TOP 5 REASONS WHY A JINGLE FOR YOUR BUSINESS IS A SMART INVESTMENT

jingles for business

Why Your Business Needs a Jingle: The Benefits of Investing in a Killer Jingle from the Killerspots Agency.

In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s more important than ever for businesses to have a strong and memorable brand identity. And what better way to achieve that than with a catchy and memorable jingle?

At the Killerspots Agency, we specialize in creating top-notch jingles that will help your business stand out from the crowd. But you might be wondering, what are the benefits of investing in a jingle for your business?

  1. Increased Brand Recognition

One of the biggest benefits of a jingle is that it helps increase brand recognition. A jingle is a short, memorable tune that is associated with a brand or product. It’s like a musical logo that sticks in people’s minds, making it more likely that they’ll remember your business when they need the products or services you offer.

  1. Increased Ad Recall

Another benefit of a jingle is that it increases ad recall. A jingle is often used in commercials, and when a jingle is memorable and catchy, it can help people remember the ad and the product or service being advertised.

  1. Increased Emotional Connection

Jingles can also help create an emotional connection with your target audience. A jingle that evokes positive emotions can help create a positive association with your brand, which can lead to increased customer loyalty.

  1. Increased Effectiveness of Advertising

Jingles are also an effective way to grab attention and make your ad more memorable. A jingle can be used to break through the clutter and make your ad stand out, which can lead to increased effectiveness and ROI.

 

  1. Increased Reach

A jingle can also help increase the reach of your advertising. A jingle that is played on the radio, television, or in stores can be heard by a wide audience, which can help increase brand awareness and drive sales.

At the Killerspots Agency, we understand the importance of having a strong and memorable jingle for your business. That’s why we work closely with our clients to understand their unique needs and create a custom jingle that perfectly aligns with their brand and target audience.

We have a team of experienced and talented musicians and sound engineers who will work to create a jingle that is not only memorable but also unique and fitting to your brand. All of our jingles are 100% custom.  Every note and every lyric are completely custom made for each of our clients.  The Killerspots Agency has hundreds of talented voices, some of today’s best musicians and gifted, creative jingle producers on staff to create the perfect, Killer Jingle that engages our clients’ audiences.

We also understand the importance of staying up to date with the latest trends in music and sound, that’s why we use cutting-edge technology and techniques to create jingles that are not only memorable but also sound great and are in sync with today’s audience.

Our team is also experienced in creating jingles for a variety of industries and we have a proven track record of creating jingles that drive results.  Listen to our demo and you’ll hear the Killer difference guaranteed. We also offer jingles in several different languages including, English, Spanish, French and many more.

Don’t let your business get left behind in the competition. Invest in a jingle from the Killerspots Agency and watch your brand recognition, ad recall, emotional connection, and ROI soar.

 

Contact us today to request a free quote on how we can help your business stand out with an original, custom business jingle.

Benefits of Email Marketing

Benefits of Email Marketing

Small businesses have lots of options when it comes to marketing strategies. However, those options are not all created equal. Some may be more expensive or time-consuming than others, and some may have higher ROI. The type of business you own will largely determine the different marketing strategies you employ, but there is one that is effective across industries:

Email marketing.

There are many benefits of email marketing as a marketing strategy. And did you know that email marketing is one of the most well-received forms of marketing with consistent ROI?

Many people spend a considerable amount of their day looking at emails, especially on smartphones. A recent survey from Statista found that almost 50% of smartphone users prefer to receive communications from businesses via email.  And those communications are usually successful in converting to sales. Another survey found that 50% of people buy from marketing emails at least once a month. This leads to an impressive average ROI for email marketing, earning approximately $36 for every $1 spent.

Numbers, however, aren’t the only incentive to work email marketing into your marketing strategy. Read on for the top 7 benefits of email marketing that you can take advantage of for your business.

Personalized Marketing

Email marketing is easy to personalize, which can make it more effective at converting leads and earning sales. Personalization options for email marketing are endless, but there are two common strategies.

The first involves simply including the recipient’s name in the subject line or body copy of the email. It seems simple, but this strategy is incredibly effective in increasing email open rates. Emails with personalized subject lines have a 26% higher open rate than generic subject lines. Most email marketing platforms include easy-to-use codes to include the recipient’s name, so it’s easier than ever to personalize your email marketing strategy.

Segmentation is the second personalization strategy for email marketing. Segmentation is when you divide your email list into categories and send different communications to each category. For example, you could have one email go out to first-time customers, and a different one sent to repeat customers. If your business markets multiple products or services, you can also utilize CRM software to tag your email list based on the services your contacts are interested in. Then you can opt to only send emails about certain services to those contacts. This ensures that your messages are relevant and interesting, instead of being viewed as spam.

Measurable Results

Another one of the benefits of email marketing is how easy it is to see measurable results. Email platforms often have built-in statistics that detail bounce rates, open rates, click-through rates, and more. You can see how quickly a contact opened an email after it was sent, or how many recipients clicked on a link in the email. This data is invaluable for future email marketing initiatives. Use the data to determine what works and what doesn’t, and you can refine future emails using those strategies.

Increased Site Traffic

Improved SEO is another benefit of email marketing. Including links to your website in your email communications encourages recipients to go to your website to check out your products and services. Backlinks to your website via email will improve your website’s SEO ranking overall. Emails with links to your website also can generate more traffic by word-of-mouth. Recipients can forward an interesting email to their other contacts, which could lead to more customers checking out your site who may not have otherwise.

Increased Sales

60% of consumers in a survey reported that they have made a purchase because of a marketing email they received. This statistic is particularly noteworthy for small businesses with an e-commerce site. Emails detailing promotions, sales, or product highlights can generate interest and encourage customers to purchase to take advantage of a deal. You can even develop email-only promotions or deliver your contacts a special coupon code to further entice them.

Cost-Effective

With a high ROI, email marketing is more cost-effective than other forms of marketing. Sending printed mailers, producing radio or television ads, or hiring more marketing personnel are all costly marketing strategies that may be difficult for small businesses. Email is an easy way to reach thousands or hundreds of thousands of people in minutes, at little cost to you. Many CRMs make it easy to send emails directly from their software to your contacts, so you can manage your customers and your emails all in one place for one price.

Timesaving

As a small business owner, you know that time is invaluable. In addition to being cost-effective, another benefit of email marketing is how much time it will save you compared to other forms of marketing. Traditional marketing campaigns, like television, radio, or print, can take weeks or months to produce and implement. Email marketing is easier and faster to put together, which means that your emails can be more timely or topical depending on what is going on in your business and the world at large. Emails don’t have to be fancy, either! A simple text-based email can be composed quickly and sent out even within a single day.

Improves Recognition

Finally, another benefit of email marketing is it can help improve your brand recognition. Email communications, like other written brand communications, will often be composed in your brand voice, or showcase your brand colors, style, or logos. Showing off your brand’s personality in your emails and providing your email list with something of value may even generate excitement for your weekly or monthly newsletters. You can research your audience and even do surveys to determine what kind of content they’d like to see in their inboxes. Then, when you deliver, it will improve your brand recognition and brand image overall.

Develop Killer Email Marketing with Killerspots

When done right, the benefits of email marketing are vast and rewarding. The first step to drafting a killer email campaign, however, is with killer written content. If you need help crafting emails for your small business, Killerspots’ team of talented writers can help create emails that engage and convert. Get in touch with us today to speak with our writing and marketing teams.

Who is Your Target Audience? How to Engage Yours

who is your audience

Did you know that nearly 60% of marketers today measure the success of their content marketing strategy through sales? Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to engage your target audience and promote your product or service.

Unfortunately, you can’t create content without knowing why your target audience is. If you’re struggling to reach your target audience or even identify who they are, this guide is for you.

Engaging your target audience is critical for effective ads. So who is your audience, and how can you reach them? Keep reading to find out:

Who Is Your Target Audience?

