Should Your Business Advertise on the Radio?

by Scott Howard | Sep 8, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

The question for today is:

Should your business advertise on the radio?

The answer is:

A qualified Yes.

Now that may not be the answer you were expecting from the General Sales Manager of the Most Listened to Radio Station in town, WOWO.

You thought I’d say:

Definitely Yes, every business needs to advertise on the radio.

I know that there are people in my position that would say that because they believe any dollar is a good dollar.

I take a different approach here at WOWO. I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago when I said that the focus of me and my sales team is to get results for the businesses that advertise with WOWO.

We want to partner with you if it makes financial sense for your business.

We want to come up with an agreeable and reasonable Return On Investment formula before we agree to take your money and but you on the radio.

I admit, that’s not always possible. One of my favorite radio advertising partners hates the idea of tracking and measuring the return on investment. They simply want to believe it’s working and because of the style of advertising campaign I designed for them, our listeners are vocal enough to let their sales team and their service techs that they listen to WOWO. That confirmation gets back to the owners and that’s why they believe in WOWO for their advertising.

Borrell Associates shared another survey last month that talked about business owners plans for using radio in the future and part of their report mentioned the value of having conversations with local advertising people:

How do they buy those ads? Three-quarters say via emailing with a sales rep compared to 55% who say they meet with salespeople in person or talk to them by phone. Nevertheless, Borrell says three in four said they like having the option of having a face-to-face meeting with sales reps.

That is more than just being sociable. The survey data suggests that local businesses have a lot more respect for local reps than those selling national advertising. Three quarters of those surveyed said they find local reps more knowledgeable and 70% said local reps are a good source of marketing intelligence.

“Local advertisers see local media reps as knowledgeable resources who care about their business,” says the report. “They may not always help advertisers save money but they bring value in other ways.”

Comparing specifically radio advertising sales people with others, here’s what business owners said:

And as earlier reported by Inside Radio, the perception of radio sellers as expert marketers is higher than it is for any other type of sales rep, and the perception of digital savvy of radio reps is now also the highest. When buyers were asked, which sales reps are considered savvy about marketing, radio topped all other forms of traditional media.

Advertising sales reps who worked for broadcast TV, cable TV, newspapers, and direct mail all ranked significantly lower. Radio people are also at the top of the survey to be considered digitally savvy.

When I took over as the General Sales Manager at WOWO Radio last year, I had a couple of radio experts on my team and a couple of guys who had experience in advertising or sales but not broadcasting yet. Now, 20 months later, everyone is becoming an expert with coaching, mentoring and a true heart for doing what is best for the businesses we work with.

Want to know more, contact me: Scott@WOWO.com

Not All Radio Listeners Are Equal

by Scott Howard | Sep 1, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

I’ve got a few decades of media and marketing experience and I hunger to learn more and more.

So this summer I was catching up on my reading and found a story that talks about 6 types of radio listeners and what they want and get from listening to their favorite station.

I’ve known that there are different reasons we listen to different stations, I’ve been preaching about the difference between talk radio listeners and music radio listeners for years.

Basically, when we listen to a music station, we listen to hear our favorite songs. A radio commercial is not our favorite thing to hear on a music station, and when a music station plays 5 or more minutes of commercials in a row, we become upset. Maybe not upset enough to change to another station but mentally we tune out. Similar to when a commercial break comes on when we are watching sports on TV, many of us get up and make a trip to the bathroom instead of paying attention to the ads.

Talk radio stations, like the one I’ve been with since 2013, WOWO are a different animal. We listen to hear the words people are saying. So when a commercial comes on, it’s not that big of a deal. Also when the ad is done by the radio personality that we are listening to, it adds extra power to that ad, as an endorsement or testimonial by the WOWO radio personality.

This is what I’ve been telling business owners for years and now I have even more information to share.

To get a deeper understanding of today’s radio listeners, Edison Research and NPR teamed up on a study that segments the radio audience based on what motivates their listening, their engagement with what they hear and what they’re getting from the medium.

Radio Heads (9% of radio listeners) Use AM/FM radio for everything

These are radio’s most engaged and heaviest listeners, using it for virtually all of their audio needs: music, news, personalities/talk, and sports. More likely to be female and under 54, they over-index in listeners who are African American. As all-around audiophiles, they go way beyond the AM/FM dial – 43% also listened to radio on their smartphone, 30% on a smart speaker and 29% on a computer in the past week. They’re advertiser-friendly – 72% typically listen to ads on AM/FM – and are more likely to be employed, have above-average income, and have attained a higher education than the average AM/FM listener.

Connection Seekers (16% of radio listeners) Listen to the radio for companionship

This group is more likely to be female, 55+ and White. Second only to Radio Heads in the amount of radio they consume, Connection Seekers over-index in listening to spoken word audio and listening at home – 64% tuned in at home in the last week. Their listening habits are similar to the average listener in the devices they use to listen to radio, and the time of day they listen. Roughly seven in ten typically listen to ads on AM/FM radio.

