I want to talk about a word that is extremely powerful in radio advertising.

It’s just one word, one syllable, one thought…

but it can actually be defined and a complete sentence.

Free. That’s the word, free. Why is the word “Free” so powerful  in radio advertising?  Because it makes people take action.  Of course, there are rules connected to that word.  Whatever is being offered for free needs to have a perceived value by the listeners to the radio advertising message.

If there is no perceived value attached to the claim of “free”, the entire message could very quickly be discounted as not genuine or a scam.

Let me give you an example: Recently my agency, BestRadioCommercials.com helped spread the word (or the taste if you will) of an all-natural dog food.  My client creates an amazing all natural dog food product that has had limited distribution in his general vicinity.  He wanted to branch out and get other people trying his product.

My client told me that “Once people try this, they never go back to anything else”. I asked him how confident he wisely in the statement.  His reply was, “very!” ??My client wanted to tell the story of how the product was developed in the confines of a 60 second radio advertising message.

Telling a story is never a bad idea, telling a story effectively with limited time to do so though, can be a bit tricky. After hours of work, my script writing team came back with a condensed version of his story along with a very strong call to action. This story, combined with a strong call to action which can be summed up in two words “free sample” was a huge hit.

In our radio advertising message we painted a picture of an all-natural specially formulated dog food originally designed for Iditarod dog sledding, now formulated for anyone who has a dog. This true story combined with the offer of a free sample bag practically overwhelmed my client with calls.

The commercial did so well that we actually had to stop running it because the demand became so great.  Shortly after the sample users had a chance to try the product calls began coming in for more dog food and more distribution points were set up because of demand.

That is the power of “free” my friends. Using it effectively in radio advertising to drive interest in a product and create demand isn’t rocket science. It just takes a vision and knowledge of the right outlets to deliver such a message through.

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

When it comes to any form of advertising – There are quite a few pitfalls that one can fall into. Very expensive pitfalls that is… Many of which could easily be avoided if someone who knew a few key things about consumer reactions were behind the creation of your ad. For this example lets take a look at two major mistakes from a radio commercial I just heard.

Mistake #1 – Too Cute
Being someone who makes radio commercials for a living, I naturally pay attention to all mistakes the average consumer would not notice when it comes to a radio commercial. The consumer would simply tune-out mentally and/or physically because of these costly mistakes.

Problem number one with the commercial – It took 45 seconds to identify exactly what the radio commercial was for! What was even more shocking, this was a commercial for a national care repair chain.

It wasn’t “Chuck’s Burger Stand”. One would naturally expect that if a company as large as this would have top of the line radio commercials on the air – at the least – ones written by people who know what it takes to be effective! The front :45 seconds was a failed attempt at humor about a hair salon. Then it somehow made the “natural” shift to talking about car parts in the last :15 seconds.

There is nothing wrong with having a humor angle in the first 5-15 seconds of a commercial, but keep it at that: 5 to 15 seconds. I can guarantee about 98% of potential customers for this business mentally tuned out after the first 15 seconds. It went on, and on… and on… with no real point.

By the time the radio commercial finally go to the auto parts message, you were trying to figure out what it was you just heard and completely missed the point of the radio commercial: Giving the consumer a reason to visit the store. There was absolutely no “reason” or “call to action” in this radio commercial. Which brings me to my second point.

Mistake #2 – No Call to Action
If you want to consumer to take action – and actually call your number, visit your store or log on to your website… You need to give them a reason! The little factoid that you simply “exist” is not a good enough reason.

Make an offer that your competition is not – “Free consultation – a $100 value”, “Free this or that just for calling or stopping in”, “you will be entered to win a XXXX just for calling”, “if you’re not happy, we will give you back your money plus some”, “offer is for today only”, “call in the next 10 mins and we’ll give you XXXX free”…. The options are endless!

Just be sure the call to action is good! Simply saying take 10% off is NOT a strong call to action. It has to be a clear cut – “here is what I’m getting out of the deal” kind of offer.