This is the first and most important question you need to answer. How will you effectively engage your target audience if you don’t know who your target audience is?

Your target audience, also known as target consumers, is the group of people most likely to buy your product or use your service. To identify who your target audience is, consider these factors:

  • Geographic location
  • Demographics (age, gender, income, etc.)
  • Interests and hobbies
  • Psychographics (lifestyle, values, personality)

Once you’ve considered all of these factors, you should have a pretty good idea of who your target audience is.

But don’t stop there! The next step is to research more about your target audience so you can learn as much as possible about them. This will help you fine-tune your marketing efforts and maximize your campaigns.

Below are tips on how to define your target audience:

Study Your Products and Services

To determine who your target audience is, you need to first understand your product or service. What need does it fill? Who would benefit from using it?

Once you have a good understanding of your product or service, you can narrow down your target audience. For example, if you offer a new type of fitness class, your target audience might be people who are interested in getting fit and healthy.

To engage your target audience, you need to speak to their needs and interests. You can do this by creating marketing materials that highlight how your product or service can help them achieve their goals.

You can also reach out to influencers in your target audience and ask them to promote your product or service. By taking these steps, you can ensure that you are engaging with the people who are most likely to use your product or service.

Identify the Benefits Your Business Offers

What is the value of your business to your customers? This is what you need to identify to create an effective marketing strategy. Once you know what your business offers your target customers, you can determine how to reach them effectively.

Your business can offer three types of benefits: functional, emotional, and social benefits.

Functional benefits are the basic features and advantages of your product or service. These are the tangible benefits that your customers can see and experience.

Emotional benefits are the intangible, positive feelings that your customers get from using your product or service. These are the values that drive customer loyalty and customer satisfaction.

Social benefits are the positive effects that your product or service has on society. They show how your product or service will improve the customer’s social status. These values make your product or service unique and different from your competitors.

Some businesses will have a mix of all three types of benefits, while others will focus on just one or two. It all depends on what your business offers and what your target audience is looking for.

Check Social Media Analytics

Your social media analytics is a source of valuable insights about who your target audience is and how to engage them. The data you collect can help you determine the demographics of your audience, their interests, and what kind of content they are most likely to engage with.

Log into your account on each platform and navigate to the analytics section to get started. Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, and Instagram Insights are good places to start. Review the data and take note of any patterns or trends that you see.

Once you understand who your target audience is, you can start creating content that is more likely to resonate with them. Engaging your target audience on social media will help to build relationships and foster loyalty.

Use Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool that marketers use to track website traffic. It can help you learn more about your customers.

Through the collected data, you can determine how they found your site, what pages they viewed, and how long they stayed on each page. This information can help you determine your target audience and how to engage them.

You can also use Google Analytics to track conversions. Conversion rates can help you determine whether or not your target audience is interested in what you have to offer.

To set up Google Analytics, you will need to create a Google account and add the code to your site. Once you have set up Google Analytics, you can view detailed reports about your website traffic.

How to Engage Your Target Audience

When it comes to engaging your target audience, there are a few key strategies to keep in mind. First, it’s essential to recognize the specific needs and interests of your audience. Then, tailor any communication or content accordingly.

This can involve doing research about your audience and taking their feedback into account when making decisions about your product or service.

Next, it is essential to avoid relying solely on generic marketing tactics. These include flashy ads and catchy slogans. Instead, try to engage your audience on a more personal level by establishing relationships with individuals and being sincere and authentic in your interactions.

Finally, make sure that you are accessible and responsive at all times in order to meet the needs of your target audience effectively. With these simple tips in mind, you can create a dynamic and highly effective strategy for engaging your target audience.

Now You Know Who Is Your Audience

Who is your audience? This is one of the first questions you should ask yourself when starting a business. Once you know who your target audience is, you can begin to think about how to engage them.

There are several strategies you can use to engage your audience, including research and analytics, social media marketing, and Google Analytics. With these tools at your disposal, you can create a tailored approach that speaks directly to your customers and connects with them on a personal level.​

Do you need help identifying and engaging your target audience? Contact us today, and we can help you get started.

Commercials 101: How to Create a Radio Commercial

how to create a commercial

Did you know 83% of Americans listen to the radio on a regular basis?

As a business owner, if you aren’t leveraging radio marketing to widen your reach and grow your business, you could miss out on many potential customers. 

One thing that holds many businesses back from embracing radio ads is feeling overwhelmed about understanding how to make one that works. So keep reading to learn how to create a commercial for the radio that stands out in no time!

Determine Your Target Audience

Creating a radio ad is a bit different from creating digital ads or other types you might be familiar with.

Because radio ads are often localized, you might need to hone in on your target audience compared to other ads you run. Take the time to determine who you’re trying to reach and why.

If you’re trying to direct people to a local storefront, your message will be completely different from simply telling people about your website or online store.

Keep Things Short and Sweet

Your radio ad length will likely be around 30 seconds or less. So focusing on keeping your message as short as possible while still providing the listener with valuable information is the key to a successful ad.

Be sure to focus on the benefits your product or service will bring the listener. Avoid spending too much time introducing your business. People can easily do a quick online search to find more basic information if the ad grabs their attention.

If your business lends itself well to something sarcastic or funny, throwing something in there like that can make the ad more memorable. 

Remember that people are most likely driving their cars when they hear your ad. So if you want them to remember to look your business up later, they need to be able to recall the information with ease.

Having a short message to repeat your business name, location, website, etc., more than once can help too.

Have a Strong Call to Action

As mentioned above, your commercial needs to encourage listeners to take action. Some great commercial CTAs include:

  • Command words
  • Words to evoke emotion
  • Free consultations
  • Fear of missing out (sales, new product releases, etc.)

Your ad should have a purpose beyond simply introducing the public to your business. 

Don’t Be Unnatural

The biggest thing you should remember when considering how to create a radio ad is being natural is crucial. 

If a radio ad is too in your face, people get turned away from your business. Mentioning the products you sell or services you offer once is enough for them to understand what your business is about.

Repeating it too often can make people tune it out or change the station. So instead, try working your message in as naturally as possible, so people don’t feel like they’re being sold something and instead feel like they’re discovering something they need instead.

Stay True to Your Brand Voice

The radio advertising industry is projected to have a $19.58 billion market size this year. That’s a massive bump from previous years.

It can be easy to assume no matter what your ad sounds like, just having one alone is all it takes. But, in reality, focusing on your brand voice is essential if you plan on using radio ads regularly to promote your business.

Knowing what your business stands for and what it doesn’t is a crucial first step before writing any commercials. You don’t want to give people the wrong idea, especially if you have multiple different ads running.

Your brand doesn’t change when the commercials do, so staying consistent matters. Here are a few more tips about maintaining your brand voice throughout your commercials.

Record Quality Audio

If you’ve ever listened to a recording with poor quality audio, you know how frustrating it can be. Usually, it’s so distracting you have no idea what the message actually is because all you can focus on is how bad it sounds.

If your commercial audio quality is poor, assume your results will be poor too.

Using quality recording equipment and choosing the right person to record the ad is necessary. Eventually, your ads might be defined by the speaker you choose, so choosing wisely at the start is essential.

Choose the Right Station

You can create a compelling ad with a fantastic call to action and beautiful recording quality and see zero results if you choose the wrong station to play your ad.

If your target audience is middle-aged people with disposable incomes, running an ad on a popular teen music radio station doesn’t make sense. 

You should understand which stations your audience is most likely to listen to and target them. 

Click here to learn the ten most important tips for creating compelling ads so you can get started on the right foot and wow people with your ads from the getgo.

How to Create a Commercial: Well Crafted Radio Ads Bring Stellar Results

If you wondered how to create a commercial to catch people’s attention on the radio, this article laid everything out.

If you follow the tips mentioned here, no matter what your business is, you should be able to craft a unique commercial to catch people’s attention. 