Infomaniacs (18% of radio listeners) Listen for their need to consume news and information

The only segment among the six where men outnumber women, Infomaniacs are open to advertisements – 65% typically listen to ads on AM/FM radio and only 35% frequently avoid them. These are morning listeners with 69% tuning in from 6-10am, the highest listening in that daypart of all the segments. They prefer spoken word – 96% listened to AM/FM radio for news, 43% for personalities/talk and 27% for sports in the last week. While they’re not exclusively NPR listeners, they index extremely high for the service. Two in three (64%) have a college degree or higher and this segment over-indexes in the high income categories.

These top 3 categories of radio listeners make up the WOWO Radio News and Talk Audience.

Here are the other 3:

Rhythm Rockers (27% of radio listeners) Listen for their need to consume music

The largest segment of radio listeners, this music-first crowd leans heavily female (61% to 39% male). The youngest of the segments – three in four are aged 18-54 – they over index in listeners who are LatinX, under-index in White listeners, and over-index in low-income categories. While more likely to use online audio services, this group is also more apt to say radio keeps them company in the car.

Laidback Listeners (17% of radio listeners) Listen to radio only in the background

Skewing older and White, these radio-centric listeners are less likely to use other audio platforms and prefer listening via a traditional AM/FM receiver. They prefer music over spoken word and are more apt to try to avoid ads on broadcast radio than any other group.

Habitualists (13% of radio listeners) Listen to radio when it is the only option available

Skewing older, this group is not all that interested in audio. While they are less engaged with radio, they still spent three hours listening in the past week. Preferring receivers over streaming to get their radio, this group is the most apt to try to avoid commercials.

Before joining WOWO, I worked for music radio stations. A popular Fort Wayne rock radio personality that I worked with, Doc West, was famous for saying his station was more than a radio station, it was a way of life. And I saw those passionate Rhythm Rockers who lived that slogan.

However when it comes to using a radio station to get results from advertising your business on it, my money is on WOWO. Yours should be too.

Contact me, Scott@WOWO.com for help and more information.

The Effectiveness of Your Advertising

by Scott Howard | Aug 25, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

I recently got into a bit of a “discussion” with the owner of an advertising agency regarding a client that we both have.

It was interesting because the owner of the advertising agency didn’t understand the effectiveness factor of the ad campaign we’ve been airing on WOWO Radio the past few years.

What was also eye opening to me, was the differences in the goals that the agency had compared to what our goal has been at WOWO.

The agency’s buying power is what they like to use as the reason to sign up with them if you own a business. In the meeting, the agency owner kept emphasizing the price of a commercial, saying he could buy it at a lower price than buying directly from WOWO. I had to point out that this was not true, at least with WOWO radio, and the owner of the company, our client, was also sitting in this meeting watching this exchange.

Meanwhile, I pointed out the emphasis of what we do at WOWO is Results.

Return on Investment. Not how little an advertisement costs.

The owner of our client company has been telling the agency owner to leave his WOWO campaign alone because it is working. And I had to point out to the agency owner, he can’t buy ads for the prices he was claiming on WOWO without throwing away the advertising campaign that has been working. It would actually cost more for the business owner to have the advertising agency place the advertising schedules that we’ve been airing on WOWO.

That’s enough about this particular meeting I had earlier this month, but because of that meeting and a story I’ve been saving about the effectiveness of radio ads, I have some interesting information to share with you today.

There was a study conducted in January by Edison Research and National Public Radio that concluded:

AM/FM listeners are more engaged with ads on radio than TV viewers and social media users are with ads on those platforms… Nearly two-thirds (64%) of people who reported listening to AM/FM in a week prior to the survey say they typically stay tuned in for the ads…They are doing more than just hearing ads, they are engaging with them.

Nearly 1/2 the listeners to commercial radio stations and non-commercial public radio stations learn about new businesses by listening to the radio. Meanwhile less than a third of TV viewers are learning about new businesses.

At WOWO radio, we are a news and talk radio station located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and we also have a special, unique and effective way for advertisers to build engagement with our audience that is the “secret sauce” of success that the previously mentioned advertising agency cannot buy from us. It’s Live Testimonial and Endorsement ads from our morning news host, Kayla and afternoon talk host Pat. There are all kinds of stipulations and requirements associated with them, ask me personally if you want to know more. Scott@WOWO.com is my email.

Next week, I’ll share more information from this study and point to a few more reasons all the advertising on WOWO is more effective than on typical music based radio stations.

In the meantime, reach out to me if you would to learn how we can help your business grow by inviting WOWO radio listeners to become your customers.

