Radio programming consultants as a rule usually talk about how to get better ratings. However, this consultancy was founded on the idea that we should also offer our creative services to a client’s sales effort.
With that in mind, here are three more revenue-generating ideas you can institute at no or little cost.
Number One:
Sell block sponsorships. It can be as little as an hour and as much as a day.
For instance, consider the impact a client desiring to reach people at work would have if they “owned” your station for all or part of your nine to five programming.
You could offer it to one or two clients at a time, provided that they are non-competing clients. They would get all the spot avails plus special IDs and live talent credits.
Ideally they would use the spot time to do vignettes. These stories could be tips on how to do anything that involves using their product(s).
If they insist on spots you must insist on producing enough messages in different formats so as not to cause fatigue among the listeners.
Because only one or two clients are involved you should be able to up the music count in these hours with credit going to the client for presenting more music to the listener.
Number Two:
Along this same line, sell your streaming in blocks. Again, the best use of this tactic would be to produce vignettes instead of spots.
Besides tips on product use the vignettes could take the form of chapters in a story that includes the client and their product that starts and ends within the block. Or, it could just be an interesting story “brought to you by” the client.
If you’re concerned about your staff’s ability to produce copy for this type of approach consider hiring a freelance writer. For a couple of hundred dollars you can have all you need for the project. Google “freelance writer” and you should be able to find a person who fits your needs. When I did I got 1,250,000 hits!
Number Three:
Remotes have long been used by Radio, and sold at a premium price, as well as by clients to enhance their presence on a Radio station’s air.
In most cases a client will buy the station’s package of pre-remote spots and promos and the two or three hour on-site remote with the talent doing live cut-ins from the “event.”
What if your station had more than one remote package for sale?
Are their clients in your market that can’t afford either more “remotes” or your full package, but would like the benefits that come with a remote?
Consider breaking your remote broadcast package into three levels.
Level One: The full package. You know the drill on this one. You already have it in place. Just make sure there is enough value to set it apart from the other two levels and allow you to add a significant up-charge for it.
Level Two: This package contains almost everything Level One has except there is no talent on site. Again, make sure there are enough “extras” in your full package besides the talent to make it clearly better. The spots are pre-recorded as live. Promotion department staff members are on site to insure any premiums for listeners who attend the remote are handled properly.
Level Three: This is an appearance package. Spots run before and during a talent’s appearance at the retailer’s store. While there the talent will hand out gifts and do all the things they usually do at a full-blown remote with the exception of the cut-ins.
All three benefit the station by allowing it to premium price commercial avails, and the client by enhancing their presence on the Radio station. It’s a win-win.
Questions? Comments? Please call or e-mail anytime!
Bob Glasco
480-488-0903
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