit hard.  Locally we just saw the end of a nearly 200 year newspaper which was slowly dying over the past 20 years.  The afternoon newspaper in Fort Wayne at one time had 60,000 subscribers had shrunk to under 13,000 nearly a decade ago and finally ceased publication as a daily and became a one or two page insert in the morning paper and did an online version too.

Last month both papers used the Coronavirus as an excuse to furlough many of their staffs and pulled the plug entirely on the former afternoon paper.  As a former paperboy as a kid, it was sad to see.  Unless they figure out a way to make money fast, the morning paper will be history too.

So what about the radio business?  Like the newspaper business, if a radio station was struggling to stay afloat before the pandemic, that are really hurting for revenue now.  My station, WOWO radio was not in that position and is not now.  We have seen listenership increases and advertisers looking to increase their advertising if they are open or hold the course of they are not open.  Not all of our advertising partners but most of them, the smart ones want to stay connected to our listeners.

Here’s a quote from one national study:

The longer the coronavirus lockdown continues, the more people are spending more of their time with audio entertainment. That’s according to the media buying agency Mindshare, which has been tracking consumer behavior since the pandemic began sweeping the globe last month. The latest data finds nearly a third (31%) of Americans say they are listening to more radio than prior to the coronavirus outbreak.The new numbers, collected last week by Mindshare’s U.S. Consumer Insights team, also show the longer people are stuck at home, the more likely they are to be boosting their radio listening. In other words, the longer the stay-at-home orders disrupt typical media habits, the more the number of Americans who say they’re spending more time with radio than in the pre-pandemic period goes up.

Among Mindshare’s other latest findings:

  • 51% of Americans have limited their time on media because they don’t want to read any more news about COVID-19. That includes 70% of Millennials.

  • 80% of Americans are likely to support a brand that has taken action and helped communities impacted by COVID-19

And another report says:

Nearly 90 million Americans own smart speakers as of January 2020, a 32% increase from a year earlier and 85% higher than in January 2018.

I have seen WOWO radio’s streaming listenership surge during the pandemic and with a third of Americans now owning and using Alexa or Google Home, radio stations like WOWO are benefiting and that means you as one of our advertising partners will also benefit from this increased listenership measured in both more listeners and listeners spending more time listening to WOWO every week.

There are so many creative ways my team has been able to work hand in hand with our advertising partners, I invite you to reach out and let’s come up with ideas for your business to take advantage of the WOWO Radio Advantage during this special time.

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What Is The Value Of Free?

What Is The Value Of Free?

One Small but Powerful Word

…but wait, if you call now, you’ll receive a second set of (fill in the blank)  absolutely FREE!  Buy two – Get one FREE!  Free Delivery – Free Interest. Free this – Free that!

There’s a reason some of the top advertising copywriters in the world lean on the word FREE… It Works!

One of the “prime” reasons Amazon and all online shopping has become so popular so quickly is in large part due to two words, “FREE DELIVERY”.  But the appeal of “free” extends far beyond online marketing.  Free is a powerful and compelling purchase motivator in virtually every business category.

In his book, Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely tested the word “free” with candy, specifically, Lindt’s Truffle and Hersey’s Kiss.  When the Lindt Truffle was priced at 15 cents and the Hersey’s Kiss priced at 1 cent, 73% of participants choose the Lindt Truffle. When a different group was offered the same products each for a penny less, Lindt at 14 cents and Hersey’s for free, 69% chose the Hersey’s Kiss.

But using the word FREE comes with caution; using it too much or without a compelling offer can lead to the risk of customers being suspicious.

In my 23 Free Strategies to Increase Sales, one of the strategies is to offer a free “buyer’s guide” online or at your location. Consumers today are hungry for knowledge and want to reassure themselves they’ve made the best possible buying decision based upon that knowledge. This tactic can attract new prospects and guide them to prefer the features of the products you sell.

Have you considered what free strategies you might employ to increase your sales?

One of my advertising partners, Anthony Realtors offers a Free 151 step buying guide. When I first saw this offer on their web page, I thought it was a typo, but it wasn’t.  I never realized that there are so many steps to successfully marketing a home.  This buying guide also acted as a measuring stick, a point of comparison because most realtors don’t do most of the 151 items on this list.

To receive a FREE copy of the 23 Free Strategies you can use to increase your sales at little or no cost to you, click here! 

I also have another free offer for you.  Nearly every week, I have an email newsletter with tips like what you just read that is delivered to your inbox Wednesday mornings.  You can add yourself to the mailing list by filling out the form below, for Sound ADvice.

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The Power of Persistence

The Power of Persistence

Today I have a personal story to share with you and I’ve titled it the power of persistence.