If you’re ready to hop into radio advertising as soon as possible, contact us today to learn about our radio ad production services, so your audio quality enhances your commercial instead of taking away from it!

What Is a Sound Logo? How Sonic Branding Can Help Your Business + 5 Top Examples

Sound Logo Netflix

If you own a small business, you already know branding is incredibly important. Branding is the process of creating a perception of a product, service, or company. More importantly, branding is what makes your business distinct in the minds of your consumers. A total brand image should tell your customers what your company does, what your values are, and how they should think about your company.

Branding is accomplished primarily through visual means. Logos, website design, and even the style of writing used in all written and web communications are what most people think of when they consider branding. However, branding can also be accomplished via audio. Most audio branding is accomplished by jingles or radio advertising. But there is another aspect of audio branding that many companies miss:

The sound logo or audio logo.

What is a Sound Logo?

Sound logos are part of an overall marketing strategy called sonic branding. Sonic branding uses sound instead of or combined with visuals to evoke a particular message for a brand. A sound logo is a short sound clip, no more than a few seconds long, that can accompany a visual cue or stand in the place of a visual logo. This strengthens the recognition between the visual and the product/company because the human brain is especially in tune with audio cues. In fact, the brain has a faster reaction time to auditory stimuli than it does to visual stimuli. So, a sound logo is a powerful tool companies can use to cement their brand image into their customers’ minds.

Audio logos are also especially powerful because humans are hard-wired to have emotional responses to sound. Music or other audio cues are processed in the emotional center of the brain. This emotional hub also is responsible for memory recall. For example, a listener can hear a piece of music that makes them feel happy or sad, and they immediately recall memories associated with those emotions.

The right sound logo can evoke powerful emotions in customers that a company can use to its advantage. An expert sound designer can craft an audio logo that triggers the right emotions so that your product or service is viewed favorably by your audience.

But how is this done? Well, consider the following five examples of audio logos. These top companies use these sound logos as part of their overall sonic branding strategy, to great success.

Top 5 Famous Examples

1. Netflix

The Netflix sound logo is one of the most recognizable sound logos of the streaming age. It’s also one of the shortest. At just two notes, the “ta-dum” sound that plays when the app loads on your device is a great example of the emotional power of sound. What do you feel when you load up Netflix and this sound plays? Are you excited about binge-watching? I know I am.

2. Intel

The Intel audio logo is one of the most well-known technology audio logos in history. And on its surface, it may sound simple. A five-note mnemonic, the logo lasts about three seconds. But it’s actually a multi-layered sound comprised of many instruments playing the catchy sequence of notes. You can probably hum it without playing the video above, it’s that pervasive.

3. THX

THX is focused on high-quality sound, so what better way to set audience expectations than with an exciting, engaging, and loud sound logo? A full orchestral suite glissando, the logo starts soft and transitions to a mind-bogglingly loud climax. The THX logo was a staple of many cinematic experiences of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. When you hear this logo, you know exciting things are going to happen.

4. T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s melody is instantly recognizable and iconic. The bright and catchy 5-note trill is an earworm that most people can hum by heart even if they aren’t a T-Mobile customer. Combined with the bright pink T-Mobile logo, the mood and brand image they convey are clear and target modern audiences.

5. Apple

Sound logos aren’t just used in advertising. Audio cues of all kinds are pervasive across Apple’s product lineup. The most recognizable are the Mac startup noises as outlined in the video above. Apple does sound design very well, bringing forth a nostalgic and trustworthy image as a power player of a tech company. You can even hear examples of their expert sound design in the actions you take every day on your iPhone. From the swoosh when you send an email, to the ding-ding of a text message. These sounds are unique to Apple and instantly bring forth their brand image when heard.

How Can My Business Use an Audio Logo?

Now that you’ve listened to these examples and you know the value of an audio logo, you may be wondering how you can create one. If you aren’t an experienced sound designer or if you don’t have a strong brand image in mind, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Killerspots’ sound design and graphic design team can work together hand in hand to help you create a sound logo that will plant your business on the map. First, we can sit down with you and go over your existing visual logo to talk about its message. What colors are you using for your business? What message and mood are you trying to convey? Is your brand punchy or is it warmer and welcoming? How do you want your customers to feel when they see your visual logo and hear your audio cue?

The answers to these questions will guide our branding experts through the design and development process of your audio logo. Once we have a clear idea of your message, then the magic can happen.

And it really is magic. Check out our audio logo and one we made for master entrepreneur and CEO, Storm Bennett:

We Can Hear Your Sound Logo Now

Combined with an overall brand strategy, utilizing an audio logo for your business can set you apart from your competitors. Partner it with a killer jingle or radio campaign, and you have the perfect recipe for a brand that sticks and eventually, a loyal customer base. Get in touch with Killerspots today to find out how we can create an audio logo for your brand that will become synonymous with your business image.

Jingle for Commercials : 5 Ways to Create Engaging Television Ads

Television ads

Video advertisements, such as television ads, are shared 1,200% more than the combination of texts and links. Consumers are able to remember videos better, thus remembering the brand and its products. 

In fact, investing in television ads can increase the effectiveness of your advertising by 40%! 

That is if you do it right. 

It can be difficult to capture the attention of viewers when commercials are on. Nowadays, TV watchers turn to their phones during a commercial break. So, how do you make them look up from their smaller screens?

Keep reading to find out!

1. A Memorable Jingle

What are some of the most memorable jingles of television ads today? According to this study, “Nationwide is on your side” is the best-known jingle. We’ll bet you even sang it in your head when coming across those words. 

The second most memorable is McDonald’s “Ba-da-ba-ba-baaa… I’m lovin’ it.”

Closely following isn’t even much of a jingle, just the powerful cry of “RICOLAAAAA.” 

We’ve learned from this that your jingle doesn’t have to be extremely clever, long, or funny. It just has to be simple and unique. Not to mention, a commercial jingle should be timeless. 

By this, we mean you should not factor in trends, because trends are always shifting. 

Think about what your brand sells and who the target audience is. Familiarize yourself with their likes and dislikes. Then, consider your brand identity and how the two correlate. 

What are you promising to the consumer with their use of your product or service? How should your customer feel afterwards?

The Nationwide insurance jingle suggests safety and calmness with their services. McDonald’s suggests that their delicious food will make you want to do a little dance. Ricola allows the user to think they can scream from the mountaintops after using their lozenge. 

Look for a way to convey messages like these through a jingle of your own. If writing jingles production isn’t your forté, we’re happy to help

2. A Promise to Make Consumer’s Lives Easier

You’ve created your business through identifying a lack of your product or service in the market. Therefore, your business should be the saving grace of your target consumer. 

Your television ads should make this apparent. They must suggest the problem and offer your solution. 

The suggestion of a common problem can be difficult to convey nonchalantly. This must be expertly done, as it will be the factor that makes your audience look up from their phones. 

Don’t be the ad that directly questions: “Do you have problems with blah-blah-blah?” That makes it too infomercial-like. 

Make the commercial seem like it is an exact representation of your target audience struggling without the use of your product or service. Give it some quirks, make it slightly absurd, add your spin on the situation. 

And then bring it home with your business being the superhero. End with that killer jingle that everyone gets stuck in their heads, and you just got someone to search your business on their phone during the next commercial. 

3. Representation Matters

There is a line between consumers wanting to see their celebrity idols endorsing a product versus them wanting to see folks they can identify with. 

The best television commercials both entice a customer and offer trustworthiness. Trust can be built between a brand and its customers through inclusive marketing.

In fact, 49% of consumers do not purchase goods from brands that don’t uphold similar values. 

We suggest looking at the reviews of your products and services to find who is using them. Address their concerns with your television ads and let them know you’re listening. 

A brand that listens to their customers gains loyalty. 

