(By Pat Bryson) When we talk about how effective radio advertising can be, we need to speak about the “radio recipe”. The recipe contains three elements: The right amount of repetition per week (frequency), the right length of time (consistency), and a relevant message. If any of these three things are not done correctly, the effectiveness of your radio campaign will suffer.
Of these three, having a relevant message may be the most abused. Too often, our salespeople must be copywriters as well. I know we often believe we can’t afford to hire a copywriter, but remember, we hire people whom we think can sell, not because they are great writers. Those who are, have a distinct advantage.
We can learn to write better ad copy. Better copy starts with asking the right questions. “What do you want your ad to say?” is NOT the right question. It usually elicits a litany of facts: “We’ve been in business 50 years.” “We have quality products and great service.” “Our hours are 10:00AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday and 10:00AM to 3:00PM on Saturday. We’re closed on Sunday.” These answers do not lend themselves to “theatre of the mind” messages.
What we need to focus on is, “Why will their customers care?” We must always write copy through the eyes of our customer’s customers. What’s in it for them if they shop at this store, and use this product?
What’s the one thing you want customers to remember about your business? What emotional need does your business or service satisfy? What do you do that none of your competitors do?
Is there one word people associate with your business? IE: “McDonald’s” = “Hamburgers”
Most of the time, when a prospective customer hears a message, they are not in the market for that product that day. Our goal is to write the type of copy and create the type of messages that will be stored in the customer’s brain to be retrieved when they need that product or service. Great copy joined with using the correct number of messages per week (OES Schedule), long enough (52 weeks) will move that relevant message from short-term memory into long-term memory.
A good message should tap into the customer’s emotional connections and answer the question, “Why should I care?”
The right message heard the right number of times and long enough will result in returning your client’s investment.
Happy Selling!
Pat Bryson is the CEO of Bryson Broadcasting International, a consulting firm that works with sales managers and salespeople to raise revenue. She is the author of two books, “A Road Map to Success in High-Dollar Broadcast Sales” and “Successful Broadcast Sales: Thriving in Change” available on her website. Read Pat’s Radio Ink archives here.
