The Real Value of Talk Radio in 2025

The Real Value of Talk Radio in 2025

by | Feb 10, 2025 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, ScLoHo's Media, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Since 2013, I’ve worked for WOWO radio in Fort Wayne Indiana.  This is WOWO’s 100th birthday this year and for the past 3 decades WOWO has been a news/talk radio station. It’s a legendary station with most of 100 years being broadcast on 1190AM.  WOWO can also be heard at 92.3 FM

WOWO can also be heard on your favorite streaming device, like Alexa or Google smart speakers, your favorite streaming audio app, or even directly from the WOWO.com website.  I’ll be sharing some information from the most recent rating period for Fort Wayne in the future, however today I’ve got insider data from a company I’ve shared with you before, Edison Research.

In their first newsletter for 2025 the headline reads:

Majority of News and Sports Audio is Consumed via AM/FM Radio.

Here’s what else they say:

Today’s insight is never-before-released data on AM/FM radio consumption and a surprising finding about how different kinds of audio content are consumed from radio.

When a respondent to Edison Research’s Share of Ear® survey records the audio they consume, they also tell us what kind of content they are listening to, including news, sports (talk or play-by-play), talk/personalities, or music.

For decades, pretty much the only way to consume news, sports, and talk audio was through the radio. But now, there is an explosion of new audio delivery options available to listeners.

News audio is by far radio’s strongest suit. Just under 70% of all daily time spent listening to news audio is happening on AM/FM radio. Close behind is sports, at 61%. The majority of news and sports audio in the U.S. is consumed via AM/FM radio.

Meanwhile, AM/FM radio takes a strong, but considerably lower portion of the other two content categories: talk/personalities and music. As we have reported previously, podcasting has taken the lead in the talk category, and of course, music fans now have many options for consumption.

For businesses looking to invite local consumers to be their customers, the talk radio formats are huge. This year I officially represent  both News Talk WOWO radio and also our Sports Talk radio station, 1380 The Fan.

Before I wrap this up, I’ll address the other audio choices we have.

Podcasts.  They have been growing in popularity for awhile and along with their popularity, there’s also been tremendous growth in the number of different podcasts we can listen to. I just did a Google search and answers say there are between 3 million and 6 million different podcasts covering nearly any topic you can imagine. While that’s pretty cool as a consumer, it’s overwhelming as a local business attempting to figure out where to advertise in the podcast world.  Here’s what we’ve done at Federated Media, the parent company I work for… Our own show hosts have their own podcasts.  On WOWO radio both our afternoon host, Casey Hendrickson and Fort Wayne Morning Show Host Kayla Blakeslee take their shows and especially the interviews and news stories and save them as podcasts so listeners can listen on demand, just like all the other podcasts are on demand.  Except Casey and Kayla’s podcasts are an extension of their daily radio shows.

Streaming services.  Our radio stations are listened to via all the streaming services too.  When I’m working from my home office, that’s how I listen.

Want to invite our local listeners to  become customers to your local business? Contact me. Scott@ScLoHo.net

One last item about Kayla and Casey.  On January 6, 2025, Barrett Media released the results of a national survey of radio professionals and Kayla was named one of the top 25 out of 70 morning radio personalities.  The story is here for Kayla.

Casey was named one of the top 25 afternoon radio personalities in the United States.  Details for Casey are here.

What Should You Include In Your Radio Ad?

What Should You Include In Your Radio Ad?

by | Feb 3, 2025 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

There’s a lot of information on how to buy advertising, where to place it and how often it should run, but one subject that I rarely see talked about in my industry is the content of the ad.  And if there’s not much being said inside my industry, the advice from outside is even worse if you can find it.

Today I’m going to show you how to apply Human Relationship Principles to your ad content.

Last month I was meeting with a successful business owner who is returning to our radio station airwaves and I’ll share with you the advice I gave him.

Everything that we include in an ad has to be measured from a listener perspective, not the business owner perspective.

Read that last line again.

People consume media as individuals.  Unlike attending a concert or sporting event where there are hundreds or thousands in attendance, the audience listening to your ad is one person.  Even if 5000 listeners are tuned in at the time your ad airs on the radio, it’s a different experience than the crowd experience.

For now though I want to focus on the content of your ad.

For a long time 60 seconds were the standard length for radio ads.  We had a full minute to talk about your business.  However as our attention spans have become shorter, I questioned if we need 60 seconds or would 30 seconds be better?