A celebrity on TV commercials give it that “wow” factor, but only for short term interest. Representing folks with real issues and offering a real solution will provide you with long-term sales. 

4. Pair Your Television Ads With Radio

We at Killerspots are experts in multiple ad production services, and custom jungles for your business can live on a few different advertising entities. 

Ears will certainly perk up when they identify a familiar sound. So, if you’re watching TV at home and hear an ad that you heard on the radio earlier today, you’ll likely look up to see what it is. 

This is an attention grabber. 

It also suggests to consumers that your business must be doing well if able to afford both television and radio ad placements—thus granting your business credibility. 

If a consumer in need of services like yours thinks you to be credible and trustworthy, they’re more likely to pick your business over competitors. 

5. Consistency is Key

When placing an ad anywhere, regardless of it being TV, radio, print, etc., you want your advertisements to be consistent. By this, we mean that you want your ads to seamlessly coalesce.

Doing this allows your customers to immediately identify your brand. You’ve attracted a niche market, and your products or services must find a niche commercial idea that can be translated across mediums.

Perhaps that’s through using the same actor or actress every time. Maybe your jingle plays at the beginning as a quick identifying trigger. 

No matter how you do it, you want people to see or hear something and immediately recognize your brand. 

Jingle Your Way to Sales

Creating engaging television ads is difficult to come by nowadays, but the most important thing is the jingle that pairs with it. This sets the tone of your brand and serves as a building block to loyalty and sales. 

Contact us today to find out what we can do for you and your business. We are a full-service agency that is eager to tackle any of your marketing needs.

Top 10 Radio Ad Script Examples

radio ad script examples

While some question radio’s influence on the market, it remains a powerful communication and marketing medium. According to statistics from a recent survey, 244.5 million people listen to radio stations each month. 

Out of these, 92% listen over airwaves live while the rest use online radio. Seeing as the radio will continue to dominate the years to come, it seems automatic to advertise through the platform.

Well, not so fast because there are thousands of brands all competing for the same consumer attention. To stand out, you’ll not only need a consistent campaign but a perfect radio ad script as well.

Below is a run-down of the top radio ad script examples that produced incredible results for their companies.

1. Marmite, “The Mondays”

Adam & Eve/ DDB went over and beyond to provide one of the best radio ads of all time. The script? It was written by the two talented creatives Ben Stilitz and Colin Booth, in early 2016 before the campaign aired later that year.

Unlike most radio ad script examples, this one uniquely highlights the consumers’ problem and then presents the advertiser as an instant solution. This is all through an empathetic tone to tell the listener they’re together with them. The radio ad script example goes like this: 

“Are you having a case of the Mondays? Do you experience a once-a-week sore personality, swollen mood, or inflamed temper? The Maritime on toast for breakfast could be what you need. Its anecdotally proven to help families smash through the start of their week. To report a case of Monday’s call the Maritime helpline. Hate Mondays, Love Marmite.”

Regardless of public opinion, Marmite “The Monday’s” will go down as one of the best radio ads. Because of the excellent work, the script won the Ariel Awards for best radio ad in 2016.

2. Dove “Self Conscious”

In 2005, Dove, one of America’s pioneer personal care brands, launched a radio advertising campaign to improve how women see themselves. The results were spectacular since many women became more confident in their natural look after.

The brains behind this successful radio ad script example are Samuel Lotze and Miguel Nunes, who put it this way:

“The more someone makes you think about your body, the harder it becomes to ignore. Your tongue, for example. Normally, you hardly notice it’s there, but now I’ve mentioned it, you can feel your tongue pushing against your lower front teeth. You notice your tongue feels a little too long for your mouth, and then you constantly move it about.”

“A few seconds ago, you hardly noticed your tongue, and now you can’t stop thinking about it. Now imagine the hundreds of messages girls are exposed to daily, subtly changing how they think about their bodies.

See how you can help at selfesteem.dove.co.uk. Dove. Be your beautiful self.”

The sub-conscious tour of this radio, as the script takes you through, is well-thought. Plus, the call to action at the end is clear, which makes it one of the greats.

3. Radio Center “See Radio Differently”

Radio-center released the “see radio differently” campaign in 2016. Created by Yan Elliot, this radio script changed people’s perception of radio and its marketing potential.

While there have been different ads to date, all with different scripts, this is an example of the script that stood out most:

“Announcing a technological breakthrough. A marketing tool so immediate that your message could reach the nation at the speed of sound. Okay, look, it’s radio. Yes, radio. And because it’s so simple to make, you can write a brilliant ad today, record it in the morning and be on air by the evening. Don’t worry, you can still sound fussy. See radio differently at radiocenter.org.”

This is one of the high-performing radio ad scripts to date. It has everything from humor to sarcasm that brings out the fun side of the radio.

4. McDonald’s “Driver”

McDonald’s is one of the heavy radio advertising brands today, with each ad not beyond a 15-second radio script. But, in their latest radio script, by Graham Lakeland and Richard Robinson, McDonald’s use the power of curiosity in their ad.

The script goes this way: Background voice:” Okay, Sophie, if you could turn left here, please. Mirror, signal, and maneuver. Now slow down and come to a complete stop.”

Girl voice: “Is this okay?” Background voice: “Good and apply the handbrake, now window down.” McDonald’s representative: “Morning, can I take your order?” Background voice: “I’ll have a bacon roll, please.

Give in the delicious bacon roll from McDonald’s. Three rations of delicious bacon in a soft white roll with either ketchup or sauce.”

While it’s purely a promotional ad, they put it in such a way as to hook and keep your mind till the end.

5. Waitrose “We’re Leaving”

Radio advertising isn’t all about marketing. In some cases, like with Waitrose’s “We’re Leaving” campaign, it’s to send a message.

After Waitrose and Ocado ended their nine-year working relationship, Waitrose used a radio ad to inform its consumers of the break. Here’s how the 10-minute radio ad script example looked like:

“Hi Ocado, it’s Waitrose. Listen, it’s been fun, but we’re leaving, and we’re taking the Kiowa. You know, the love-life multi-seeded Kiowa and our essential extra Macheda number one fair trade coffee and dutchy organic broccoli.

We should probably throw in our avocados cherry and smoked salmon and Scottish fish fingers. Oh!, and we mustn’t forget our fresh essentials. Voicemail full.”

“On the first of September, we’re partying ways with Ocado. So if you’re looking for Waitrose branded products, the only place to find them is in our stores or Waitrose.com”

6. 2 Hiscox Business Insurance ‘Synth’

This ad script by Alex Grieve and Adrian Rossi produced great results and was among the best in 2018. Hiscox highlighted the problems in the cyber world and how it can provide a solution for them through live tracking.

This is how the radio ad script sounds:

“Malware, phishing, identity theft. Every day, cybercrime is getting cleverer, with criminals deploying new techniques that could damage your business.  For example, this ad has been voiced by me, a professional actress, and a synthesized AI copy. Could you tell who was which?”

“At Hiscox, it’s this type of threat we make it our business to know. That’s why our Specialist Business Insurance helps you stay one step ahead of cybercrime. To find out more and to see what lines were real, go to Hiscox.co.uk/onestepahead. Hiscox. Ever onwards.”

7. Morrisons “Feeding the Nation

The fourth-largest supermarket chain in the United States of America did an excellent job in reassuring all citizens during a confusing and stressful time. The script narrated how the supermarket services were to occur in chronological order.

To be precise, the radio ad script read something like:

“At Morrisons, on Tuesday the fourteenth of April, our stores will open earlier. Some days won’t change, but Monday to Saturday it’ll be 6 am – 7 am for NHS workers, 7 am – 8 pm for everyone else.

A whole extra hour! Morrisons feeding the nation. It’s more than our job. Majority of stores, check Morrisons.com/storefiner for your local hours.”

8. Disney+

As more and more people spent more time indoors, Disney took the opportunity to advocate for entertainment as a way to keep busy or distracted. Last year, this radio ad launched back in March had Disney make a big comeback in the entertainment scene.