Often times the consumer has no clue as to what your products or services cost. So the offer needs to be physical. If you sell products that cost $100 each – you are better off saying “take up to $50 off your total order today, limit 5″. It’s the same as taking 10% off each item – up to 5. It sounds much more intriguing – while communicating the same message.

When you only have :30 seconds or 3 lines to convey a message – you need to make every word count. So remember… Make the call to action count!

The take away from this article should simply be this – BE REAL with your customers. Don’t try to be too “cute” and don’t make a crappy offer or an offer they won’t really understand. Speak in their terms – not yours to make every second of your radio commercial count!

- Tony

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

What can I say… I’m probably one of the strongest critics of radio commercials. The fact that I create them for a living, makes me a bit of a “dork” when it comes to listening to the radio. Constantly talking to it, criticizing it, praising it and all around over analyzing everything I hear. I probably sound like my father when we are watching an NFL game, except I’m yelling at another debt relief radio commercial.

What is really driving me nuts these days… Similarity. Lack of creativity. BLA-NESS. Its everywhere and its not working for anyone. Yet, everyone is copying everyone else, who likely copied an idea from another person who also thought they were on the right track. What gets a business ahead these days, IS BEING DIFFERENT.

Not just being another “Variation” on something that already exists. Even if you are just another variation – you need to showcase what really makes you different. When everyone in the room is a shade of blue, no one stands out. When you’re the only red one in the room – you stand out and people take notice. This is what you need to be showcasing in your radio commercials.

For example… debt relief radio commercials. It seems I hear them every time I turn on the radio, I also create quite a few every week for various clients. The problem with many of the radio commercials on the air for this field is simple…

Its the same “if you’re 10,000 or more in debt, you need us… bla, bla, bla”. I’m sick of it. It has meaning, but what makes me want to call company A over company B when their messages and call to action is virtually identical? Absolutely Nothing! Its not just in this field, look at a furniture store commercial, grocery store, most car dealership commercials, family restaurants, and so on.

They are loaded down with “safe” and very “simple” copy that does nothing to make their target customers stand up and take notice that they may actually offer something better than their competitors.

So… What really does make you different?

Be specific when answering this question. “Selection”, “Variety”, “Customer Service” are not acceptable answers. Everyone says it. Deep down… why are you different – how can you emotionally connect with your target customer and their needs.

How are they feeling, and how can you meet those needs better than anyone else. This answer is different for everyone, the key to a successful pitch – it being real and making an honest connection with your target customer. If I can help you do this, feel free to drop me note.

- Tony

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

I’m not talking about dollars and cents here… I’m talking about the credit your customers have with your business mentally and emotionally. Consumer loyalty. What is your “credit level” with your customers?

Start out by asking yourself a few questions:

1) How do your customers view YOUR business and what you offer THEM?
It could be very different than your point of view.

2) Are you just another business that sells products and services… Or are you a trusted source for advice and help when they need you?
If you’re “Just another” outlet to them, prepare to be disposed of in their minds. Especially if you are nothing more than a building that gives services or sells goods with a credit card scanner.

3) Who is your customer and how can you develop a better relationship with each and every one of them?
If you can find ways to do this – to be real and honest with them, and help them when they need it. You will have a customer for life.

Building that relationship with a customer starts with Image. How does the public perceive you? If you require them to come into your place of business to find that out, you will be very quickly passed by. You need to start by reaching out to your customers where they are. There are multiple ways that companies have done this over the years. Some with more success than others…

No matter how you do it, remember – it’s all about the marketing message.

For example. There is Business #1 – To reach their customers they scream at the top of their lungs and intrude on their potential customers while they are listening to the radio commercials. Does it get them noticed. Yes… But does it develop a relationship? No. In turn they have to spend gobs of money month after month to stay top of mind with people.

Then there is Business #2 – To reach their customers they also used radio, however they took a different approach. They branded themselves as a local, hometown, trusted business that is there when people need them. They showcase ways they have gone out of their way to help the community, and why they too love their city and the people who live there.

