(By Randy Lane) Trusted endorsements from radio and podcast personalities can have as much, or even more, impact than a personal recommendation from a friend. Peter Connolly of Live Personality Advertising referred to talent endorsements as “the holy grail of word-of-mouth advertising.”
Talent endorsements offer a dual advantage. Management typically generates the highest rates on the station, especially during morning shows. For talent facing declining salaries, endorsements serve as an excellent source of income and brand expansion.
Endorsement Rally
Elizabeth Hamma, Hubbard Radio’s West Palm Beach Market President, recently organized the 2024 Endorsement Rally with the theme “Endorsements – Radio’s Secret Sauce.” The rally involved all group talent and account executives. Top endorsing talent and AEs shared strategies for producing the most effective endorsement results for clients.
Each talent was paired with an AE to target potential clients. To identify possible endorsement opportunities, the AEs discussed personal details about the talent’s lives, such as favorite restaurants, their dentist, and tax firm. To incentivize the talent, bonuses are awarded when revenue reaches specific benchmarks.
When RLC talent coach Jeff McHugh was a program director at iHeart in St. Louis, he implemented a “speed-dating” style exercise. Each AE spent a few minutes with every personality in the cluster to talk about their interests, passions, and personal details, allowing the AEs to match them with potential endorsers.
Hamma emphasized, “Endorsements make radio special. Radio has an advantage over television and digital media platforms that can’t do client endorsements.” She added that influential endorsements lead to renewals. “Talent should treat endorsements as if they are your client. If a client isn’t getting results, you must find a different approach to secure a renewal.”
Quality Over Quantity
Hamma noted, “It’s not a show’s size or cumulative audience that matters; it’s the listener’s loyalty to the host. One of our top earners only has a one-hour talk show, but she has a passionate audience and clients who love her.”
Dave Ryan’s Tips for Excellent Endorsements
Dave Ryan, a morning star at KDWB Minneapolis, has been among the top endorsers in the talent world for years. He shares helpful tips to keep advertisers satisfied while ensuring listeners don’t perceive you as insincere:
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High Maintenance Clients: Endorsement clients often require much attention. Ryan recalls spending an hour on a conference call with a pet food company. “While it was somewhat frustrating, the client felt valued, making it worthwhile. Clients desire frequent updates, sometimes even daily, and will scrutinize everything.”
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Focus on Delivery: Avoid starting endorsements with “Hi, this is Dave Ryan for ABC Tire.” Clients may suggest this, but it can feel scripted. Begin with a brief anecdote that blends seamlessly into your show.
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Conversational Tone: Don’t read the copy verbatim; it can appear disingenuous, resembling typical commercials. Instead, use the key points of the copy to craft a natural conversation.
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Know Your Product: Familiarize yourself with the product and the copy. Be prepared to ad-lib through a relatable story that feels fresh each time. Visit the store and experience the product firsthand.
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Select Endorsements Carefully: Only endorse products you genuinely believe in or use yourself. Misleading your listeners with low-quality products will damage their trust.
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Permission for Mentions: Obtain approval to mention endorsements casually during your content. For example, if you endorse Taco John’s, it would be a great plus to say, “Later today, I’m taking the crew out for lunch at Taco John’s to try the new XYZ burrito.”
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Create Engaging Content for Clients: Many local businesses need help with their social media presence. Help them generate compelling content. Ryan suggests using Vixer for easy video editing, as it is user-friendly, though not free.
Additional Tips for Outstanding Endorsements
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Prepare thoroughly for every live read, just like you would for the rest of your show.
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Convey genuine emotions when discussing the product.
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Capture attention quickly with a captivating headline or story.
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Send thank-you notes, birthday wishes, and holiday cards to clients.
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Invite clients for a station tour or to attend fun events.
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Follow through on commitments and deliver what you promise; this impacts revenue.
Wrap Up
Authentic personality brands are trusted voices that foster long-term relationships and loyalty among listeners. Generating endorsement revenue through storytelling and relatability adds value to your brand and enhances your job security. Some talent create hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue for their stations.
High ratings combined with endorsement revenue establish you as an influential personality brand.
Randy Lane is the owner of the Randy Lane Company, which coaches and brands radio and television personalities, business professionals, sports personalities, entrepreneurs, and pop culture artists, helping them master communication skills to have an impact on their audiences. Read Randy’s Radio Ink archives here.