The audio version of this article marks a milestone of 150.

This will be the 150th episode of the Genuine ScLoHo Media and Marketing Podcast.

Since I do weekly updates, that means nearly 3 full years under my belt of writing and producing a weekly podcast.

If you are a new reader or listener, indulge me for a moment while I tell you the back story of the podcast.

I work for Federated Media in Fort Wayne Indiana.  I joined them in 2013 as part of their advertising sales team for radio station WOWO. In 2016, our company started a podcast initiative and a couple of our local managers approached me to ask if I would be willing to create a sales podcast.  Why me?  I’ll get to that in a moment.

Anyway, I said yes and in December of 2016 I created the first 4 episodes of the Genuine ScLoHo Media and Marketing Podcast.  However due to staffing changes, over the holidays, the launch of the podcast was delayed a few months until March 2017.  In about 6 weeks, it will be 3 full years that I’ve been doing a weekly podcast on media and marketing.

The reason I was asked to launch a podcast was because of what I was doing and what I had done in the past.  Around 2004, I started writing and publishing a few blogs including a couple focused on media and marketing.  In 2011, when I launched this website, I migrated over 10,000 articles that I had published and included them here.  Hang on, how did I end up publishing over 10,000 articles in 7 years?  I would sometimes write up to 4 times a day, 7 days a week.  This was just a hobby and passion, believe it or not.  It was not my paying job, I was working full time for another group of radio stations back then.

My online activity over the years has continued week after week, non-stop, even when I took a break from radio and worked full-time in the web world.  If you dig back into the 14,000 plus articles I have published you’ll see what I wrote about during my time in the digital marketing profession.

But there is more to my background, I also spent a number of years behind the microphone as a radio personality of sorts.  I have the technical background to produce a podcast.

The Power of Persistence in marketing myself has paid off.

Ten years ago, when I was cranking out 20 or more articles every week, I was also invited to teach some college classes.  I was also asked to lead a couple of workshops on social media, digital marketing and personal branding.  I was named one of Northeast Indiana’s Top 101 connectors by Leadership Fort Wayne and was also nominated a few times for some statewide awards in social media.

6 years ago, this website won another award for the content I was putting out every week.

I never did this for the awards, I did it and do it as a creative outlet and to help others.

A couple more examples of the Power of Persistence pertaining to what I do.  This year I have had more people come find me, seeking me out to offer advice, plan their advertising and marketing and spend money due to my expertise.  The other day I was contacted by a local medical group after they found an article I originally wrote a few years ago.

They said:

It is refreshing to hear of the integrity and passion you have for your work, that was conveyed through the article we read about advertising.

We are very much looking forward to meeting with you!

The other example is a frequent comment I get and my co-workers get about radio ads that I have running on WOWO offering marketing tips similar to what I write and podcast about.  Nearly every week, someone tells me that they appreciate what I am sharing.

The Power of Persistence can work wonders for you and your business too.  I have some fantastic advertising partners and friends who have seen the Power of Persistence pay off for them.  Some are in their first couple years of business, others are over 70 years old.  They have been doing the right thing, the right way and letting others know that they are available to take care of them with their business expertise.

My advice to you, is to first off be honest.  Honest in every way with everyone.  Do the right thing, and keep doing the right thing every day, every week, every month, every year, persistently. And don’t be shy, let others know about you and invite them to do business with you.

It really works.  If you want my help contact me.  You can also sign up for my free Sound ADvice business tips email newsletter in the box below.

 

 

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The ScLoHo Difference

The ScLoHo Difference

Last month I was helping an advertising partner with their TV commercial.

I do not sell TV advertising, I don’t write or produce TV ads or videos.

So what did I do and why did I do it?

I am sharing this with you as an antidote to what someone told me recently is The ScLoHo Difference.

First off, I sell advertising in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  This puts me in a bucket of about 100+ people in Fort Wayne who you can buy advertising from.  That number may be closer to 200 different people when you count the online options.

So let’s narrow it down to legacy media or traditional media such as TV, Radio, Print which includes direct mail, newspapers and magazines and we are still close to 100.

In the radio business, we have less than 50.  My company alone has 23.  I work specifically for WOWO radio where we have a team of 5 full time and 2 part-time sales people.  That narrows me down to one out of about 5.

This fact, that I am one of the 5 people that can sell you ads on WOWO radio is definitely part of the ScLoHo Difference.  However that is just a minor detail.

As I was telling my friend and advertising partner, I sell advertising campaigns to support my real passion of helping businesses with their marketing.

I’ve even come up with a phrase that further defines the marketing philosophy that I work with.  It’s called Human Relationship Marketing because it uses Human Relationship Principles.