They also have real customers on the radio commercials talking about why they chose this business over the other. In turn they are able to spend less on marketing because they have repeat business, because a relationship is developed with everyone who hears their radio commercials. They run enough radio commercials each month to stay top of mind with new customers, but they don’t need to constantly pound their name over and over by screaming at people.

Who had more credit with their customers the “Screaming loud” business or the “Local, Trustworthy, and lots of people talking about why they like business #2 over #1.” business?

Children beat on pots and pans to get attention and have an attitude of “everyone will pay attention to me – just because”.  Adults who own thriving businesses have an attitude of how can we show our customers we care through positive marketing using radio commercials and developing true relationships once they come in. Never take your customers for granted, or assume they will come to you “just because”.

An effective marketing plan starts with an experienced marketing team. If I can ever be of help to your business, even if you just want to shoot some ideas around. Feel free to call me anytime.

- Tony

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

It’s a simple question really. When you make decisions about your business: Are you basing those decisions on what you see ahead of you and where you want to go? Or are you making your decisions based on what you’ve seen in the mirror and the past?

If you focus all your attention on the dark storm you just drove out of, you will likely miss the turns, on-coming traffic, and likely drive your business completely off the road because your focus is not on the road ahead. Is that really the way you want to operate your business?

Yes – times have been rough for many of us. Yes – you have been gripping the wheel with all your might. While you were gripping that wheel – You’re focus was likely on the road ahead though. Now that we are seeing a break in the storm – is it really a wise decision to drive your businesses future by looking behind you? It’s understandable to be hesitant, we just drove through a bad storm.

Ask yourself: How do you want to grow your business? How do you want to sustain your customer base? More importantly – How do you want to grow it?

As someone who works in the marketing industry, my job is quite simple. Find the most effective ways for individual businesses to expose themselves to their target clientele. And oh yea… do this as cheaply as possible.

Even with the advent of new forms of marketing one of the most effective and cheapest ways to reach your customers over and over with a compelling offer or message remains to be radio. Why?

It’s quite simple – When you look at the stats of how many people listen to a station, the cost of airing a single commercial, and the impressions that you make from that one commercial. It comes down to pennies per person. Yes – Pennies per person to reach your audience through a radio commercial. Combine the exposure radio gives you with a legit and solid offer to your customers and you have marketing gold.

Compare pennies per impression to pay per click – And you are looking at anywhere from $1 – $30 per click. Compare it to direct mail and you are looking at $2 – $3 for a piece of paper that will likely be thrown away. Compare it to almost any other venue and you are looking at much higher costs per impression.

Don’t forget your message has to make a true impression with your customer. If the message blends in with everything else, or is weak – you will have wasted your opportunity.

- Tony

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

More than once I’ve been contacted by an otherwise very savvy business person making the statement “radio advertising just didn’t work for me.” This statement troubles me… because it’s been proven time and time again that radio, when used correctly, can be the most effective medium for driving customers to a business.

Think about it – what other medium is on in cars, in businesses, on in the kitchen when someone is making dinner, played loudly at a back yard bbq, and a slew of other times and places. Despite other mediums of entertainment evolving over the years, radio is still one of the leaders… How is it “not working” for someone?

After I hear this, within 2-3 questions I can almost always diagnose the problem. Just as a doctor wouldn’t tell you to “Go home and die, you’re not working”, if you feel sick – he wants to find the root of the problem and correct it.

The first question I ask is, “Where were you advertising?” If your radio commercial is on a station that does not connect with your target audience, radio will not work for you.

For example a women’s clothing store that wants to target women 35-54, will likely not do too well on the local sports talk station or the rock station no matter how much the “manager of the store likes those stations”, or what “great deal” the local rep gave you. If it’s not your audience, it’s not your audience.

If the radio station itself is not the problem, I ask about how frequently it was on the air. If the answer is “once a day for a week,” or “two times a week for two weeks” – we have discovered the problem. If your commercial is only heard one time by your audience, it is not doing anything.

