Rule #1,  Repeat & Referral Business 

Rule #1,  Repeat & Referral Business 

by | Apr 16, 2019 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Rule #1,  Repeat & Referral Business 

Marketing, like most fields of endeavor, has certain proven formulas you can use to ensure you get a return on your marketing investments.

The first formula, The Two “R’s” is simple; Advertising can’t make a bad business a good business.

How do you measure if you have a good business or a bad business?

It’s simple. If you don’t already have Repeat and Referral business, advertising won’t work. There is something inherently wrong with your business. Fix it before you waste another dollar on advertising.

Time and time again, I have seen businesses that ignore this simple rule.  

They come to me and say, we need help getting more customers.  That in itself is usually good.  But digging deeper may uncover some issues that need fixed first.

Take the doctors office that has a rude receptionist that is driving away people.  Or it could be the doctor himself who has a terrible way of relating to patients.

There once was a coffee shop here in town that hired someone to open their doors at 7am, but the person was always late. 7:15 or even 7:30 was when they would show up.  This was one of the key reasons that coffee shop shut down.

What is it about your business that is preventing people from spending money with you?  What are the reasons that once someone becomes your customer once, they don’t come back and don’t refer their friends and family to you?

We live in a review centric world these days.  

When my wife and I travel, we read the views before we decide where to go.

Have you read the reviews for your business?

Google reviews and Facebook reviews are pretty common along with other review sites that specialize in different shopping experiences. 

When I decide whether or not to work with a business and their advertising and marketing, I’ll read their reviews first.  If I see nothing but negatives for your business, we need to fix what’s wrong before we spend money to invite new people to your door.

Want my help, contact me. Email Scott @WOWO.com and we’ll sit down to talk.

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Who’s the Voice of Your Company?

Who’s the Voice of Your Company?

by | Apr 9, 2019 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Who’s the Voice of Your Company?

Some of the most effective marketing successes in history, both locally and nationally, have involved capitalizing on the voices, faces, and personalities of charismatic and humble business owners and corporate leaders.

Nationally, you may recall Chryslers’ Lee Iacocca or Wendy’s humble founder Dave Thomas. More recently the spokesperson for Quicken Loans also happens to be their President and Chief Marketing Officer Jay Farner.  In these cases, and many more, consumers have responded positively to the credible messages delivered by real people.

Locally, you see and hear business owners voice their own ads, some of which are fantastically real and have moved their business from mediocracy to home town heroes, and from rags to riches. 

People buy from people they trust. It’s that simple.  But if you don’t come across as real, trustworthy, and humble, the chances of you going from local to national are slim.  Even if you don’t have dreams of going national, you need to be credible.

Two of the ten tips for being front and center in your campaigns are:

1.) Check your ego at the door. Only voice your commercials or have quotes and photos of yourself in your advertising if it is strategically correct to do so from a marketing perspective. It’s not about hearing your own voice or having mom see your picture, it’s about bringing believability and memorability to your campaign.

2.) Introduce yourself as the Owner, CEO or President.  There is NO reason to either voice the ad or be in the video if you don’t introduce yourself.  

As the owner or president, you don’t need to be better at voicing the ads than a disc jockey, actor or actress, you simply need to serve the purpose of you doing the ad, and that is to become the voice or face of the company.  If you can’t add purpose, hire a caveman, create a fictional character or let someone else do it!

Nothing sells like the human voice and using your own voice and words can make your campaign stand out against a hoard of ads produced by professional, anonymous sources.

What I just shared with you is from my Sound ADvice weekly marketing tips newsletter.  You can get it free in your email by filling out the form on this page. 

But I also want to share more on this topic right now.

Too often I’ve seen or heard a business owner appear in their own advertising and it just falls flat.  I’m not going to call them out but you can probably think of a couple that you’ve seen or heard.

What those ads usually miss is authenticity.

What is authenticity in advertising?

