(By Jamie Aplin) As states begin to reopen, our job as a sellers is about to explode like never before. Local businesses will be desperate for help to get their message out, but are we prepared and positioned to be the ones chosen for the task?
There’s that famous Wayne Gretzky quote that says “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it’s been.” What a great visual of success. A prophetic reminder of sorts, encouraging us to always be three steps ahead and thinking offensively. There’s no question whether this pandemic will pass. The question is; what are we actively doing now that’s going to determine our success when it is over?
The timeline doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we’re diligently working to get to where we need to be – for when the ‘puck’ does get passed to us. And it will. We are minutes away from business owners knocking down our doors, pleading with us to help get their message out there. They will be desperate and they will want to move quickly.
So my encouragement to you is this. Regardless if you were one of the fortunate few to remain in the game or one of many asked to sit on the bench – the time has come to shake off the dust and get moving again. Instead of waiting for that inevitable S.O.S, start developing creative ideas and messages now that will be in high demand tomorrow. And I really want to stress the word “creative.”
If you haven’t yet seen the video montage that lightly pokes fun at how systematic our messages have become lately, you need to watch it now. It’s a sobering reminder that without unique creative, our clients just end up getting lost in a sea of uniformity. We need differentiation backed by great creative if we want our marketing to stand out and be effective. Now is the time to get creative. Our advertisers need it and their audience is demanding it.
With that in mind, here are three creative and effective action points to help you win back the client.
- Write a script that shows your creativity and then ask your client if you can present it to them – no strings attached. Be sure to contrast your idea with all of the ‘uniformed’ ads that are currently airing right now. Explain how this is the ideal time to have their message stand out, greatly optimizing their opportunity to be heard.
- Go the extra mile and produce that script into a spec spot. This demonstrates your willingness to think and act creatively on their behalf even when they haven’t been advertising with you. This is by far the most effective way to present an idea, although it does require a bit more effort than writing a script.
- Produce a jingle. Whether you’ve previously had the discussion or not, all advertisers want a jingle. Trust me. The typical excuse is that it’s too expensive. Not anymore. There are online creative agencies that will produce an Audio Logo or Jingle for as low as $50. That is a low-risk investment for a tool that is almost certain to win over your client or at least get the conversation started.
Keep in mind that the ideas you present don’t necessary have to be the ideas they use. Just presenting them shows you’re invested and that will speak volumes. So as we transition into the Grand Reopening, what will you do to help your advertisers prepare? What creative, forward thinking strategies can you begin to employ on their behalf? Whatever you do, don’t remain on the bench waiting for the game to pick back up again or you could miss your opportunity to score the winning goal.
Jamie Aplin is Founder and CEO of CreativeReady. An online resource dedicated to helping radio sellers succeed. Jamie can be reached at [email protected]
