Radio Sales Café

Happy Friday, everyone!

Here's this week's poll question:

What is the one business category that has been the hardest to get on the air this year (or that you would most like to have on the air next year)?

Looking forward to reading your replies!

You would think landing a boat dealer on an outdoors show would be a "gimme". But with 2009 and 2010 being really, really tough years for the boat industry, advertising dollars seemed to dry up. Still working to land one for 2011!

I agree with Joel & John...specifically dentists in our market and realtors/real estate, the boat dealers have dried up too.

Our regions Hospital/Medical Center. Everywhere around us we hear stations running commercials for all sorts of medical facilities, but, for some reason, we can't seem to crack that category.

I'll follow the trend. The professionals (Dr's, lawyers, real estate, etc.) are increasingly difficult to get on. The funny thing is, the ones we do have on are doing great business and attribute a large portion of it to radio.

Grocery stores and car dealerships are also getting difficult. Open to ideas that have worked for others.

Jack... for the car dealer.... .I have one in GIllette that does a daily call in at the same time every day. They feature a "deal of the day". Almost always they sell that deal by the end of the day. It works very well for them.

For a grocery store---we have done a really fun promotion where the grocery store gives away $500 a month in groceries. We did it 1st quarter--when money is tight everywhere. We tied in other sponsor location for people to register to win. Was great for the grocery store. This grocery store is now on board with us often (not every month, but often) and asks US to do the promotion again annually.

Jessica, these are both really cool ideas - thanks for sharing!

I like both. Thanks so much

Very cool

 

Lawyers...primarily because Iowa is such a backward state that has many many rules and regulations regarding broadcast advertising for lawyers. Here's just a few:

 

No music

Single voice delivery in an "unemotional" manner

Cannot be specialized for individual fields of practice

 

That's just for starters. All three of those are barriers to getting a lawyer on in Iowa. Yet...there are some who unbelievably use cable to market their firms. The rules are the same on TV with one additional rule...no moving pictures are allowed.

 

 

I see the restrictions much more detremental to TV since their #1 advantage - compelling video - has been eliminated.

 

I would approach every lawyer in town who is doing cable and ask them "If I could show you a way to increase not only your name recognition but your traffic, would you be interested in talking to me?"

 

When you meet, I would use my first sentence as one of the lines to close.