Why radio advertising could be the best thing you ever did for your business

By Michele Pariza Copyright © 2004

In the marketing world, radio has earned the reputation of being the odd step-cousin. You know the one. No one knows quite what to do with him. Especially at family gatherings when everyone tries hard to avoid sitting with him. (After all, who knows WHAT he'll start talking about.)

Much of that reputation comes from radio being tough to track. On one hand, radio does work. Businesses do notice an increase in sales when they add radio to the mix. However, radio doesn't test well. In surveys and other tracking methods, radio tends to be the one with the dismal scores.

A good friend of mine, who's also a marketing consultant but before that she sold radio for many years, has a theory about that. She says radio works on a subconscious or unconscious level. People remember the ad, but not that they heard it on the radio. So, they tend to credit a different medium for the ad, like the yellow pages. Yellow pages gets a boost while radio drops a few points.

Regardless, radio should not be ignored because it does work. And many marketing consultants will probably tell you radio is an excellent medium to reach a local market.

However, I feel there are possibilities beyond merely reaching local customers.

Internet radio shows are starting to take off in a big way. That means advertising and sponsorship opportunities are also taking off. In addition, "offline" methods have been shown to be pretty effective at driving traffic online. If increasing Web traffic is your goal, using traditional media outlets to increase traffic should be a part of your mix.

If people already know you (which they might in your local market) they're more likely to be loyal. And they're more likely to send other customers to your site. Depending on the costs of radio in your community, radio may be a very affordable way to get a good viral campaign going. (A viral campaign is what happens when other people pass around your business' e-mails to their friends and family, or send them to your Web site.)

Below are some other positive reasons to use radio:*

Affordable -- when you compare spot to spot, radio tends to be one of the least expensive media out there. However, one spot ain't going to do it. To reach your target market, you need to purchase several spots. That's why radio can also turn into one of the more expensive media. However, there are ways to keep your costs in line yet still reap the benefits of radio -- for instance, buying less spots but running them all in one or two weeks, so your customers are more likely to hear your message.*

Psychological, if you voice the commercials yourself -- hearing your voice makes people feel like they "know" you. (Hence the popularity of audio on Web sites. In fact, marketing gurus claim just by adding audio to a site substantially increases how many people buy.)

People tend to buy from people and businesses they know and trust. Hearing your voice helps them feel as if they know you. These psychological aspects may be another reason to consider running a few radio ads in your local market even if you have an Internet business.*

Speed -- you can get your spot up and running in no time.*

Loyalty -- listeners choose stations based on the music or shows they like and they tend to be quite loyal to that station. If you know what your customers enjoy listening to, it's an excellent way to reach them. (I include both music and talk shows in this.)*

Good support medium -- radio works really well when paired with other marketing mediums (like print, direct mail or television).

But for every positive, there's a negative. In the spirit of being objective, here are a few for radio:*

Background medium -- radio tends to be on in the background, which means it tends to be ignored. Generally, your target market needs to be exposed to your ad more times than other marketing media before they'll act upon your message. *

Little staying power -- the lack of visuals again keeps radio from "sticking" with people. At least, that's what some of the marketing gurus say. But, here again my marketing consultant friend differs. She thinks it's that subconscious thing again. And if you can write a spot that creates pictures in your customers' heads, you can actually work this to your advantage. In fact, according to my friend, if the picture is defined enough, not only will people remember it better, but they'll also think it was a print ad instead of a radio ad. (More on the art of creating pictures using words in later issues.)*

Hard to track -- it's impossible to know exactly how many people are tuning in at any given time.

A final note: Because radio is subconscious, keep that in mind when crafting your ad. Repeat your business name a lot and any other branding info, so it gets into your customers' heads. Don't put in phone numbers. Instead, purchase a memorable Web site domain name and repeat that. And remember to create "pictures" whenever possible.

Creativity Exercise -- How can you use radio in your business?

Would radio work for your business? Let's find out.

Take out a sheet of paper and a fun pen. (I'm partial to gel pens.) Draw a line down the center.

On one side, put the header: Why advertising on radio is a good idea for my business. On the other side, put the header: Why advertising is a bad idea for my business.

Now pick a side and start writing down reasons.

You might be more comfortable starting with the side that's easiest for you. Then when you work on the other side, you can simply turn the reasons around.

For instance, let's say you started with the bad idea. One of your reasons was: My product is completely visual. You could turn it around by saying "Because my product is so visual, I'll have to work harder to create pictures in my customers' minds. And because the customers create their own pictures, they're more likely to remember them."