A rule of thumb: your commercial needs to be heard at least three times by your target customer for them to take action. This does not mean it only needs to air three times. It needs to be heard on their schedule three times or more. An advertising agency will be able to tell you on average how many times your radio commercial will be heard based on listener stats.

The third question I ask is, “What did the commercial sound like?” If the answer was “the radio station created it for free,” “my kid read the script” or the business person says “I wrote and voiced it” – red flags go up everywhere.

Some radio stations still do indeed produce good radio commercials, but these day’s they are few and far between. Most of the time, if you want quality radio commercial production that is written and produced by professionals that make your message stand out – you will want to invest the $300 it cost to have a professional radio commercial created by a professional production company.

An effective message is a key part of driving customers to your business. Just as the person producing the radio commercial wouldn’t walk into your area of expertise and be effective, don’t expect to walk into a studio and be able to voice or have your child voice a commercial that will be effective in any way, shape or form.

To review: Before you say “radio advertising didn’t work for me” – take an honest look at 1) The station you were on, 2) The amount of times your message aired, 3) The quality of the radio commercial.

- Tony

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

If you advertise or are thinking about advertising on the radio please heed this warning….

RADIO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION COUNTS. (This is the script, voice-over, back-round music, theme, sound fx, etc. used in your commercial).

I not only say this because I own a production company, but because I want to see my clients and friends who own businesses succeed. Many times the “QUALITY” step in radio commercial production is completely thrown to the wind.

Here is the scenario: A hard working business owner will make the decision to advertise on the radio. The owner will put loads of their hard earned cash into an advertising schedule… What is the next step? Creation of a compelling commercial message – A key step in any advertising campaign.

However – Many times this step is done with minimal care, or none at all. Either a business will use a radio stations “Free” production services or go to a dirt cheap production house and hope for the best… Not all, but most of the time these “free” or dirt cheap production services tend to be “free” or cheap for a reason.

Just as there is a reason the lemon car on the close-out lot is $100. Is it a car – Yes. Will it get you where you need to go – No.

The business owner will get their commercial on the air, see little to no results and then come back and say the infamous words “radio didn’t work for me”. When in reality, it was the specific piece of cheap production that didn’t work for them. If a car runs out of gas and leaves you stranded because you didn’t fill it up, you can’t blame car for not taking you from point A to point B.

If a business is spending more than one thousand dollars on advertising placement, wouldn’t it make sense to invest the extra couple hundred dollars it costs to put a quality and compelling radio commercial together?

If your radio commercial is creative and compelling it will likely yield results, if it is carelessly thrown together from a “free” or dirt cheap commercial-by-the-dozen production service it likely won’t. Even worse, you will have thrown away thousands on advertising time with an in-effective message.

A good radio commercial production company will:

1- Ask questions, communicate, and get to know you and your business. They should find out what You’re goals are for your commercial, and an idea of the over-all feel you would like for the commercial.

2- Be able to provide examples of previous work (hopefully you will be able to recognize some of these samples from casual listening).

3- Be able to provide honest insight and feedback to your questions and suggestions, not just say “YES” to all your questions in order to get you out the door.

4- Be able to show you multiple Positive reviews from past clients, so you know you’re dealing with someone who knows what they are doing.

5- Deliver a quality product in a timely manner.

Creating an effective radio commercial isn’t rocket science, but it is a craft that should be left to qualified professionals who care about the success of your business.

Any radio commercial production company that understands and lives by this basic principle is a key to helping you succeed in the marketplace.

- Tony

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

It happens to all of us, a friend shares a compelling story or tidbit that left you wanting to know more… When you ask them where they heard it, the answer comes back “I heard it on the radio.”

This happens quite often, many times they were referring to a radio commercial for a product or service, without even knowing they were repeating the message of a radio commercial. Not some witty banter from a “DJ” about the latest performer to enter rehab.

So why did your friend pick up on a message a radio advertiser put on the air? Because the business talked about how long they were in business for? About how all their products are “quality”? Or because they had their kid reading the commercial?

No. No. No.