When I was the WOWO General Sales Manager, I restructured our rate card.  The net effect was we could offer shorter ads for less money than we were previously, and this allowed some of our advertising partners to get more ads for the same money, and it lowered the cost of entry to get an effective radio campaign on WOWO.

As an advertising copy writer, I noticed that most, not all but most 60 second ads had about 30 to 40 seconds of good stuff, and the remaining seconds were repeated info or unnecessary ad-fluff filler.  So I worked with my sales team to help them improve the ad content to trim the message to 30 seconds in many cases.

Next step is, can you communicate your message in 10 or 15 seconds instead of 30?

This takes a bit more discipline but it’s a great exercise.

After all, if someone takes twice as long to tell you something because they included lots of extra unnecessary information, that can be annoying, right?

I’ve trained others on in-person networking and elevator speeches.  An elevator speech  concept is you’ve stepped into an elevator and have a few seconds to tell someone who you are as you ride to the next floor.  What do you say?  This same exercise that helps you choose your words wisely should be applied to your ads.  Because, after all, your ad message is being delivered to an individual.

So last month when I was meeting with this business owner, we were reviewing the ads I had created for his restoration company.  We had already agreed on a budget and the length of the ads, I had 30 second and 15 second options for him.

He selected 15 seconds and that gets him a decent amount of exposure for the money invested in the campaign.

The initial ad was timely and straight to the point.  Focus on Frozen pipes and water damage along with the company name and web address.  Even mentioned the phone number. which is very old-school.  Initially, he asked if we could mention that it’s January and cold weather and if your pipes freeze, contact them, etc… My response was we don’t need to tell them about the month or the weather, we had 15 seconds to talk to the people who already had the problem and connect them with your company.

Now a tiny fraction of listeners will ever have frozen pipes this winter, but we need to reach as many potential people as possible and with the shorter 15 second messages instead of longer ads, i can get their ad on more frequently which builds familiarity with our listeners.  Since this company was established and not a start-up and a previous advertising partner, the ads didn’t need to sell the company, just the solution they are providing to our listeners who need their help.

It’s really that simple.

By the way I did rework the Frozen Pipe ad slightly to make sure the words we used we correct and we only promised what they could deliver.  Here in Fort Wayne, Indiana we’ve had a streak of sub-freezing temperatures that will make this particular ad timely for awhile.  The other ad I created for them is also ready to air once the cold spell lifts.

There you have it, a real life example of what to put in your radio ad and just as important what to leave out of your ad. In a future article we’ll have more tips on this.  In the meantime, contact me for help with your ad campaign.

Can Your Business Take A Punch Like Rocky?

Can Your Business Take A Punch Like Rocky?

by | Jan 27, 2025 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice

At the beginning of January, subscribers to my weekly Sound ADvice newsletter received the information I’m about to share with you today.  If you’d like to receive this in your email inbox, email me and ask for a free subscription.  Scott@ScLoHo.net.

It was 39 years ago that Rocky Balboa fought Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. It was a knock-down drag-out fight with Rocky taking punch after punch and hit after hit, only to get back up time after time and ultimately win the fight!

Rocky was always getting the snot kicked out of him. Intentional or not… it was his style. His opponents would eventually wear down because Rocky could take a hit. And take a hit. And take a hit. 

Sound familiar?  Your business taking hits?… 

…Sales slumps due to the economy, employee troubles, hiring struggles, increased costs, a terrible review, or any other lightning-fast jab, monster hook, or sucker punch.

That’s part of the game though, isn’t it? Getting hit, and always getting back up? Like the Japanese proverb that says, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”

But Rocky added a couple of things to that…

“Let me tell you something you already know.  The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.  You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.  That’s how winning is done! Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not point fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!”   – Rocky Balboa

Did you catch them? 

1) It’s about how hard you can get hit, and 2) keep moving forward.

We’ve all been hit. We’ve all been hit HARD. And if you’re reading this… you picked yourself back up.  But did you move forward?  

Step #1 to recovering from a major punch is, Acknowledge and Accept It.  

Acknowledge the issue that caused you to get “hit”, analyze what went wrong, identify the cause, make a plan to ensure it doesn’t happen again (or as severely), and LEARN from it.

Every negative has the potential to produce a positive.  It might not be immediately obvious, but it’s there. If you always have a “move forward” attitude, pretty soon the hits won’t seem so bad, and you’ll find ways to learn from them and capitalize on them sooner.

Oh sure… easier said than done, right?  Absolutely.  Sometimes, it’s not easy to say to yourself that “everything’s gonna be ok”.  But it’s a mindset.  It’s practice, determination, and an attitude. You might not get the big wins every month or every year… but depending on your industry and what’s happening around us, maybe just staying afloat and weathering a storm is also a big win.

