If you stay in the same business for a long time, you’ll keep hearing some things over and over. People have been telling me for years that satellite radio is going to replace terrestrial radio. Anyone who bought stock in Sirius and XM can tell you that this prediction seems a long way off right now.
Over the years I’ve also often heard that radio doesn’t work for dentists. I’ve worked with hundreds of practices, from Anchorage to Miami, that could tell you otherwise, but here’s ten ways you can make this one come true:
- Assume that everyone listens to your favorite station. Heck, if the team plays it at the office, then that’s the one where we should buy some advertising!
- Find out which station has the most listeners and buy that one. There’s no need to research the demographic mix of listeners. People are people, right?
- Try out a station for a month to “see if it works”. If you’re not getting fabulous results right off the bat, quit and try something else. That whole “frequency” thing is just a scam to get you to keep buying ads.
- Instead of focusing your message on high-value services that distinguish your practice (like sedation, implants, Invisalign, etc), just let everyone know that you’re the dentist office “that cares”. Nobody else cares, and you should let the public know that you do. If that fails, try telling people that you are a “cosmetic” dentist.
- You’ve got 60 seconds to get your message across, so make sure you let the audience know every fellowship you’ve earned and every dental association you’ve joined. People will be very impressed hearing obscure but prestigious names being used. That’s a good use of your limited time.
- Don’t focus on benefits and solving people’s problems. Tell people all about yourself and the features of your office. The audience will find that stuff fascinating.
- Don’t give a web address. Who uses that internet thing anyway?
- Even though media buyers are experts at getting the best deals and placing the most efficient schedules, make sure to buy all your advertising yourself. So what if the radio station pays their commission and you get all their service at no charge. You’ve got nothing better to do, so why not sit through appointments with every radio rep in town? Just because the reps work for the station doesn’t mean they won’t be objective – right?
- When deciding on a budget, just pick a number that feels right. Even better, just advertise on months when there is a surplus and you feel you can afford it.
- If the economy slumps, terminate all advertising, and huddle in the fetal position until outside forces change. That’s what the competition is going to do, so you won’t lose any market share.
July 23, 2009 at 8:20 pm |
Haha, I love it! I agree with everything other than #8…While I may be biased because I’m a radio rep I don’t think that it takes a genius to identify which stations may or not be a good fit. You don’t have to entertain every meeting or take every call…That’s what gatekeepers are for. What you’re referring to is a BAD radio rep.
A radio rep with any intelligence whatsoever would 1. not call on a company that didn’t have a good demographic match with their station 2. not sell their station to the company if they found out through the proper analysis that in fact their station was not an effective fit for the client…They would refer the client to the station with the right fit and remain a marketing expert with high respect in the client’s eyes. A successful radio rep is not going to sell you something that is not effective…They are going to sell you something that works and build their business on creating results for clients, return clients, and referrals.
3. they would develop a marketing plan for the client which could also be used on other stations and in other media and help them to implement this plan (buy cable, produce direct mail, produce the television ads, create their website, do a PPC campaign for them, etc.)
95% of the agencies that I work with and know of are COMPLETELY focused on CPP, efficient schedules, etc. That’s EASY…Numbers are EASY! and that alone is not going to produce results!!! The right marketing mix & creative targeted at the correct audience (which is NOT A25-54 but is a list of about a 2 page list of demographic and psychographic characteristics) is what’s going to work…This is nothing against agencies in general though (just as you shouldn’t be “against” radio reps in general)…just BAD agencies. The good agencies are truly focused on client results just as the good radio reps are.
July 24, 2009 at 8:37 am |
I used to be a radio rep, so I don’t have a grudge against them. There is good and bad in every profession. A good radio rep will can be a valuable resource. However, by the nature of their job, and the way they are compensated, they can never be completely objective on their radio recommendations. With a good radio rep and a good media buyer, you can have the best of both worlds.
July 24, 2009 at 12:10 pm |
In my organization we get DOUBLE compensation for working with a client, keeping them on for a certain amount of time at a certain dollar level and bringing them through the necessary steps to develop an effective campaign for them (many different requirements as proof that you’ve done this…and if the client is not deemed a good fit for the station by the GSM and VP/GM, it will not make the cut)…It’s not until you get them to that level that you’re compensated “doubly” but after that point, you continue to receive twice the amount…(which means A LOT of money…) Because of that we really have no incentive even based on compensation to sell a schedule that will not work…because we’ll never get to the double commission level (and therefore not the best use of time.) Also, we’re allowed to sell other stations…So if I find a client who’s a good fit for another station I sell the other station…I would just much rather be seen as a marketing resource in the community. I don’t want EVEN ONE person going around telling others that what I sold them did not work and work well (producing THE BEST ROI)…I would much rather have someone I never sold to go out and tell 3 of their friends that I am a marketing expert and that they need to call me than make a quick buck and ruin my reputation…So selling the right client the right station is going to make you more money, even if the answer isn’t always your station.
July 24, 2009 at 1:32 pm |
Sounds like a good system. I’d still recommend a media buyer to my clients so they can see what your competitor, from a non-affiliated station, has to say. That way I get the benefit of your wisdom AND theirs (and my media buyer’s). Thanks for the input!