It was because one statement in the message was compelling, and spoke directly to your friends needs and wants. With that one moment of direct connection, a relationship was formed between a potential customer and a business.

The fact that your friend shared with you this tidbit of knowledge they learned “on the radio” made message “viral.” It wasn’t just some passing information that was shared secret between a store clerk and a consumer. It was a message so compelling, that your friend was moved to share their new found knowledge with you.

You may be thinking to yourself… what kind of message was this? The answer: It was a message that pertained directly to that specific persons needs and wants. It may have meant absolutely nothing to one of your other friends, but to that individual – it was pure gold.

How could a message mean so much to one person and not the other? Simple: It was direct, it was targeted, and addressed a specific need unique to that person.

All too often I hear radio commercials that try to be “Everything to Everyone.” When a radio commercial sets this goal, they lose. Why? Because the reality is: A business can’t be “Everything to Everyone.” A business has a select demographic of clientele that they need to attract.

It amazes me how many business owners are completely oblivious to this fact, or refuse to accept it out of sheer pride. While in an ideal world it would be great to appeal to every person and their pet cat muffles, it’s just not reality.

When we try to speak to everyone, we miss the opportunity to address the specific needs and desires of that person who is searching for exactly what we can do for them. When you can identify that persons needs and speak to them with a truly compelling offer, and deliver on that offer: You not only gain a new customer – you gain a loyal follower who wants to share this newfound knowledge with their circle of like minded friends.

- Tony

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

It is the question that I get asked more than 20 times each day. The answer is really quite simple… how much exposure do you want? No radio advertising campaign is alike.

A local grocer may spend 2k per month on a local advertising campaign while the car dealership in the same city may spend 10k per month on an advertising campaign on the very same station. The car dealerships commercials will air more frequently and in-turn gain more exposure than the grocery store, but the grocery store is still getting solid exposure.

Radio obviously works. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t hear the same advertisers utilizing it year after year. What do these advertisers know about radio that you don’t? They understand the simple fact of “frequency”. They know that if they want to get their message across they need to have it on the air multiple times over, at multiple times of the day so you hear it multiple times on your schedule. They know that you can’t air a commercial “a few” times in one week and expect results. Successful radio advertisers make the investment to have their message heard on these terms.

Instead of asking “How much does radio advertising cost?” Ask yourself – “How much am I willing to spend to use the medium effectively?”

Yes… But what does it cost?? If your thinking of investing in radio, you are thinking of investing in a medium that reaches more at one time for a lower cost per thousand than any other medium available today. What could be better for your bottom line?

Radio commercials are charged on a “per airing” basis. The price will vary greatly from station to station, city to city, and time frame to time frame. It’s just how it works. There is no “universal” cost to airing a radio commercials. The stations that have more listeners in a very populated area will cost more than a station with less listeners in a smaller city. I have seen commercial rates anywhere from $5 per spot to $500 per spot. Like I said, it all depends on the market you want to reach, and when you want to reach them.

The fact that radio has such flexible rates makes it an ideal medium for almost anyone who wants to get their message out. You don’t need to have the budget of a major retailer to make radio work for you.

There are packages, placement arrangements and added value that an experienced advertising agencies can negotiate to make radio work in your favor, with almost any budget. Another surprising fact, radio listenership has actually gone up over the last few years, and still remains one of the leading mediums business use to connect with consumers.

- Tony

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..

Last week I added a page on my site for small business owners to get ideas on radio advertising. The idea was simple – give people examples of the best radio ads to listen to for inspiration so they could create great ones of their own.

I got tons of positive feedback and to make this marketing resource even more helpful, I added 10 additional great radio ads.

There are now over 25 radio commercials to listen to on the page to help you jump start your own radio advertising campaign. Take a listen and let me know which ones you think should stay on this page, which should be removed and what others you’ve heard that should be added.

Here’s where to go listen and get ideas for your own radio marketing campaign. www.radio.marketingforsuccess.com

- Charlie Cook
Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work

©2012All Rights Reserved by Charlie Cook or Blog Post Author..