Radio Sales Café

Hello all. I personally come from an interactive background. In my previous life I was the director for the interactive division of a television station.

My question is a very generic question. Simply, how do you / your station approach interactive sales on your stations corresponding websites?

Do you simply give it away? - aka you package it in with a large account devaluing it as somewhat of a freebie?

Do you have sales people that are devoted to interactive sales? - and can they survive on that commission alone?

Do you have a creative campaign to sell it along with your ROS?

What is your typical inventory level for web ads? - anyone selling / maxing it out?

Has anyone tried the age 'ole coupons online promoted on the aether?

Bottom line is that I'm looking for ideas here. I appreciate all the input.

Thanks!

TJ

TJ:

If you give it away, it will have no value in the minds of your potential advertisers. In my opinion if you package it with something else, be sure you attach some value to it. I think the big mistake that many people make is giving away their website inventory. Even if your visitor count is low, I'd try to price it accordingly and then determine what you can do to increase your traffic to make it worth more.

How about this for a twist Hal.....
If you establish a value based upon something that you can prove (always the hard part) and then use it as a push to move them to a higher level of contract (sign for 12 months and I can get you this...), then you are using something of dubious value to enhance the sales of your highest margin item..... radio Ads.

I agree. In my former life as an Interactive Director our biggest competitor was fortunately a distant second to us due to the fact they simply 'packaged' in web ads for free devaluing their product. It also produced a hideous website with obviously waaay to many ads.

But are we not back at square one simply packaging or giving it away (even though it did yield an annual contract)? It seems that most clients either already have an understanding of the strength of an internet existence while others will not / can not see any established value. I guess I should reshape my question to ask: What do you believe drives the most traffic to your radio station's website?

I am not a fan of analytics for websites because radio will never compete with newspaper or TV for delivering traffic.The question I have been asked by potential clients (smaller retail clients) is why should I be on your website? What are you doing on your website that is different from any other radio station website? TV, newspaper etc? Until there is a compeling reason for people to visit a radio station website, its going to a tough sell no matter how you package it.

TJ...we believe it is all about content. Provide the listeners with reasons to visit...hear longer song bites of local news stories, watch videos of all descriptions, get local sports coverage on Internet Radio, get into chats with our morning and afternoon air personalities, check for severe weather...it's all about everything you have to offer including your advertisers. We promote them as well to drive listeners to their banners and links. One other thing we do is use digital radios that receive RDS signals and flash our web portal address there many times per day.
As for sales, every proposal we do has suggested web activity included. And most take it with their radio schedules. Then at the end of each month we run stats and those are shared with staff and customers so they know we're watching to be sure they are being seen...and heard! Good luck. Bob

We always try to combine a radio schedule with the web if the advertisers budget will allow.... we don't like to "give it away" because your client will look at it as if it doesn't work, even though we know it does work. Added value is good sometimes but not all the time..you really have to know the client...Some are all about what is the cost and don't care about the idea... others are more about the idea and less about the cost.. so it all depends on who your client is on the way you present your presentation.. You can Determine it on your clients personality and what motivates them.. As we all know web is picking up and getting bigger and better everyday.. before we know it our TV will eventually be our computers and our life line to everything. There is great potential with your companies website... You can do infomercials...small audio clips... business directories , banners, broadcasts special promotions on the web only... I mean you can do anything with it... Visit our company website... We have a little bit of everything on there... www.MyKDKD.com

Keep sponsored content "I N T E R A C T I V E!" www.WLBC.com You'll go broke selling just tiles, banners and streaming spots. It's boring too! Use video elements to promote a client's things . The video can be housed on You Tube but appears to be on your site. NO special camera or program needed. We actually use a little $200 Cyber Shot type of camera. We video-ed the new Camaro at the Chevy dealer. The morning guy hosted the video, supported by an endorsement radio spot ultimately directing listeners to see the video on the station's website. Currently, there's a tour of a garden center with the morning guy - supported by an on-air campaign. The mid-day guy had his back lasered for hair removal on video and did an endorsement campaign on-air. Loyal Listener Programs such as ENTICENT (Sticky Fish) are no-braiers too - if the sales staff embraces the sales elements that are very sales friendly and get MEASURABLE results for clients.