Well, it can be bunch of hype, or fast talking, or becoming a caricature instead of being your genuine self.

Remember to keep the human relationship factor in your marketing.

When we need or want what you have to sell, we want you to talk with us person to person, not salesperson to customer.

There is one more item that I must share with you that is unique in Fort Wayne and my radio station, WOWO radio.

WOWO has a select number of advertising partners that are getting the best of the best in their ad campaigns.

I call it the Platinum Level.

The spokesperson for their company is one of our trusted radio personalities and these companies are getting the very best type of ad campaign we offer.

Kayla Blakeslee, host of Fort Wayne’s Morning News on WOWO and Pat Miller, host of the Pat Miller Program both do live ads for these special companies.  On the weekends, both Rick Wolf, host of House Calls and our WOWO Farm Director, Rob Winters also will do live ads on their programs on WOWO.

Kayla, Pat, Rob and Rick are the official spokesperson for the companies that they endorse through their live 60 second radio ads.  In many cases, these are also testimonial ads because they have had these companies do work for them.   There is also a level of exclusivity that these companies receive.  Pat will only endorse one Heating and Cooling company. Any others that you hear when listening to the Pat Miller Program are not getting Pat’s personal endorsement.  

Now there are 5 or 6 Heating and Cooling companies on WOWO and all are doing well, but each has a different marketing strategy and having the personal endorsement from one of our Live, local radio hosts is an excellent way to stand out too.

Let’s talk about ways that I can help you and your business noticeable with the right spokesperson.  Contact me, Scott @ WOWO.com 

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Radio Advertising with WOWO or Local TV

Radio Advertising with WOWO or Local TV

by | Apr 2, 2019 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Are all advertising options equal?

Of course not.

Is a burger off the dollar menu at your favorite fast food joint equal to the $20 burger you can order for lunch at your local restaurant?

Of course not.

Today, I am going to do a comparison of advertising on WOWO radio in Fort Wayne with advertising on a local TV station.

Along with the insider details I have because I work for WOWO radio, I also have information that I saw from a local TV station and data from a research study comparing TV and radio audiences.

Here’s a spoiler alert.  Advertising on WOWO Radio, with my guidance will generate superior results compared to what the TV people are trying to sell you.

First, some of the figures from the research study:

When you advertise on television, about 20 percent of the viewers are heavy users of TV.  The other 80 percent of people who watch TV each week, consume way less TV per person. Given the way we watch TV in 2019, this makes a lot of sense because we have some many viewing options that are not local broadcast TV, television viewership of any particular show has been declining for years.

We will look at these heavy users of TV, the ones that your advertising messages are reaching.

First  we’ll look at the age demographic using a scale of 100 being average.  That means anything below 100 is below average and above 100 is that many percentage points above average.

A25-34: 21
A35-44: 40
A45-54: 95
A55-64: 165
A65+: 226

What this means is that the average TV viewer is above the age of 55.  The person seeing your TV commercial is twice as likely to be over the age of 65.  Trying to reach a 30 year old, 40 year old, or even 50 year old with your TV commercial? It’s not very likely.

Using that same 100 point scale, here’s the numbers for household income of heavy users or viewers of TV:

Under $25K: 158
$25K-$35K: 152
$35K-$50K: 118
$50K-$75K: 113
$75K-$100K: 74
$100K+: 70

The less money they earn, the more time they are watching TV.  Families with an income of $35,000 or less are more than 50% more likely to see your TV commercial.

One more statistic from this study deals with education:

Less than 12th grade: 169
High School: 132
Some College: 108
College+: 64

The heaviest TV viewer is 69% more likely to have less than a high school education than the average.

In summary, the people most likely to see your television commercial are the least educated, have the least available income to buy what you are selling and are definitely not the 25 to 54 year olds that TV advertising salespeople try and convince you that you will reach when you advertise on their TV station.

