Source: The Wall Street Journal

Source: BBC News

Radio has long been recognized as the theater of the mind but more and more it is becoming an interactive medium. New interactive technologies are opening up new and possibly fruitful opportunities for radio stations – but they also require a fresh new approach for salespeople.

Today selling radio also includes online sponsorships, videos, text messaging, online streams, podcasts, display ads, etc. One size fits all packages are not the way to go when you have so many new weapons in your arsenal. To be successful, account executives must create custom solutions that both benefit their clients and the radio station they represent. The perfect ad buy not only brings in fresh new revenue but also drives traffic to the on-air product and reinforces the power of your station.

First you must evaluate your client’s needs and then figure out the best way to achieve an effective campaign that uses only the appropriate technologies. Selling a complicated technology-rich ad campaign to a client that would be more than happy with a simple spot buy creates a lot of unnecessary work with the possibility of scaring the client off. Technology sales work best with clients looking for something new and exciting. The car dealer looking for a fresh way to highlight the latest hybrids on their lot, the clothing store that wants to dress your morning show up in the latest fashions and have them do a pose-off, the coffee shop that wants to use text messaging to give away free coffees to your listeners, etc.

Thinking outside the box is a great way to impress your clients and can get them excited about working with you. But don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Always check with your technical staff to make sure what you want to pitch is possible. If not, your technical staff should be able to give you alternatives that may be even better. You certainly don’t want to get a client excited only to pull the carpet out from under them.

Another important aspect of the technology sale is how you present it. Having the right attitude and dressing sharply can be undermined by handing your client a proposal that looks like someone with minimal design skills created it in Microsoft Word in five minutes. This simple detail can send a very negative message to your client. It says that even though you look sharp on the surface, the product you’re selling may be less than professional. Consider having a designer on staff or outsource your promotional materials to design professionals. This will ensure your station looks like the cutting edge, technology savvy radio station it is.

Lastly, don’t cannibalize your on-air product just because you have shiny new toys to pitch. Selling clients technologies for half the price of an on-air buy is not a good idea. Make your clients happy but don’t lose focus on the bottom line. If your client is happy on-air and that means more money than selling them a technology campaign then don’t remake the wheel.

In this technological age the average person expects more from every medium, make sure your radio station is ready to deliver and reap the rewards.

–Tom Stark, Partner, RadioGlue. tom@radioglue.com – 732.416.0900
Let RadioGlue help you with your new technology initiatives. Contact Tom for more information.

Source: cnet

Are your clients less than impressed by your Web site’s stats? How does your web traffic compare with your competitors?

It’s important to keep track of your Web site’s statistics. These numbers can tell you where your site is excelling and where it is falling flat. Having detailed stats is a good way to show your clients the potential your Web site offers. Even if you have stats through your hosting provider, it would still be a good idea to sign up for a free service like Google Analytics. Google Analytics provides a lot of useful information and it is a great source to check your current stats against.

Having detailed stats is important but it would be even better if you could prove that you get more traffic to your Web site than your competition. If you know where to look it should only take a few minutes to compare your station’s Web site to your competitors.

There are many sites on the web that will give you a good idea how your site compares to your competitors. Three free sites are Alexa.com, Compete.com, and Quantcast.com. All you have to do is input your site’s URL and your competition’s URL to get a graph that displays the results. These sites aren’t 100% accurate but they do give you an idea how your site measures up. If you are way ahead of the competition then keep the good work up, if not then you have some work to do.

Just like ratings for traditional radio, Web site stats are becoming increasingly important to clients. Going into a meeting with hard numbers and a comparison chart showing how you compare to your competitors can go a long way.

It is also important to be familiar with common technology terms. Being an educated sales person can give you an edge over the competition and give you more credibility in the client’s eyes. Visit the RadioGlue Resources page for definitions of common internet, advertising, technology and design terms.

–Tom Stark, Partner, RadioGlue. tom@radioglue.com – 732.416.0900
Let RadioGlue help you with your new technology initiatives. Contact Tom for more information.

Source: Rolling Stone

Source: CNET

Source: The New York Times

Source: Inside Radio

Source: Valleywag