4 Principles of Successful Radio

(Editor’s note:  We hope you’ll name your own price and purchase our new eBook, All the Difference.  Share it with someone you know who lives a creative life.  Yesterday, we sold a bunch of copies and if you already bought yours  thank you!  Remember, all profits go to charity.)

(Now, here’s the lovely and talented Steve Rae with today’s helpful post!)

“I tried radio before but it didn’t work.”

Tim’s recent article about saying no reminded me of something we used to do at our radio stations.

We refused to take money from potential clients if we didn’t think we could help them.

Turn down money? Heresy to the old battle hardened warriors of radio sales.

There are some basic principles to make radio advertising successful and if a client wasn’t ready to commit to at least most of these, then we were pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to help.  So we’d turn it down.

You need to know and commit to  four basic principles to have a successful radio campaign:

1. Know what you are trying to make happen. If you think throwing some ads on the radio just to “get your name out there” will accomplish anything then you are sadly mistaken.
2. Build a strategy to accomplish your goal. Running ads without a strategy of what you are trying to accomplish will be like the archer shooting an arrow without a target. Ready, shoot, aim.
3. Create commercials that build on that strategy. Is your goal to sell a product? Or is it to make your potential customers feel good about you so when the need arises, they think about you first? Both are strategies, and the ads must be written differently to accomplish them.
4. Run a schedule of ads that reaches as many people as your budget will allow as many times as possible.

(Secret tip:  These are the basics for all advertising regardless of the medium used to deliver the message.)

Over the coming weeks, we will explore each of them in more detail.