The short adscript read: 

“Disney invites you to test your Disney and Pixar knowledge. See how many of these iconic movies you can name” (a list of movie trailers appears for you to name). Whatever your score, now you can relive those moments and discover many more. With all the best Disney and Pixar movies. All these at $5.99 a month. Disney+. 18+ subscription required T & Cs apply.”

9. Just Eat

Just Eat, the global online food delivery marketplace that connects consumers to restaurants, revamped its identity via radio advertisement. The campaign dubbed “Just Eat” was popularized by Snoop Dog doing a jingle of the slogan.

While much of the ad is a song, Snoop does an excellent job of mentioning some of the food products Just Eat deal with. For this reason, it’s one of the top radio ad script examples in 2021.

10. Government Coronavirus Message

The Federal government, through radio stations, issued public awareness campaigns throughout 2020. These carefully written ad scripts helped the nation keep up with ever-changing policies and regulations. It went like this:

“This is an important update from the government about Coronavirus. We all need to stay alert to control the virus and reduce the risk of infection. Staying late means you must stay at home as much as possible, work from home if you can.

Besides, limit contact with others. Keep your distance if you go out. Wash your hands regularly. Do not leave home if you or anyone in your house has symptoms. Stay alert. Control the virus. Save lives.”

Best Radio ad Scripts 2021

This is the list of top 10 radio ad script examples. While it’s not definitive, as others could potentially make a list as well, it summarizes which radio ads have had the most impact. 

If you’d like to book an ad slot for your campaign or just need help writing an ad script, contact us by visiting our website for more information.

Radio Marketing: Is It Still Relevant?

radio marketing

It’s easy to conclude that modern marketing is all about social media and guerilla marketing. Actually, this couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Radio marketing might have been around for almost 100 years, but that doesn’t mean its days are over. There are several reasons why any marketer should definitely include radio as part of their marketing strategy.

Let’s take a closer look at why it’s relevant, and how to crush it in this field.

The Massive Reach of Radio

According to the latest research by the Pew Research Center, 83% of Americans over 12 listen to radio on a given week. Online radio is also big, with 62% of adults surveyed listening in the last week.

Why Radio Reaches People

Terrestrial radio, broadcast to a local area using an AM or FM signal, still reaches people for several reasons.

The first is the daily commute. Millions of Americans spend time going to and from work listening to the radio each day. Many have it on when picking the kids up from school and running errands. 

There are also people who have the radio on the whole day while working. All this means that potentially millions of people hear the ad, and they don’t just hear it once. The longer they listen, the more times they hear it, and the greater the impact.

Many stations also broadcast over the internet, allowing them to reach wider audiences on the go. Listeners can download podcasts that include advertising content.

Radio Ads Reach the Target Audience

Radio is a highly segmented market. For example, in Cincinnati alone, people can access well over 50 different radio stations. 

These cover interests as wide-ranging as hip-hop, classic country, and adult contemporary. This might seem overwhelming, but it actually gives marketers an opportunity.

No marketer targets everyone with their product or message. This pre-segmented marketplace gives the marketer an advantage.

It allows the team to create custom radio advertising to reach the target audience. They can also target the ads at different times of the day to reach different people.

Reach All Sectors of Society

Radio listeners are made up of a nearly 50/50 split between men and women. Teens also tune in, with contemporary hit radio their most popular choice.

Radio remains popular across different ethnic groups. 98% of Black and Hispanic people listen to the radio each month.

This data goes to show that whatever demographic marketers are trying to reach, there’s a radio station out there serving them.

Reach Those Not Online

We may think everyone and his dog is online these days. But actually, 7% of Americans do not use the internet. This is pretty evenly balanced across men and women, and different ethnic groups.

The fact is, if a company’s advertising is online-only, they’re not reaching those people. They’re keeping up to date somehow, and many of them are probably accessing that info through radio.

Radio Ads Reach People Naturally

Everyone knows that radio includes advertisements. We’re used to them, and they blend naturally with the content. The fact that they sit naturally within the context of the medium gives marketers an opportunity.

A visual ad online is just begging to be fast-forwarded. Most people’s fingers are hovering over the skip ads button. Unless it’s amazing, they count every second until they can click ‘skip ad’.

With radio advertising, marketers have the upper hand. Spots are typically very brief, and the listener can’t fast forward them. They also sit naturally within the broadcast and are accepted.

They also sit alongside content that the audience enjoys. That might be the talk radio style of a particular DJ. For most listeners, it’s their preferred type of music, with Country music stations the most popular across the US.

This relaxed audience is perfect for marketers. They have a good idea of the demographic that is listening. Get the spot right and people will call or look up the website as soon as it ends.

Leverage DJ Relationship with Audience

Before the term influencer was a thing, there were radio DJs. Now marketers understand the power of a recommendation from a ‘trusted friend’ such as a celebrity. A popular radio DJ could be a powerful ally in a marketing campaign. 

They frequently drive conversation and are able to bring people around to their way of thinking. If they come on board as a celebrity endorser, they can give the brand a shot in the arm.

This is because word of mouth remains the most successful form of advertising out there. Although they may really be strangers to their audience, successful jocks make them feel they are their close friends. The messages they communicate have a real influence on their listeners.

Reaches the Online Market

The online radio segment gives marketers an opportunity. Listeners access online radio while actively engaging with a device. Whether this is a tablet, phone, or computer, they have a way of immediately responding by visiting a website or social media account.

Internet radio can also provide insights into the audience that traditional radio cannot.

Radio Works Alongside Other Media

Radio gives marketers an opportunity to consolidate the message they’re putting out on other platforms.

The company may have invested heavily in a TV or social media ad campaign. Could they complement this with a radio ad? Brands that harness this power of radio find a higher level of brand awareness.

Radio Marketing Offers Value for Money

Bang for buck matters to marketers. Radio advertising may not be the most expensive form, but it’s also not cheap. There are production costs to consider, and additionally the cost of airing the spot time and time again. 

Nielsen research again highlights the value for money radio provides. Store visits increased by 20% in those who heard radio ads and visits to the retailer’s website also shot up by 75%. 

This highlights the power of radio in bringing business to both traditional and online businesses. 

Return on Ad Spend

Return on ad spend shows how hard those marketing dollars are working for businesses. 

Here, the power of radio really shines through.

For fast food retailers, the return on ad spend was $3 for every $1. For department stores, it was £17 for every $1 spent, and for the home improvement sector, it was $9 for every $1 spent.

How to Make a Radio Ad

The expression ‘theatre of the mind’ is often used in connection with radio advertising. This represents the radio advertiser’s goal. To put together an advert that is so successful, the listener’s mind is fully engaged.

The mind is so entranced that the listener creates an imaginary scene in their mind. This then connects with their emotions and makes them much more likely to follow through. 

Script is King

In a radio ad, the marketer has between 30 and 60 seconds to connect with your audience. To make the impact they want, not a word of the script can be wasted. To make it stand out from the crowd, they need to deliver something memorable.

Their script gives them an opportunity to deliver their message in a crisp and clear way. Also, because of the highly segmented nature of radio, it also gives them a chance to target a very specific audience.

Humor can be effective, as long as it’s easy to understand and is not offensive. Whatever style they choose, make sure at the end there is no doubt what they are advertising and what they need to do next.

Consider a Jingle

This might sound corny but stay with us. 

A jingle can be highly effective because they stick in the mind. The more they’re repeated, the greater the impact. There’s a reason people still hum jingles from the nineties – because they work. 

If they get them right, they ensure that their ad is not just white noise that people filter out. Make it catchy, and people are happy to hear it.

Getting Production Right

Once the script is ready, the advertiser needs to work with a production team to nail the production. It’s about more than hiring an actor to read the script and adding a few bells and whistles.