8 Principles to Improve Your Life and Business

by Scott Howard | Aug 11, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Really? The Personal ScLoHo, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article on Medium.com titled: 8 Pillars of a Satisfied and Happy Life. Here’s a link to it: https://medium.com/mind-cafe/8-pillars-of-a-satisfied-and-happy-life-847d98707e81

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon as I read it and decided that I wanted to add my spin on the 8 Pillars with both insights on how to apply this to you business and also reflections on how I do it personally.

On the business side of my life, I am the General Sales Manager of WOWO Radio, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I lead and coach 6 full time advertising sales people on our Local Sales Team. I moved into this position at the beginning of 2020, a few weeks before Indiana went into lock-down due to the pandemic. This is my 8th year with WOWO and I’ve been in the media and marketing world most of my life, although I do know how to drive a forklift and run a thermoformer too.

On the personal side, my wife and I have been married for over two decades and our 5 kids from our 1st marriages of made us grandparents multiple times. The people on my Local Sales Team at WOWO range in age from my age to my kids age and so I know most of what they go through both personally and professionally. The term, “Been There, Done That”, applies however the world has changed since I was a new Dad, some for the better, other changes not so much.

Pillar Number One from the Medium story:

1. Allow Yourself To Be Happy Before You “Succeed”

Absolutely. As you grow, you need to learn to enjoy the journey. Starting a new business is challenging all the time, not just in extreme circumstances. Give yourself credit for doing the work. One of the ways I measure the activity of the sales team I work with is the types of activity they are doing and how much they are doing. I know that if they do certain benchmarks, success will follow.

Similarly, my wife likes gardening and it makes her happy. It is hard work and the rewards take time to grow, but in the meantime, she is happy doing the work. How about you? Do you have benchmarks in your business or life that you use to measure success before the financial success comes in?

2. Have A Clear Vision

Goals need to be both short and long term. My team has a big picture goal that I shared at the beginning of the year, and then each month I break it down into smaller chunks for each person. Together I work with each of them to help guide them to achieve those smaller goals which will add up to the original long term goal for our team.

I’ve worked for others who had no vision or they were continually changing course which creates frustration and confusion. As a business owner, make sure your team understands the vision for your company too. When my wife and I plan a trip either for ourselves or to visit family, we agree on the important elements and then also plan the details. I learned several years ago how we best travel together and perhaps you and your spouse have learned what works best for you too.

3. Devote Yourself To Something Meaningful

I really dislike most advertising salespeople. At least the way they do business, too many are focused on themselves, not on their clients success. That has been the secret to my success. To help others succeed, using the wisdom, knowledge and experience I’ve learned. That’s one way I devote myself to something meaningful. I also am involved serving on a non-profit organizations board to give back to the community. How do you and your employees give of yourselves?

4. Become a Lifelong Learner

The day I stop learning is the day I stop living. My formal education is not documented with college degrees but I keep getting invited to speak at numerous higher education colleges and universities. Be curious. Learn from others, listen and ask questions and figure out how to apply it to your life, your business or the people around you.

5. Do Not Settle For Less

I’ve done this a couple of times. I’ve walked away from the world of advertising and took a break, but then I returned. Some people decide not to return to their dreams and by doing that they never know if they could accomplish what they once sought. On the personal side of life, this is very personal. On the business side, you are going to have to decide what is important and what isn’t. I used to work with an auto repair shop that was going to be open 24 hours a day. Then when the owner discovered that it wasn’t a sustainable way to run his shop, he settled for less hours. He also discovered how to merge what his customers really wanted with his vision and came up with a business plan that was unique, and he’s doing great now.

6. Remember To Have Fun

I took my WOWO Local Advertising Sales Team out for a morning of golf and lunch last month. It was a team building event but it was more than that. It was a time to set aside time to just have fun. It wasn’t a reward for hitting a certain goal, it wasn’t earned based on performance, it was simply a guilt free way to hang out on a day when others were working and have fun.

At work, at home, having fun is something we all need to include in our lives regularly, not just special events. How do you accomplish this?

7. Take Care Of Yourself

At the end of 2020, I decided to improve my health by dropping a few pounds and lost 20 pounds in about 6 months. I’ve maintained that and am slowing dropping a few more this year. Stress is the silent killer for everyone it seems. 99 out of 100 people you see this month have something stressful going on in their lives that you may never know about. You need to take care of your health, and encourage those who work for you to do the same. Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual health are all needing our attention. The H. R. Department at WOWO’s parent company, Federated Media sends out reminders about this and also provides resources that members of my team have made use of.

8. Cherish Those You Love

This is the last pillar from the Medium.com article, but it’s not the least important. I’m blessed to have loving relationships with my family and we work at making sure we stay in touch and express that love.

While the dynamics are usually different in a business setting, how would the culture improve if you really told your staff individually what you appreciated about them?

