Radio Still The Sound Of Success
Radio! I’m passionate about it. You can tell going back to my days with Yorkshire Radio Network (Hallam FM / Viking FM and Pennine) who became part of the Metro Radio Group then onward into emap territory. I worked for all those companies as the transitions occurred and the differing Sales Managers and Directors who taught me a lot, it’s a case of “watch this blog”. (n.b. Sheffield’s’ Hallam FM is currently part of the bauer group).
I went on numerous courses regarding the intangible selling process from American trainer Giff Gifford to Chris Lytle and one particular quote that came up time and time again was ‘work harder on yourself than you do on your job’… if you work hard on your job you make a living, if you work hard on yourself you can make a fortune (Jim Rohn). So I kept a track record, which I’ll share with you on the power of audio communication on such subjects as Advance Language Patterns (Connie Ray Andreas) and Conversation – The Power of Persuasion (Peter Thomson). Firstly back to basics I thought we’d start at the beginning and ask the question “Why radio?”
8 reasons to use radio
1) radio is transportable
radio can be heard in town’s, cities, villages, suburbs, rural areas, indoor-outdoor all 24hours a day and can reach new and existing customers whatever job, pastime or recreational hobby they may be doing.
2) radio is local
The BBC has EIE – Educate Inform and Entertain; commercial radio goes further with their transmissions, which include advertising, to persuade and communicate on a local level, particularly with what’s on locally within their catchment area.
3) radio is emotive and personal
The station talks directly to your customers and personally. The one to one relationship between broadcaster and customer delivers a more receptive message, especially if it is a live read. Emotion is top of the buying process and radio creates ‘share of mind’ during the decision-making procedure.
4) radio is theatre of the mind
With radio you can actually reach people performing activities relating to your product. It creates pictures in the mind: colours, smells, taste, logos, graphics and those all important brand accosiations.
5) messages are intrusive
Well-scripted commercials can get into the listeners ear and stay there for a very long time. You can’t switch off your ears! This immediately increases receptiveness and awareness.
6) radio is and needs frequency
It’s been called the reach and frequency medium. You need to reach the audience and have a frequency of messages. Buying decisions aren’t made on Saturdays or Sundays only. Prospective sales can be made any day of the week 24 X 7 – so it boils down to “what you say times how many times you say it”.
7) radio informs
news, weather, sport, traffic – its all there and the great music, let’s not forget the music. Radio advertising identifies whom it’s talking to and what is the best time to deliver those messages (late night taxi companies versus theme parks on Bank Holidays). If they are great commercials you’ll get a receptive audience it’ll also aid recall when it comes to making a buying decision. It’s all about a positive response from the market.
8) radio is economic
Good scheduling can make radio a very economic medium. Your ads can influence not dominate or saturate the airwaves with a more subtle d.r.i.p approach. Used regularly with peaks and troughs identified, it makes good cost per thousand which equals value for money to gain OTH – opportunities to hear.
It can do so many things and there’s more to come…
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