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Direct Response Radio

by longrobnc
6 replies
I'm looking for a new stream of leads to grow my business. Has anyone here tried direct response radio?

I'm thinking of doing spots on a local conservative talk station, Pandora and our local ESPN affiliate.
#direct #radio #response
  • Profile picture of the author mrmatt
    I've done it. Sort of. I wrote two different books. Got interviewed on the local talk stations and offered the book for free to the audience. By the time I got back to the office the phones were blowing up and I was generating leads.

    You may also want to look into an infomercial. Again both talk radio stations in my area offer a 10 minute interview of you live on the radio. I think it costs like $250 or something. May want to see if the stations in your area offer the same thing.

    If you do this make sure to get an MP3 of your interview. That way you can repurpose it on your site and distribute it out to various MP3 sharing sites.

    As far as getting on the show all I did was send an email to the host. Telling him I wrote a book, what it was about and why I would be a fun guest. I was on the show 4 days later. It was really that simple.
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by longrobnc View Post

    I'm looking for a new stream of leads to grow my business. Has anyone here tried direct response radio?

    I'm thinking of doing spots on a local conservative talk station, Pandora and our local ESPN affiliate.
    Do you mean where they call you directly for business? Sure.

    Are you talking about publicity, where you don't pay, but don't control the content?
    Are you taking about radio infomercials?
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    • Profile picture of the author longrobnc
      Thanks for the response, Claude. I was thinking of producing radio commercials. :30 and :60 spots and paying for ad time. Including specific offers in the ad and asking them to call or visit the website. Most of what I hear in my area is branding, and I have no desire to do spots like those.

      Claude, would you recommend giving the books in your sig to my staff? I know that I read a lot of books that kinda push folks toward working for themselves. If so, I would like to get some paperback copies. Do you sell them directly, or is it best to go to Amazon?
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by longrobnc View Post

        Thanks for the response, Claude. I was thinking of producing radio commercials. :30 and :60 spots and paying for ad time. Including specific offers in the ad and asking them to call or visit the website. Most of what I hear in my area is branding, and I have no desire to do spots like those.

        Claude, would you recommend giving the books in your sig to my staff? I know that I read a lot of books that kinda push folks toward working for themselves. If so, I would like to get some paperback copies. Do you sell them directly, or is it best to go to Amazon?
        You should order direct from Amazon. They are print on demand. Even I buy them from Amazon. You should give each, a copy of the book on Closing, and you buy the one on Prospecting, and teach them from that. With the Prospecting book, they could waste a lot of time, thinking about which idea to try first, and that will cost you money.

        Man, I feel funny even mentioning this; But my book on advertising will cover everything you need to know about creating a profitable direct sales ad to put on radio. It's title is The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual.

        Branding ads are what the radio reps want to create for you, because that's what they are used to. My radio rep really really didn't want me to put my direct response ad on their station. He said "You have to run the ad for at least a few months to get people to respond"

        I told him; "No. I'll know within an hour, if I have a winner".

        Within an hour, (of the first airing of the commercial) I sold more (from the radio ad) than enough to pay for 3 months of radio advertising. That's a very rare result. But you'll know the first day, if your ad is working.

        Make sure the station is very central to the area you want to work. Talk radio is best, any talk...religious, political...because it isn't just noise in the background. People are actually listening.


        The rep will try to sell you 30 second spots. Nope, you want 60 second spots. Why? Because it takes a few seconds to get attention, and your call to action, at the end, takes at least several seconds. A 30 second spot won't have time to state an offer, or build demand. A 60 second spot will cost less per second, and will work far better.

        If you can buy 90 seconds, even better. Think of your spot as a sales letter. And don't be sold a jingle. Anything cutesy just takes away from the message.
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        What if they're not stars? What if they are holes poked in the top of a container so we can breath?
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        • Profile picture of the author longrobnc
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          You should order direct from Amazon. They are print on demand. Even I buy them from Amazon. You should give each, a copy of the book on Closing, and you buy the one on Prospecting, and teach them from that. With the Prospecting book, they could waste a lot of time, thinking about which idea to try first, and that will cost you money.

          Man, I feel funny even mentioning this; But my book on advertising will cover everything you need to know about creating a profitable direct sales ad to put on radio. It's title is The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual.

          Branding ads are what the radio reps want to create for you, because that's what they are used to. My radio rep really really didn't want me to put my direct response ad on their station. He said "You have to run the ad for at least a few months to get people to respond"

          I told him; "No. I'll know within an hour, if I have a winner".

          Within an hour, (of the first airing of the commercial) I sold more (from the radio ad) than enough to pay for 3 months of radio advertising. That's a very rare result. But you'll know the first day, if your ad is working.

          Make sure the station is very central to the area you want to work. Talk radio is best, any talk...religious, political...because it isn't just noise in the background. People are actually listening.


          The rep will try to sell you 30 second spots. Nope, you want 60 second spots. Why? Because it takes a few seconds to get attention, and your call to action, at the end, takes at least several seconds. A 30 second spot won't have time to state an offer, or build demand. A 60 second spot will cost less per second, and will work far better.

          If you can buy 90 seconds, even better. Think of your spot as a sales letter. And don't be sold a jingle. Anything cutesy just takes away from the message.
          Thanks, Claude. I read the book last night (Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual). Lots of good info. In fact, I've read the book before also. Just can't seem to find out what device the other copy was on. Can't believe how much good info I have forgotten.
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        • Profile picture of the author Vincentz Dalsgaard
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          You should order direct from Amazon. They are print on demand. Even I buy them from Amazon. You should give each, a copy of the book on Closing, and you buy the one on Prospecting, and teach them from that. With the Prospecting book, they could waste a lot of time, thinking about which idea to try first, and that will cost you money.

          Man, I feel funny even mentioning this; But my book on advertising will cover everything you need to know about creating a profitable direct sales ad to put on radio. It's title is The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual.

          Branding ads are what the radio reps want to create for you, because that's what they are used to. My radio rep really really didn't want me to put my direct response ad on their station. He said "You have to run the ad for at least a few months to get people to respond"

          I told him; "No. I'll know within an hour, if I have a winner".

          Within an hour, (of the first airing of the commercial) I sold more (from the radio ad) than enough to pay for 3 months of radio advertising. That's a very rare result. But you'll know the first day, if your ad is working.

          Make sure the station is very central to the area you want to work. Talk radio is best, any talk...religious, political...because it isn't just noise in the background. People are actually listening.


          The rep will try to sell you 30 second spots. Nope, you want 60 second spots. Why? Because it takes a few seconds to get attention, and your call to action, at the end, takes at least several seconds. A 30 second spot won't have time to state an offer, or build demand. A 60 second spot will cost less per second, and will work far better.

          If you can buy 90 seconds, even better. Think of your spot as a sales letter. And don't be sold a jingle. Anything cutesy just takes away from the message.
          Very interesting - what is the call to action at the end of the ad - phone call or ??
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