If and when your business takes a punch, click here to see seven steps that can help you get back up and keep moving forward.

 And let me be one of the last to wish you a Happy New Year!  2025 will be ripe with opportunities to grow and learn. For me, for you, for everyone.

Increasing Prices Without Losing Customers

Increasing Prices Without Losing Customers

by | Jan 20, 2025 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

There are many challenges in running a business. One of the greatest is knowing when the right time is to raise the price of your products or services. Last month subscribers to my SoundADvice newsletter received this information in their inbox.  I’ll add you to my SoundADvice email newsletter too if you want.  It’s absolutely free, and I don’t pass along your information to anyone.  Just email me, Scott@ScLoHo.net and ask for the SoundADvice newsletter.  It comes most Wednesdays and is written by my friend Rick at ENS media. Now let’s look at the tips that deal with raising prices because most business owners are faced with this decision.

With the increase in competition and all the talk about potential tariffs, there are more and more articles in business trades about the advantages and disadvantages of tariffs, and how they will affect pricing for both products and services.

One known fact is that consumers nearly always remain loyal to name brands and businesses they have an emotional connection to. If your business relationship with your customers is transactional, meaning price is the most important factor, raising prices is especially difficult. However, if your business with customers is relational, it’s much easier to implement price increases.

Simply put, people do business with people they trust, and they purchase products that they trust! If they don’t know you on a relational level, the chance of them staying with you when you raise prices decreases, dramatically!

Have you ever noticed within your company that people who “like” you and “trust” you rarely ask about the price? Whereas the customers or potential customers that you have not yet built a relationship with inquire about pricing significantly more often.

Raising or increasing prices is a struggle for every business owner. The thought of even having to deal with questions from customers about “why” can be exhausting. However, as the cost of goods increases, along with salaries and wages, rent, and all other related costs of business increases, so must your cost of goods or services. The trick is raising prices without raising a ruckus or losing customers.

Tip #7 of our Tips For Raising Your Prices Without Losing Customers is Don’t Promote or Apologize for Price Increase. Even your best and most loyal customers don’t want to hear that you’re increasing the price of your goods or services. But (there is always a “but”), if you must notify your customers, do it quickly, in as few words as possible, and don’t apologize!

Because some of your customers are transactional, rather than relational, even the best-run businesses will lose some customers when they increase prices. However, as your competitors are forced to increase their prices, you too will have an opportunity to gain some new customers as well.

In most business climates, raising prices is a must just to stay even, much less survive. Increasing your prices must be done with careful thought. If you would like some tips on how to approach raising your prices without losing customers, click here.

Human Relationship Marketing Principles

Human Relationship Marketing Principles

by | Jan 13, 2025 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

This week I’m sharing the bare bones foundation of how to build a business marketing plan that works not just now, but for years into the future.

It’s something I’ve been implementing since the 1980’s, when I first made the move to the advertising side of media.

Human Relationship Marketing is the term I either created or developed when I was learning the radio ad business at WMUZ in Detroit where I worked starting in 1986 at the ripe old age of 26.  Ideas came from a number of sources including the weekly sales bullet newsletter from  company president Don Crawford.  This was an internal memo that those of us in the advertising side of the company were given.

I also bought and read a number of books by authors Jack Trout and Al Ries who wrote the classic: Positioning, The battle for your mind and other follow up books.  Harvey Mackay, author of Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive and several additional titles were instrumental in my early sales and ad career education.  Then about 20 years ago Roy H Williams came into my life with a series of books that I also recommend along with Roy’s weekly free email, Monday Morning Memo.

So here’s the quick version of what Human Relationship Marketing Principles are:

  • The closer we get to communicating in our advertising and marketing to traditional Human Relationships, the stronger the campaign and the bond.
  • You have to be genuine, honest and have integrity in your business and in your advertising.
  • The same things we want as human beings from other humans are the same things we want from the people we spend our money with.
  • The more you can mimic these human relationship principles in your marketing, the better your results.

And here’s a few practical was to make this happen:

  • Avoid “ad-speak” and clichés in your  marketing messaging.  Instead talk the way you would to a friend.
  • Build relationships with your current and future customers by being consistent with your ads.  (More on this in the future)

And remember this:

Despite all the advances in technology, it’s still people who are deciding to buy from you or someone else, and those people will make purchases based on their feelings and back it up with data.

More in the weeks ahead.