A production team will help take the spot or jingle and set it apart from the crowd. If you skimp on this, the audience will be able to tell. 

Don’t stand out from the crowd by sounding amateurish. Stand out for the right reasons by making a spot that grabs their interest and holds it for the full time. 

Radio Marketing: It’s the Future

Radio marketing may have been around for 99 years, but it’s far from a thing of the past. Radio continues to engage consumers – from teens to seniors. Marketers ignore it at their peril – it’s a serious tool for every marketer out there.

Are you ready to make a radio ad? Make sure you’re working with the best.

Killerspots is the industry leader in radio ad production. We’ve created award-winning spots for an array of clients, and are ready and waiting to create your ad!

Click here to learn more about what we can do for your business.

The Formula to Create a Winning Television Commercial

tv commercial

The first paid-for television commercial appeared almost exactly 80 years ago. It was aired on July 1, 1941, and the TV commercial is still an effective part of many advertising campaigns. 

Times are always changing in television. Yet, an effective TV commercial still has the power to grab an audience. The so-called demise of print media advertising never happened. Marketers still produce effective print material.  

Many thought radio advertising would wane too, but it’s still a viable marketing tool.

The same holds for television. As a result, the TV commercial is more visible in more ways than ever before. Different media now work in tandem to create better results.

So, how do you make a TV commercial that people will remember? All it takes is a well-formulated plan to reach the consumer. Keep reading to find out how.

Set the Goal

It sounds simple, but a plan to produce a TV commercial must come with a specific plan. A TV commercial generally lasts between 30 and 60 seconds, so budgeting is essential.

Questions need to ask what the commercial will achieve. There is no room for vagueness when trying to get the point across to the consumer. People talk of the elevator pitch, which is an analogy that fits here.

Within a short time message must first introduce the product or service. Then it will summarize the product before telling the customer how it affects them. Finally, the message will ask the consumer to take action.

That’s a lot to pack into 30 seconds, so the goal of the TV commercial must be clear.

It must also be measurable. Have a tangible result in mind before producing a script. There is no room for overreaching, so the expected result also needs to be attainable. For example, produce a television commercial with a definite timeline.

It’s easier to measure meeting that goal when a firm end date is in place. All parties involved then know all the parameters. TV production works better with a focused approach.

Finally, the goal for an effective TV commercial should be relevant to the situation. For example, if the advertisement intends to reach a local audience, there’s not to go beyond that border. This leads to the next step in producing an effective TV commercial.

Know the Audience

Good marketers understand that all consumers are not created equal. In every part of the world, people feel and think in different ways. That knowledge is key to TV commercial production.

For example, think of how an audience in rural America would react to a product compared to people in cities. Selling a fancy luxury car in farm country won’t resonate like it would in Los Angeles.

Research must go into a targeted audience to reach them with the expected message. Every market has cues that spark people’s interest. Learn the nuances that make the target audience tick.

With the financial commitment involved to make a TV commercial, a wide target will not work. In addition, there is little value in trying to pull in an audience that won’t view the TV commercial.

Learn the audience’s behaviors and characteristics. A message that relates to their unique traits results in an effective TV commercial. Never make assumptions about expectations of how audiences react.

Remember that the viewer is a passive participant. The best way to catch their attention is to speak their language and understand the way they think.

TV commercial production is not the place to be all things to all people. The closer the message is to the audience that views the TV commercial, the easier it is to measure the result.

Keep it Simple

An effective TV commercial pitch begins and ends with a simple message. When making a single point, there’s no confusion in the viewer’s mind. When crafted well, the audience will get the point right from the start.

Clouding the issue with subtle messaging will leave the viewer guessing. That’s the last thing a good TV commercial should achieve. Instead, leave the viewer a clear picture in their mind.

It’s easy to overwhelm an audience with more information than they need. Simplifying the message to a single takeaway will benefit everyone. It also accomplishes another goal.

The simpler the TV commercial’s message, the more memorable it will be. Advertisers talk about ‘hooking’ an audience when they produce a TV commercial. The hook is the one thing the viewer should keep with them after the commercial ends.

Decide before writing the TV commercial what the viewer should remember most. For example, is the price of the product, or is the limited amount available more important?

If brand awareness is the goal, then price and availability are secondary. With a tight message in mind, there’s a better opportunity to leave the viewer wanting more.

Cliff hangers give marketers a chance to spread the message across channels. This means the marketing efforts from other media deliver a cohesive brand message.

The key is not to confuse the issue.

It’s better to make a TV commercial that gets remembered for one thing. A classic example is Wendy’s famous “Where’s the beef?” commercial. Decades later, people still talk about this advertisement.

Making a simple statement takes time to develop. Try out different messages to see which ones resonate best. It doesn’t need to be clever or funny to be poignant. As long as the message is clear, the TV commercial will return results.

Tighten the Script

With the goal of the TV commercial set and an intended audience researched, it’s time to write the script. With a clear message in mind, the next step is to make a TV commercial that fits in the time format.

The first three seconds are the most important part of an effective TV commercial. It has to grab the viewer’s interest to keep watching. Today’s audiences have become desensitized to a lot of television advertising. If they aren’t interested in the first part of the message, they’ll tune out.

The hook to get attention doesn’t have to be shocking or clever. But, it must be clear. So, every part of the TV commercial that follows will flow from the initial point. The story can then focus more on the product or service.

The next several seconds can connect with other forms of media advertising. Again, a developed theme for crossing media channels reinforces the message.

Then, at the end of the TV commercial, there needs to be a call to action. Tell the viewer exactly what’s expected of them. There shouldn’t be any guesswork involved.

The call to action is the measurable aspect of any good marketing campaign. There’s no better feedback than an audience that heeds the call to action.

Hire Professionals

The best way to achieve the desired results is to contract people who know their business. The return on investment will be worth the effort by hiring the right people to produce a TV commercial.

Marketing agencies that know how to deliver clear messages to consumers pay dividends. Make a television commercial that will reap the expected rewards. Work with TV commercial production companies who have shown results.

Each project is different, and nobody recognizes this better than professionals. They know the steps to creating effective TV commercials with lasting value.

Knowing how the process works will help producers hit the mark on the goal of the project. They can add features to a TV commercial to give it more emphasis.

Memorable taglines are part of their business. They can also produce a jingle for the TV commercial to enhance production value. But, of course, professional TV commercial production companies hire talent for the ad too.

From voiceover personnel to actors, marketers access talent pools for every need. There’s a lot that goes into making a TV commercial. So why leave it to chance?

There is a lot of value in finding a marketing company that knows the audience well. A local agency will have a keen sense of what resonates with viewers in the region.

That’s half the battle won when working on an effective TV commercial campaign.

Make a TV Commercial

Television advertising is still as relevant today as it has always been. It may not seem that way with the bombardment of other media daily. But, TV commercial production has evolved.

Smart marketers now make a television commercials to coincide with other media platforms. As a result, TV commercial projects that reflect similar messages to digital advertising reach wider audiences.

Yet, they also reach targeted audiences faster. Television in all its forms is still prevalent worldwide. TV commercial production enhances cross-media campaigns and still stands on its own so, if you’re looking to make a TV commercial that will exploit your brand, give us a call for a quote today.

8 Tips for Making a Wildly Successful Radio Ad

radio advertising

When a company launches an advertising campaign, it shouldn’t focus specifically on digital marketing, or specifically on TV. It should put efforts toward all forms of marketing, as doing so will allow it to obtain the biggest reach possible.

Radio advertising should not be exempt from a company’s marketing campaign. In fact, it should be a central part of it. 

But what if a company needs help making custom radio ads for business marketing purposes? Where should it get started? Right here with this article!

Without further ado, here are the keys to quality radio advertising. 

1. Create a Jingle

Regardless of the concept of a business’s ad, it needs to be accompanied by a jingle. A jingle is a short and catchy musical motif that’s meant to catch the ear of the listener and hang around for a while.