I know what the TV salespeople are doing because I have known a few and have seen some of the information they use to try and persuade my WOWO Radio clients to drop their ads and switch to TV instead.  It just doesn’t add up.

Now in case you are unfamiliar with the specifics of WOWO Radio, here’s a brief rundown…

WOWO has been a news and talk station for 20 years and altogether has been on the air over 90 years.  WOWO has consistently been one of the only stations in Fort Wayne to average over 100,000 listeners every week for years.  As a talk radio station, our listeners are upper income, better educated adults who place a lot of trust in the WOWO radio local and national talk show hosts and newscasters, as evidenced by the antidotal information we get from both listeners and advertisers.

WOWO News/Talk Listeners scored:

194 for advanced college degree (nearly twice as likely than the average) compared to the 64 for the TV audience.

140 in income over $100,000 compared to 70 for the TV audience.  In other words, WOWO Radio listeners are twice as likely to have money to spend to buy your stuff versus the person sitting at home watching TV.

There’s more I could share with you but that’s enough for the moment.  Want to know more?  Let’s connect.

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What Makes “U” … Unique?

What Makes “U” … Unique?

by | Mar 26, 2019 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

What Makes “U” … Unique?

What makes your business special?  Do you stand out amongst your competitors?  Do you do things that make other businesses envious of yours and make the general public talk favorably about what you do or what you offer?

Or, are you playing the, “I’ll beat ‘em on the price” game?

If your business isn’t doing anything “special”, the only thing your potential customers can and will judge you on is price or convenience; are you cheaper or are you closer than your competitors.  Winning on price alone generally means losing where it really matters….in profits.

Assuming your pricing is at least in the ballpark, there are many things you can promote that cannot be “shopped and compared”.  What makes your business stand out in the crowd? Is it your:

  • Knowledge
  • Skill
  • Talent
  • Hours
  • Speed
  • Guarantee or Warranty
  • Extras, (something you do that no one else does)

Famous Women’s Fashion Designer and Perfume manufacturer, Coco Chanel, said it this way, “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different”.

Even your advertising or marketing style can make you unique.  If your commercials and ads look and sound like everyone else’s ads, they won’t stand out.  If you create a unique style and strategy, it can make all the difference in the world.

In business, having and promoting superior knowledge, skill, talent, hours, speed of service, guarantee or doing something extra special is often times the difference between a decent business and a GREAT business.

What I just shared with you is from my Sound ADvice weekly marketing tips newsletter.  You can get it free in your email by filling out the form on this page. 

But I also want to share more and this is extremely important.

The uniqueness you want to promote must also be something that your potential customer values.

Say you have been in the same location for 30 years, and that makes you unique.  Does that really matter to your potential new customer?

A better uniqueness could be something like, our newest technician, has been with us for more than a decade.  And there’s Sam, who’s been with us for 35 years.  We know it all, because we’ve seen it all.

Part of my job and expertise is to help you craft a marketing campaign that connects your business to what your potential customers want.

I’ve been doing this since my kids were babies and now they have made me a grandpa.  Don’t hire a rookie, when you can work with an expert.  Connect with me and let’s help your business grow this year.

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How To Beat the Google Gods

How To Beat the Google Gods

by | Mar 19, 2019 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Have you ever heard of Marketing Funnels? 

It’s not a new term but it has gained all kinds of attention when it comes to internet marketing recently.

The concept is that customers going through different journeys in the buying process and you can design a marketing funnel to steer them to buy from you.

Google released a study, How Search Intent is Redefining the Marketing Funnel which is fine and maybe eye opening to many of you.

I actually suggest you take some time and read it.

The abbreviated version is that no two consumer journeys are the same anymore.  Even if two people end up buying the exact same product, the journey they take for each of them is unique. 

Google gives some examples of how Jill decides which make up to buy and they tracked over 100 online visits including 5 online searches, a YouTube video, over 30 more online searches and on and on she goes.

