Programmers: Are You Really Doing Everything You Can for the Clients?

When successful, radio stations bring together clients and listeners in ways that benefit both. Programmers, this is your concern and worry too.

Newspapers have had an advantage over radio. They had coupons. The ad copy could be read again. It didn't just disappear into thin air like a radio spot's audio.

What is your station web site? Is it not a place for coupons? Can't your ad copy go on it and be read again?

Are the  coupons there? Is the ad copy there?

No, not on the front page. But there. Use keywords, or "...slash [advertiser]" mentions in the spot copy.

Kick it up a notch

Why not make it possible to change the coupon every hour?

Why not change the client's ad copy every hour?

When there is a sale, why not allow an advertiser to respond to actual conditions? Maybe some items are hot. Tell the listeners!

A web site can make changes that fast. But can they guarantee your kind of local coverage, and get the message out in the next 60 minutes?

No, only radio has that kind of megaphone. It is our strength. So let's augment it with an amazing level of client service and responsiveness.

Instant Gratification

Create the ability to make a change - in improvement for the client in under 30 minutes.

Can't do it? Okay. But ask yourself just how serious you are about making it in today's attention economy.

This is worth having a serious meeting about. Include the programmers. How can you remove the friction and delays in the conversations between advertisers and your listeners? How can you help the right people get together? Who on your staff will be responsible for what? What happens at 5:15pm on Friday, or 2:00 PM on Saturday? How do you simplify your systems for rapid ad copy and web site updates? How do protect yourself from claims that "I never told you to do that!"

You simply must answer those questions. Otherwise, who needs radio?