Adding Radio Advertising to Your Direct Marketing Mix

Radio may be old, but it's certainly not feeble.

According to the Radio Advertising Bureau, the average American listens to radio more than 19 hours a week. So why don't more direct response advertisers use this medium? After all, many direct marketers find that their radio response converts up to 25-50% better than their television response.

Although radio has some limitations, it has terrific potential for many types of offers. If you want to make the most of your direct response radio advertising, consider the following strategies for success:

Lead generation offers are best for response

It's challenging to get people to order and pay for a product or service right after they hear a radio ad, unless you offer them something for free or at no risk in the commercial. Structure your radio offer so that listeners call for a free information kit, free trial offer, free appointment, free sample, etc. Your product must have a reasonable advertising margin built in for a two-step conversion process. If a two-step is uneconomical and you need to close the sale in the initial call, you will still need a free trial offer or a no-risk offer. Get the conversion you need by making sure you use an inbound telemarketing provider that knows how to sell, upsell and close the sale!

Think twice about visually dependent products

The "one-step close" selling model will not work on radio if a visual orientation or demonstration is critical to your success. The only exception might be if you already have significant brand awareness from TV, print or online advertising. If you have a visually-oriented product, you'll have a better chance of converting inquiries into customers if you structure your radio offer around a free video, brochure, website demo or other visual support.

Make the most of listeners' relationships with their stations

Radio is a personal, one-on-one medium. Everyone has one or more favorite radio stations that they listen to each week. Take advantage of those qualities to sell your product or service and you'll see better results. Consider making a "special offer for WXYZ listeners." Ask the radio stations to read your ad live or record it using their own personalities. This technique provides endorsement value that you can't get from a pre-produced spot. Plus, your ad will sound more like the individual radio station that's airing it. It's amazing how different the same copy can sound on a news station compared to a country station.

That being said, there are many "produced" approaches that work well too. Testimonials can be extremely effective. Or if you have a particular voice or celebrity associated with your brand, it may be best to stick with them, particularly if you can localize the copy. It's certainly worth testing different concepts to see which ones generate more calls.

Pick an enemy!

The "problem-solution" approach is a proven method of grabbing the attention of qualified prospects and presenting your product or service. To set up the problem, you need to single out the most dramatic "enemy" and then tell how your product will overcome that enemy. Be emotional and benefit-oriented! Keep the copy focused and easy to understand. And repeat your best points. Listeners may not catch them the first time.

Be informative, not entertaining

Many general radio commercials are intended to be humorous. However, humor is a risky approach for direct response radio because it doesn't make the phone ring.

Creating a jingle may seem like a good idea, but unless it's a key identifier to your brand, it usually takes away valuable time and attention from selling. Just present your strongest benefits in a compelling, straightforward way and you'll have the best chance for success.

Keep in mind that radio is a "companion" medium, meaning that listeners are usually doing something else while they're listening. If you cram too much copy into your 60-second or 30-second spot, listeners will get lost. Keep your copy focused, and written for speaking, not reading. Mention your phone number (or URL) and your brand at least three or more times. End the commercial by repeating your phone number and you'll increase your opportunity to generate response.

Radio can be a great addition to your multichannel plan when you have the right approach and expectations. For many direct response campaigns, radio won't represent more than about ten percent of your overall marketing budget. But its synergistic ability can double its value. Radio has the ability to lift the results of your other media sources, generate high quality responses and improve your bottom line-and with the right execution, make you a believer in its underutilized power.

Gary Kretchmer is Vice President of Target + Response Inc., based in Chicago, IL. Target + Response is a leader in direct response radio advertising on a pay-per lead, or per-inquiry, basis. Gary has worked in broadcast direct marketing for almost 25 years. Since 1989, Gary has been developing and implementing successful strategies for a wide variety of radio direct response campaigns. Visit http://www.target-response.com for more information.

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