A good jingle will be remembered by hundreds or even thousands of people and will become a small part of the local culture. This bodes well for the business to whom that jingle belongs, as it ensures that said business is being thought of on a regular basis. 

The question is: how does one go about writing a good jingle? In truth, it’s not all that easy. It requires not only a catchy melody but memorable lyrics as well. 

For those unaccustomed to writing music, this can be a serious challenge. This is why it’s often wise to turn to a professional jingle writer. These individuals have written tons of jingles and know exactly how to make them successful. 

Finding a jingle writer is as simple as searching “jingle writing [name of location]” in Google. This should return the websites of a variety of local jingle writers. These websites should provide all of the information that an interested party needs. 

In the Cincinnati, Ohio area, the Killer Spots Agency is the premier jingle house. Contact Killer Spots today! 

2. Cater to the Customer Base

Whether it’s a product or a service, it has a specific type of customer that wants it more than the others. This customer is part of the product or service’s customer base, and he or she is the one to whom the product or service’s ad should be targeted. 

For instance, let’s take sporting goods. In the case of sporting goods, the customer base would be, well, athletes. As such, the radio ad should contain elements that appeal to athletes. 

These elements could be anything from crowd noises to impersonations of popular sports icons and more. In any case, it should include elements that appeal to athletes.

The same goes for any other customer base as well. A music shop shouldn’t make a sports-themed radio ad, for instance. It should try to come up with an idea that will pique the interest of musicians instead. 

3. Use Slogans

Slogans might come across as a little hokey from time to time, but the fact of the matter is that they’re effective.

After all, think of all of the famous advertising slogans that have been rolled out over time: “I’m Lovin’ It”, “Just Do It”, “Where’s the Beef?”, “The Breakfast of Champions”. 

On their own, these are just simple 3 or 4 letter phrases. But because they’ve been uttered so many times, they are almost 100% representative of their respective brands. As such, every time those slogans are said, those brands come to the listener’s mind. 

What’s the point of all of this? The point is that, when creating a radio ad, a company needs to use slogans within that ad. It needs to come up with something short and catchy and then sprinkle it into the advertisement 2 to 5 times. 

If a company isn’t able to come up with its own catchphrase or slogan, it can turn to the services of a marketing company. 

4. Write a Good Script

There are some radio ads that are just flat-out bad. What’s the primary purpose for this? In most cases, it’s the weakness of the script. 

The trouble is that a lot of small business owners lack creative writing skills. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s just the way it is. 

As a result, when they create radio ads for their businesses, they come up with absurd premises, lazy dialogue, and, well, some of the most cheesy situations known to humankind. 

Unfortunately, most listeners don’t respond to these types of scripts. At worst, they make fun of them, which turns the company in question into something of a local joke. 

In essence, when creating a radio ad, companies must spend tons of time on the script and make sure that it’s of high quality. If the company can’t produce a good script on its own, it should call up its local marketing company. 

5. Hook Them At the Beginning

Perhaps the biggest key to a good radio ad is to hook the listeners from the beginning. If it’s 5 to 10 seconds into an ad before something attention-grabbing happens, listeners will likely miss out on the beginning of the ad entirely, rendering it ineffective. 

It’s important to get the listener’s attention from the start. One way to do this is with volume. A loud slogan or jingle will almost certainly get the listener’s attention from the start. 

This can be enhanced with the telling of a story, or a special offer, and maybe even a joke (of course, it has to actually be funny). In any case, it’s important to grab the listener’s attention from the word go.

Getting the listener to take notice of the beginning of the ad renders the best chance of getting him or her to listen to the entirety of the ad. And when that happens, sales are made. 

6. Get Good Actors

Not everyone is cut out for acting, even on radio adverts for their business. So, while a business owner might want to appear on his or her own radio ad, he or she might not possess the acting chops needed to do so. 

There are plenty of radio ads that do feature bad acting. At best, they’re passable and might turn a few sales. At worst, they’re detrimental to the company that created them, as they turn off potential customers forever. 

Good acting is not a plus; it’s a requirement. It’s worth hiring skilled actors in order to create a quality ad. And while it’s possible to cut corners in some areas, businesses should never cut corners in this area. 

7. Play It for Others First 

One of the biggest mistakes that businesses make with a radio ad is having it broadcasted before it’s been listened to by others.

A company could think that it has the greatest ad of all time. However, just because that company perceives it that way doesn’t mean that anybody else will. 

In short, radio ads need to be tested. They need to be played for several people so that they can deliver honest feedback; “honest” being the keyword here. 

Every business owner is sure to have an honest friend or family member that he or she can turn to; someone who can be blunt and merciless. That’s the type of person who should test each ad. 

8. Include a Call to Action

The entire point of a company broadcasting a radio ad is to get listeners to do business with that company. If listeners don’t know how to get a hold of the company, they’re not going to be able to do that. 

This is why it’s imperative for radio ads to include calls to action. A call to action is an instruction to the listener.

It tells the listeners to, say, call for a free consultation at a specific number. It might also tell listeners to visit a specific website. 

The call to action is what drives sales. All of the other stuff can work to get the listener’s attention, but this is what turns that listener into a customer. 

Calls to action should be repeated several times throughout each ad, with special priority on the end of the ad (during which it should be repeated 2 to 3 times). This might feel like overkill, but it’s necessary to get the listener to perform the desired action (ie. make a purchase). 

Providing a Range of Radio Advertising Services 

If ever a company needs radio advertising services, it should turn to a radio marketing agency. If that company is based in the Cincinnati area, the best radio marketing agency for it to turn to is The Killer Spots Agency.  

Our company assists in all aspects of radio advertising strategy. Not only do we create radio jingles but voiceovers and more. We also offer recording studio time. 

Contact the Killer Spots Agency now! 

Automotive Marketing: How to Drive More Foot Traffic to Your Business

automotive marketing

As a local car dealership, the success of your business relies heavily on how well you’re known throughout the community and what type of reputation you have. Running a legitimate, customer-friendly business isn’t enough by itself anymore. You must get the word out to compete in today’s capitalistic society.

But things have changed. There are new ways to get people’s attention and increase foot traffic to your dealership. Automotive marketing, in some ways, isn’t what it used to be.

Keep reading for our top automotive marketing strategies, from the tried and true ways of the past to the innovative techniques of the future.

Local TV and Radio Ads

Brand awareness and recognition are some of the most important factors when it comes to making it big in your community. Simply put, people have to feel familiar with your name before they’ll have enough faith to buy a car from you. One of the best ways to plant the seed and get your name out there is with local TV and radio ads.

While many people have converted to satellite radio or streaming services for music, there is a large number who still listen to the radio in their car, at work, or even at home. Buying ad space on popular radio channels is a great way to start planting a seed.

Similarly, despite services like Netflix and Hulu, there is still a wide range of people who watch local TV programming, such as the evening news. This would be a prime spot to place commercials for your dealership.

Host an Event With a Local Charity

There’s a negative stigma out there about car dealerships. People always seem wary about them, even when it’s completely unfounded. Hosting a charity event is an automotive marketing strategy that will raise awareness to an important cause, familiarize the community with your dealership, and shed any negative stigmas.

Work with a local charity of your choice and come up with a community event. Art galas, silent auctions, concerts, and 5K races are all popular. Bring in other local businesses to raise your budget for the event, find new affiliates, and bring in more interest.

Make sure you start advertising for the event well in advance and through multiple platforms (social media, newspapers, radio ads, and more). The goal is to get as many guests as possible to attend.

Buyer Incentive Programs

Next, when it comes to buying cars, people are always looking to get the best deal possible. If there’s a way for them to save, they’ll take it.

We recommend offering new buyer incentive programs once a month or once a quarter to keep things interesting. For example, you could offer cash or mail-in rebates on any new car sales, exclusive low financing APRs, major discounts, etc.

