It can be difficult to assess changes that take place in your market over time. This is especially true if you have been working on the same product for a while. But change does come. You may not be able to put your finger on the exact nature of these changes or pinpoint what is causing the nagging sensation that all isn’t well in the market. However, one thing is certain: everyone knows that in light of these inevitable market shifts, brands of all kinds must have a consistent growth strategy so they can replace degradation in their consumer fan base. When you see Coca Cola or even Apple utilizing a variety of advertising vehicles, you know they believe in propelling their products forward with external marketing. It is foolish to think brands without critical external marketing won’t experience weakness.
Radio is no different.
In the coming year, your bosses will undoubtedly be subjected to more rigorous, harsher judgment in regard to revenue. It will be a more intense level of judgment than what they experienced in 2010. And that will mean more pressure on ratings performance. It will also mean that those market managers, program directors and marketing managers who refresh their brands will benefit in the new year.
Here are the real questions:
When was the last time you engaged in serious and real external marketing? We’re not talking about a little trade TV or free opportunities that piggyback on some other vehicle. When was the last time you pumped up your team, your brand, and your listeners with an intense campaign designed to push the ratings needle? We all know that television trade is limited and does not have the same impact as a real television campaign with the correct level of ad purchase. We all know that broadcast over the air is great for engaging existing customers or listeners, but all brands need external support.
When is the last time you really moved the needle? When is the last time you showed your own advertisers that you put your money where your mouth is when you tell them they must advertise to experience significant growth?
You can use television, direct mail, telemarketing, e-mail, texting, social media and more to engage your audience, but do you have a plan for 2011?
If you are in a PPM market, does your outreach to listeners work for monitored ratings enhancement? Do you have an overall program designed to work to really enhance the results you can gain in actual ratings? Do you know?
If you are in a diary market, are there ways you can increase your station’s ratings even when Arbitron is busy focusing on PPM markets? Because the focus may be in PPM markets, isn’t it more important than ever to get your unfair share of how ratings are put together for your market?
What is your team doing on Facebook and with Twitter to engage and bring participators to your brand? What are you doing with your content to make listeners truly want to spend more time with your radio station? Don’t you think radio choice has experienced a significant downshift in the minds of listeners who are more concerned than ever about their mortgage, kids and the job loss fear that has captured the imagination of the country? In other words, there are serious things going on out there in your adult listeners’ lives. Isn’t it more important than ever to have an external and social marketing program to recapture the growth you will need in 2011?
Do you think listeners who have fallen away from your station are just going to come back?
Isn’t it time to really engage listeners, both the ones already listening and those who have slipped away? What’s your plan?
Loyd Ford has programmed multiple formats across North America and has been the marketing and ratings strategist for Americalist Media Marketing for seven years, using his experience and the technology and skills of the Americalist team to move the needle for individual radio stations and clusters. You can call Loyd for a free consultation anytime. It doesn’t hurt to talk. Conversations are confidential. Americalist has helped boost ratings for stations of all formats and market sizes since 1987. Americalist has developed The Magnet Program™ for PPM, FastCUME Tactic™ for Holiday Music Stations, Neighbor Selects™, strategic direct mail, viral e-mail, New Movers™ strategy and more. You can engage Americalist to help you boost ratings with telemarketing, social media, Facebook ads, and direct marketing that rocks at-work and residential environments. Americalist is market-exclusive. Our targeting gives you opportunity to seek specific types of listeners and boost both diary and monitored listening by moving those who are essential in changing the ratings inside your market for your brand. You can contact Loyd at Americalist1@aol.com or 877-475-6864. When is the last time you unleashed powerful direct marketing against your competition?
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