They need to know that they are appreciated and why. The companies that have problems retaining employees are the ones that have the worst company cultures. As a business owner or manager, you set the example. A genuinely positive work environment is also appreciated by your customers and clients too.

I hope you’ve learned a few things today, and perhaps go back and answer those questions I mentioned to see how 2021 can be even better for you and those around you.

Transactional vs Relational Customers

by Scott Howard | Aug 4, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

One is more profitable. One is more needy. Both are important to the overall success of a business. Understanding how to identify each type and how to turn transactional customers, when possible, into relational can be a huge boost to your business.

Every business has basically two types of customer profiles:

1.) Transactional Customers
       – Only care about price
       – Have no brand or business loyalty
       – Demand more, but pay less
       – Consider themselves buying experts
      – Often return merchandise or complain about service when they discover the “cheapest” solution was not the best solution.

Warning:
Don’t confuse “traffic” with sales. Because transactional customers contact you so often per purchase, their “traffic” can cause you to think the majority of your customers care only about price. Seldom is this the case.

2.) Relational Customers
     – Want a salesperson or expert they can trust
       – Need help and advice
       – Are more loyal to brands and businesses
       – Are less demanding and more profitable
       – Become repeat customers

Relational customers make fewer visits per purchase than transactional customers but generally account for a minimum of 50% of sales and more than 70% of profits.

The Bottom Line

We attract the kind of customers, relational or transactional, by design. If you would like to design a more profitable business and attract more relational customers, click here to see our Profitable Customer Marketing Checklist.

What I just shared with you arrived in a few hundred peoples email this morning. It’s this weeks edition of my Sound ADvice newsletter and you can have it delivered to your inbox too by filling out the info in the Sound ADvice newsletter box below.

Let me take a moment add a few more insights.

All of us have a little bit of transactional and relational buying habits in us as consumers. All depends on the item or service we are considering spending money on as to what our priorities are. The problem I see that too many businesses don’t understand is that they think price is a higher priority than trust when we are spending money.

Several years ago, I was doing a Customer Needs Analysis with a HVAC dealer and he was talking about their quality and experience and all these great things that were relational. But his marketing was focused on offering discounts and I asked him if he liked giving away money. He was a little insulted until I challenged him to market his company the way he talked to me. He was afraid to because his competition advertised price discounts and he was playing follow the leader.

I talked to another HVAC dealer and got them to minimize the discounts in their marketing and focus on trust and expertise. They took my advice and saw their sales double over time.

Want help figuring out how to market your business and you are in northeast Indiana? Contact me. I’ve been doing this successfully for years and am currently the General Sales Manager of WOWO radio. My team and I will be glad to help. Scott@WOWO.com is my email.

Radio is Back On The Road

by Scott Howard | Jul 28, 2021 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

It’s back.

Radio is back on the road.

In case you haven’t noticed this summer, a lot of us have been doing what we were discouraged from doing last summer.

Spring and Summer 2020 was the year of cancelled vacations, limited gatherings and working from home.

2021 has been much different. Forbes magazine proclaimed:

As The Country Opens Up, Radio Listening Is Returning To Pre-Pandemic Levels

And it’s true. Here’s more:

The pandemic forced millions to stay-at-home as businesses were temporarily closed, curtailing commuting hours. As working-remotely became a way of life, some office workers moved away from central cities to sparsely populated outer suburbs and second homes. These workers relied on Zoom calls, emails, chat rooms with more “personal time” to consume media.

I decided to ask my team about the way they have been doing meetings now and 90% of the meetings that they would have done in person in 2019 they are doing in person in 2021. What about the other 10%? Zoom meetings have created another option that they can used for meetings that is convenient in situations where time is a premium and distance would be challenging.

The Forbes article also addressed another issue that I’ve been hearing for years.

Even with the increase in web enhanced connected cars, the most popular source of audio infotainment in cars remains AM/FM radio. According to Edison Research in first quarter 2021, terrestrial radio accounted for 87% of all ad-supported in-car listening, followed by SiriusXM (6%), podcasts (5%), ad-supported Pandora (2%) and ad-supported Spotify (1%).

Our Federated Media radio stations, including mine, News/Talk WOWO have multiple methods for listeners to listen. WOWO can be heard on 1190am in the Indiana, Ohio and Michigan Tri-state area and if you are local to Fort Wayne, Indiana, you can also listen to WOWO at 107.5fm. Streaming online is another way WOWO listeners tune in, either on the WOWO App, or any of the other popular audio streaming apps, or by going to WOWO.com and click on the listen now button. There’s even a WOWO Skill for Alexa and our other Federated Media stations.

Yes, I’ve wandered off the subject of radio is back on the road. When you going wandering on the road this year, turn the radio on like nearly 90% of Americans are doing. And if you run a business and want to explore how to get these commuters to drive to your place, contact me, Scott@WOWO.com

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