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GET INTO RADIO: July 2006

A blog site with information on how to get into radio, and what to do once you're there!

Monday, July 31, 2006

Advertising

Greetings, and welcome to another radio newsletter. Do hope you enjoyed the first one. Do ask questions and respond to the posts, tell me what you want to know, we can do Q and A.

In this issue, I promised to talk about advertising, what it is why it works.

We are sold to 24 hours a day one way or another. What makes some products sell like mad, and some not?

Well, get a group of marketing mavens round a table , and they probably won't agree on anything.... to be honest there's no real right or wrong answer.

Here are some basics though. Who are you selling to? The jargon word for that is demographics. Who are your customers? No point in trying to sell hairbrushes to a bald mens convention!

Grab attention is the next point, what can you do that's out of the ordinary, catchy, even annoying- but they won't forget you!

You can't get quicker than a quick fit fitter.

Your pizza in 30 minutes or it's free.

Point is, you won't forget it.


Then it's a question of linking positive feelings to your product- that's why sex sells of course!

only the crumbliest flakiest chocolate...

Imagine that flake, being slowly, teasingly eaten by.... Bernard Manning

You get the point.


Using someone famous to promote your product, that's called "Operant learning" by psychologists . I want to be like.... whoever, and here's the link to the product.

Or, take any positive feeling, and link it to your product eg, beautiful clean house, sparkling white sheets, happy kids, domestic bliss... and here's the washing powder that feeeeeels like that.

Most decisions to buy are made emotionally, not logically.

(I didn't need it, but I had to have it). That kinda thing.


And of course, repetition, repetition, repetition.


That's advertising in a nutshell.

It's good on radio, because it's a captive audience, and of course a radio station will know who's listening when, so can target the ads at the appropriate demographic.

So now after the instant lesson, if you want to go and do it yourself...

Couple of recommendations for you if you want to study this more. Here is a link to a man who is world famous on the internet, a brilliant marketer. Dr. Joe Vitale

www.mrfire.com

here is a link to his book, based on the life of PT Barnum, the "circus man", but he was a lot more than that, he was a master marketer. He once got an elephant to plough a field that commuters went by every day on the train. Now that's grabbing attention folks.





Also, internet marketing, in the online age, lots of commerce online. here's a man who used to be a very poor musician,now he's a musician doing very nicely.. and he offers a free e-book on how to sell successfully online. His name is Pat O Bryan. You can find him here.

http://www.patobryan.com/blog


Tell 'im I sent ya.




In the next newsletter we go back, way back, way way back. Stand by for nostalgia.


Stay tooned.


Neil Long

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Newsletter Number One

Welcome new subscribers, this is a new project, and you are getting the very first, hot off the press newsletter all about the world of Radio.

There will be opportunities to learn bits about the trade, how to get into it, making demos, getting yourself out there and on air...or perhaps you prefer the behind the scenes stuff. We will cover that too, week by week.

As you know, at the moment, I work for Radio Jackie in SW London, presenting the breakfast show. I have about 10 years experience of being on air...

It starts off terrifying, then elating, then it kinda plateaus, and the need for a new challenge arises- kinda like life in general.

But breakfast is fun- you can "get away" with a lot more.

Good quote that goes round the business

"better to beg forgiveness than ask permission"

Though that one has backfired a few times so be careful with it. Oh the stories I could tell, and I will in another newsletter.


The first step on the programming side is identifying your audience and catering to them appropriately. The bigger stations have a larger audience and a more focused demographic. Eg Kiss 100 goes for the 15-24 market, Heart 106.2 is more female orientated, and Virgin more "male".

Jackie is a unique balance to strike. Here's the parameters.

London
Local
Fun
Informative
"Small" enough to sound friendly
"Big" enough to convey (friendly) authority
Classic Hits
Todays best new music
Relating to everyday life in SW London


... but what's here...

Everything!

Mums
Dads
Kids
Businesspeople
Corporate people
Nightworkers
Office Workers
Retail workers
Pubs
Clubs
Bars
Comedy Clubs
Community Events
Breaking News- local, national and international
... the list goes on


imagine trying to balance that lot!


In the next newsletter we will talk about advertising, what it is, why it works...


Until then, do comment and answer back, and stay tuned



Neil Long
www.radiojackie.com



And as a gift to you, here's a free funny bit from our breakfast show.


http://tinyurl.com/gycf9



Feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone yu feel would be interested. the URL is http://getintoradio.blogspot.com