Another example given by Google is Sarah who is looking for chocolate and has over two dozen online visits including getting a map to the store where she makes her purchase.

There is something missing from all of this, the human relationship factor of the consumer journey.

Internet marketers tell you that you need to constantly tweak your website S.E.O. to show up when Jill or Sarah are looking for you.  However Jill and Sarah aren’t isolated from the rest of the world.  They have friends, they talk to people face to face, they read, they watch TV, they listen to the radio, I bet they have even bought make up and chocolate before.

Google and the internet marketers are ignoring this.  So here’s how to beat the Google Gods.

Create Top Of Mind Awareness before Jill and Sarah start their online Google Search.  

How?  

Intrusive marketing.  It’s a term we can apply to ads that play on radio and TV.  The ads I listen to on my radio station, WOWO are not targeted specifically to me.  But they have created Top Of Mind Awareness of several companies that I may need to call on one day.

Using the example of Sarah and her search for chocolate and applying it to Fort Wayne, Indiana where we have one of the best chocolate shops in the world, DeBrand Fine Chocolates, instead of starting her search online from zero, Sarah would first look for DeBrand Fine Chocolates because they have built Top Of Mind Awareness with their radio ads.  There’s a good chance that Sarah has even had a treat from DeBrand’s sometime in the past.

The human relationship factor in the consumer journey takes into consideration the stuff I just mentioned that gives DeBrand a head start.  It’s like ranking number one on Google and eliminating the competition, in Sarah’s heart and mind and everyone else who DeBrand Fine Chocolates have created Top Of Mind Awareness. 

Want to know more about if and how your business can Beat the Google Gods?

Let’s meet.  Send an email to Scott@WOWO.com

Also to get more marketing tips delivered each week to your inbox, sign up below to receive my weekly Sound ADvice marketing newsletter. Or email me and I’ll include you.

 

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Why Some Businesses Fail

Why Some Businesses Fail

by | Feb 26, 2019 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

You may have heard the myth that half of all businesses fail within the first year, and only 5% make it through four years. According to recent figures from the Small Business Administration, a government agency created to help small businesses start and succeed, nearly two-thirds of new businesses survive past two years and only slightly over half (56%) of businesses fail in the first four years.

No matter how long you have been in business, there are valuable lessons to be learned from the successes and failures of these new business start-ups.

One of the most surprising critical success factors we can learn from businesses which succeed is, not to go into business to get rich.

Ironically, the businesses which do get rich today are the businesses which start with a passion for filling a customer need…the “getting rich” appears to follow those businesses that have a passion for serving customers. Henry Ford’s higher purpose was to make the automobile affordable for the average consumer. His assembly line brought down costs and achieved his goal.  Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs began with the sole purpose of creating a more user-friendly computer. The rest is history.

The second lesson in today’s economy is you must have a website. A well-designed website makes it easy for users to discover what you offer or do, and why you are their best choice. Do not rely on prospects finding your site by searching for what you sell. Promote your name and website so that prospects search your business name rather than searching what you sell. Inputting what you sell into a search engine will invariably reveal all of your competitors as well. Your advertising needs to create a preference for your business, your name, and your website.

What I just shared with you is from my Sound ADvice weekly marketing tips newsletter that was emailed to subscribers a few weeks ago.  You can get a free subscription by filling out the form below and soon you’ll get it once a week too.  Plus the news letter has a link to additional tips pertaining to each weeks subject.

Right now I have another tip for you that relates to what I just shared about Why Businesses Fail.

The third lesson is this. You need a marketing strategy that goes beyond the internet.  You need to invite people to visit you.  Something that builds Top Of Mind Awareness so when they have a need for what you are selling and they look online for your website, they look for your business, not your competitors. 

I have just the answer for that if you are looking for customers in metro Fort Wayne, Indiana and your ideal customers are adults, not kids. My radio station, WOWO radio of course.  Every month I work with businesses that are decades old and also start ups.  Contact me and let’s start a conversation.

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