Or what if you started with a good idea, and one of the reasons was: "Because my business is local." You could turn it around and say "Because radio is holding me back -- I'm only reaching this local market." (Ah, now I'm even going against what I said earlier. Maybe with this statement you could look for ways to get your customers to spread the word outside the area about your business.)

As you saw by my last example, you'll be amazed at what comes out when you do this exercise. Even if you don't change your views on radio advertising, you may come up with new and powerful insights to your business.

Copyright 2004 Michele Pariza Wacek.

About the Author:
Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be reached at www.writingusa.com.
Content Provided By:Web Source

Why People Buy

By Jay Conrad Levinson Copyright © 2004
Perhaps you already know why people buy, but do you know all 51 reasons? The more of those reasons you know, the better you'll be able to market.Geoff Ayling, in his superb book, “Rapid Response Advertising,” provides wannabe guerrillas with a full fifty reasons why people buy. There are really far more than fifty, but I have a feeling that these fifty will get your creative juices flowing. People make purchases for these, among many reasons:
1. To make more money ­ even though it can’t buy happiness
2. To become more comfortable, even a bit more
3. To attract praise ­ because almost everybody loves it
4. To increase enjoyment ­ of life, of business, of virtually anything
5. To possess things of beauty ­ because they nourish the soul
6. To avoid criticism ­ which nobody wants
7. To make their work easier ­ a constant need to many people
8. To speed up their work ­ because people know that time is precious
9. To keep up with the Joneses ­ there are Joneses in everybody’s lives
10. To feel opulent ­ a rare, but valid reason to make a purchase
11. To look younger ­ due to the reverence placed upon youthfulness
12. To become more efficient ­ because efficiency saves time
13. To buy friendship ­ I didn’t know it’s for sale, but it often is
14. To avoid effort ­ because nobody loves to work too hard
15. To escape or avoid pain ­ which is an easy path to making a sale
16. To protect their possessions ­ because they worked hard to get them
17. To be in style ­ because few people enjoy being out of style
18. To avoid trouble ­ because trouble is never a joy
19. To access opportunities ­ because they open the doors to good things
20. To express love ­ one of the noblest reasons to make any purchase
21. To be entertained ­ because entertainment is usually fun
22. To be organized ­ because order makes lives simpler
23. To feel safe ­ because security is a basic human need
24. To conserve energy ­ their own or their planet’s sources of energy
25. To be accepted ­ because that means security as well as love
26. To save time -- because they know time is more valuable than money
27. To become more fit and healthy -- seems to me that’s an easy sale
28. To attract the opposite sex ­ never undermine the power of love
29. To protect their family ­ tapping into another basic human need
30. To emulate others ­ because the world is teeming with role models
31. To protect their reputation ­ because they worked hard to build it
32. To feel superior ­ which is why status symbols are sought after
33. To be trendy ­ because they know their friends will notice
34. To be excited ­ because people need excitement in a humdrum life
35. To communicate better -- because they want to be understood
36. To preserve the environment ­ giving rise to cause-related marketing
37. To satisfy an impulse ­ a basic reason behind a multitude of purchases
38. To save money ­ the most important reason to 14% of the population
39. To be cleaner ­ because unclean often goes with unhealthy and unloved
40. To be popular ­ because inclusion beats exclusion every time
41. To gratify curiosity -- it killed the cat but motivates the sale
42. To satisfy their appetite ­ because hunger is not a good thing
43. To be individual ­ because all of us are, and some of us need assurance
44. To escape stress ­ need I explain?
45. To gain convenience ­ because simplicity makes life easier
46. To be informed ­ because it’s no joy to be perceived as ignorant
47. To give to others ­ another way you can nourish your soul
48. To feel younger ­ because that equates with vitality and energy
49. To pursue a hobby ­ because all work and no play etc. etc. etc.
50. To leave a legacy ­ because that’s a way to live foreverI must add one more area about which you should be creative, one more reason that motivates people to make a purchase, and that area deals with pain. Thomas Jefferson said, “The art of life is the art of avoiding pain; and he is the best pilot, who steers clearest of the rocks and shoals with which it is beset.” More recently, Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman, who wrote “Close The Deal,” teach the importance of pain and the ways to learn where it resides. If you know exactly, you’ve got a heckuva great starting point for your creativity.There. Now that you've got
51 ways to win the hearts and business of your prospects, I think you'll have an easier job of winning sales and profits.
About the Author:
Jay Conrad Levinson is the author of the "Guerrilla Marketing" series of books, the most popular marketing series in history with 14 million sold, now in 39 languages. At his new http://www.GuerrillaMarketingAssociation.com, you’ll find lots of profit-producing ideas plus a list of 100 marketing weapons. Join up for phone and online access to The Father of Guerrilla Marketing.