Now, let me tell you, this is a different approach from all of my WOWO radio co-workers. Each of us at WOWO have our own approach that is as different as our personalities.  It’s also different from anyone that I have met who sells advertising in Fort Wayne, which leads me back to what my friend and advertising partner was talking about as she really noticed the ScLoHo Difference in our conversation.

Here are the details of what led her to notice my different approach:

Along with advertising on WOWO radio with me, their company also does other advertising including print and TV.

Their television advertising sales person was working with them to create a commercial that would take advantage of the coop dollars they have earned and was doing the typical easy route.  That involved using the corporate video and slapping a dealer tag on the end.  In this 30 second ad, 23 seconds was all about the big company and the last 7 seconds was completely different, with my advertising partners name, logo and jingle.  It felt like two seperate ads.  The corporate ad had dramatic movie music in the background, while the local company tag, had a bright cheerful feel, because that’s the way their jingle sounds.  The TV people did put the company logo in the corner of the corporate video but it still wasn’t enough.

The company (my friend and advertising partner) reached out to me to get my ideas and I met with them after I came up with an idea that would solve their problem.

When we first sat down to talk, my friend and advertising partner, out of frustration, asked why her TV advertising salesperson didn’t understand that what they produced was a disjointed mash-up of two separate ads and essentially a bad commercial for their company.

The reason perhaps is the way most advertising salespeople are wired.  Their first priority is sales.  Their Sales, not their customers sales.  Sign a contract and then we will put together some creative stuff that becomes your ad and hope and pray for the best.  Too often this ignores the Human Relationship Marketing Principles that I use as my starting point.

I know what I just said sounds harsh. It is.  I don’t fault the salespeople who are selling simply to make their own budgets, most of them have been trained to sell that way.  Many are successful, but how successful are their clients?  And how much more successful could they be if they took a different approach, more like a marketing strategist, instead of an advertising salesperson?

Back to my friend and advertising partner and what I suggested they do…

The company has a recognizable jingle that I has been in place since the 1970’s or perhaps even longer.  I use it and their advertising slogan in the ad campaign we have been airing on WOWO radio.  I told them to drop the audio track from the corporate video and replace it with their recognizable jingle bed. It created a warm and happy feeling for the entire ad and tied it all together.  No one else came up with this idea, apparently.  The TV station was instructed to do what I suggested and the ad is now playing.

Like I said the ScLoHo Difference is more than the ability to sell you an advertising schedule on WOWO radio, you also get my thought process and idea creation that we’ll put into action with the campaigns we do on WOWO and also other advertising outreach that you are considering.  Want to know more?  Contact me.

 

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The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease

The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease

This week I have a challenge for you if you sell products that are manufactured by someone else.

All of your suppliers have a vested interest in your success, and most of them have access to extraordinary marketing funds and resources beyond traditional co-op to help you sell more of their products.

The problem is, seldom does anyone ask for these funds! If you don’t access those funds, you are literally throwing money away, or worse yet, your competitors will scoop those funds and use them against you.

In our “How to Leverage Your Suppliers” Marketing Muscle, tactic number one is “Tender your Next Ad Campaign”. Present a written proposal for submissions for marketing support from all of your suppliers outlining your proposed advertising schedule and investment, along with any special displays, promotions, demonstrations or other exposure the winning bidder will receive.

Many business owners believe their hands are tied to rigid manufacturers’ restrictions if they use manufacturers’ co-op advertising funds, but seldom is this the case.  The Squeaky Wheel, often times gets the grease!

If you are an appliance dealer, for example, and you sell GE and Whirlpool, your GE representative has a vested interest in you featuring GE versus Whirlpool in your ad.

If you make a presentation outlining the kind of campaign you propose to sell more GE without using the standard GE script or ad copy that the manufacturer supplies, it will generally be approved by their office because they don’t want your campaign to feature their competitor.

Still, other businesses opt not to leverage their suppliers’ marketing muscle because it takes time and effort. In today’s competitive environment you need to take advantage of every competitive edge you can.

These types of ideas can also work with service oriented companies.

A few years ago, I started working with a wholesaler who set up a deal to get an extra 50% co-op rebate that was above and beyond the standard co-op program.  We found three of their dealers who have jumped on this special program and spend $100,000 in advertising, half of which they get back in credit on supplies they would have bought anyway!

This takes extra effort, extra planning and extra time to set up, but for these 3 local dealers and their wholesaler, it has paid off handsomely for the past 3 years.

Want help exploring this idea for your business? Contact me and also Click here to retrieve our FREE “How to Leverage Your Suppliers’ Marketing Muscle”.

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