Get Popular on Social Media

Your business needs to have at least one social media account. Did you know that nearly 70 percent of American adults have a Facebook account? That means the majority of your target audience is in one convenient location.

Gain more followers by posting engaging and valuable content and encourage your current followers to like, comment, and share. You can also host fun competitions, raffles, and more that offer an exciting prize. This will get more people engaged, helping you extend your reach.

You can also use social media paid advertising, which comes with the ability to select your target audience based on age, gender, hobbies, location, and more. Additionally, this advertising comes with analytics that will track how each ad performs (likes, comments, shares, views, link clicks). It will also show you any trends or patterns of those who engaged with your ads, such as gender, age, time of day, etc.

Use Landing Page Ads

Landing page ads are a great way to grab a user’s attention with a compelling incentive and a powerful call to action. A lot of business owners offer large discounts, exclusive content, free eBooks, and more to get people to click through.

Where they click through to depends on your strategy. You can use it to drive traffic to your website, guide users to your inventory page to check out your newest vehicles in stock, or persuade them to subscribe to your email list.

You can set up landing pages through your website, affiliate websites, and through paid ads.

Make Sure Your Website SEO Is on Point

One of the most important organic automotive marketing strategies is learning how to use SEO. Search engine optimization is an algorithm used by search engines like Google to find the most relevant websites and information based on keyword searches.

For example, if someone searches for “car dealerships near me,” your website’s local SEO will determine whether or not your site comes up in the search results. You can boost your SEO by adding a blog to your website full of keywords and media embedded with metadata. If you’re not familiar with SEO, it may be beneficial to hire a company that can help.

Affiliate With Other Local Businesses

Running a small business of any kind isn’t easy, and you shouldn’t do it alone. However, we’re not talking about bringing on business partners. We’re talking about building affiliate relationships with other local businesses for your automotive marketing.

Networking with other businesses extends your reach to other client bases. Make sure the companies you approach aren’t competitors but are relevant to your dealership. Figure out a referral strategy that will benefit both businesses.

For example, if your dealership doesn’t offer its own financing, you could approach banks and other lenders. You could also contact local insurance agencies.

Looking for More Tips on Automotive Marketing?

If you’re looking to improve your automotive marketing, we can help. Take a look at some of our professional advertising services. We offer SEO help, email automation, audio production and more.

And for a little insight into what we can do for you, contact us today for a free SEO analysis.

Why You Need an Integrated Marketing Strategy for Your Car Dealership

integrated marketing strategy

74% of marketers say it’s important to have a cohesive omnichannel experience for customers. In fact, 73% of shoppers use more than one channel during their shopping journey. Let’s say a prospective client finds your car dealership on a search engine like Google. While they’re searching, they find other car dealerships on Google, in an email, on social media, and in YouTube video. Chances are, they’re more likely to remember the brands they see over and over again. A successful digital marketing strategy requires more than one tactic. With an integrated marketing strategy, you can attract more leads and boost your business.

Keep reading to discover the top benefits of developing an integrated marketing approach.

1. Build Brand Visibility and Trust

If people don’t know who you are, what reason do they have to choose your dealership over someone else’s? It can take five to seven impressions before you can develop even a little brand awareness. However, your brand has to appear consistent each time.

Otherwise, potential buyers might think you’re someone else.

An integrated marketing strategy will unite all of your efforts under the same umbrella. The more often customers see your brand, the more brand awareness you’ll develop. As you appear in front of more people, more often, they’ll begin recognizing your brand.

It’s important to make sure your brand appears the same across every marketing channel. Make sure your colors, fonts, imagery, tone, and voice are consistent. You should also use the same logo to boost brand recognition.

As brand visibility and recognition develop, you can also begin developing a relationship with customers. They’ll recognize your brand based on the message and values you communicate. Building this rapport will make it easier for customers to trust your business.

Without that trust, potential car buyers will turn toward another dealership instead.

2. Eliminate Confusion

Seeing a completely redesigned brand on each marketing channel could confuse your audience. For example, potential car buyers might see your brand on social media but fail to connect it with your website.

A well-thought-out digital marketing strategy can help you avoid causing confusion.

Creating a uniform message and brand image will help people connect your brand on every platform. However, you’ll need to make sure your overall message is uniform as well. Your newspaper ad, Facebook page, and email marketing might all convey different messages that fail to connect.

As a result, customers might fail to connect your brand across every marketing platform. Instead of engaging with your message, you’ll scare them off.

An integrated marketing strategy will unite your tactics within one cohesive campaign. By deciding on a clear message, you can focus customers on a single goal (buying a car). Then, your customers won’t feel confused about who you are or what you offer.

Focus your brand on a single vision. For example, your dealership might want to “provide customers with their absolute dream car.” You might make offering customers with energy-efficient options your goal instead.

Choose a message. Make sure it’s clear and concise. Then, communicate that message across your campaigns.

3. Remain Top-of-Mind

A cohesive message will also help you remain top-of-mind with potential buyers.

When you create a united brand, you’ll begin building brand awareness and recognition. The next time a prospective car buyer thinks about purchasing a new vehicle, they’ll remember your brand instead of someone else’s.

Posting your digital marketing content across different channels will give them the reminder they need.

For example, let’s say someone visited your website to read a blog post. After subscribing to receive your emails, they received a reminder about an upcoming sale weeks later. These strategic digital marketing strategies will help you remain top-of-mind when prospects are in the market for a new car.

4. Become a Thought Leader

Becoming a thought leader can help you gain a competitive edge. People want to buy from the best in the business. By creating high-quality, informative content, you can show prospective buyers you’re a knowledgeable resource in the industry.

Becoming a thought leader by posting regular blogs and digital marketing content is another way to boost your brand. At the same time, you’re creating content you need to remain top-of-mind with customers.

A search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is an effective way to become a thought leader. SEO involves researching what your customers are searching for. Then, you use your keyword research to make compelling, informative content.

Make sure your content is informative and well-researched.

As you rank higher on search engines like Google, you’ll position yourself ahead of competitors. This top-of-page position will make you appear credible and authoritative.

People are more likely to trust a brand with that top ranking. With an integrated marketing strategy, you can unite your SEO efforts, email marketing, website, and social media to boost your brand, ranking, and credibility.

5. Increase Media Coverage

One of the most effective ways to step out of the crowd is to use data-driven PR. People want stories they can connect with. Connecting with PR resources, including publications and reporters, can help you stand out from competitors.

Then, your brand will appear in more publications.

In order to improve your public relations, you need a strong, cohesive brand first. Your integrated marketing strategy will ensure your branding and SEO help you catch the attention of these publications.

6. Keep Your Message Consistent

In order to develop a multi-faceted marketing plan, you need to keep your message consistent. After all, you can’t plan where customers will see your first. You can develop a plan for each of your marketing channels, then unite them to achieve the same goals.

An integrated marketing plan will keep your message consistent. A cohesive message will make it easier for people to become familiar with your brand.

7. Improve Your ROI

All of your digital marketing content takes time and money to develop. That includes images, graphics, blog posts, videos, and more. In order to make the most of these assets, you can create a digital marketing strategy to ensure they achieve the same goals.

By making the most of your content under an integrated strategy, you can save money and boost your ROI.

Speed Up Sales: 7 Reasons You Need an Integrated Marketing Strategy

Attract more people to your dealership and speed up sales. Now that you’re equipped with these reasons to develop an integrated marketing strategy, get to it! By developing a strong digital marketing strategy, you can boost your brand and sell more cars!

Ready to get started? Get a quote from our team today!

How to Develop an Audio Marketing Strategy in 2020

audio marketing

With so many different mediums out there, it is hard to identify and plan the right marketing strategy for your business. What you have to remember about marketing strategies is that the ultimate goal is to connect with your target audience. 

While audio marketing was briefly eclipsed by visual media, the number of individuals engaging with audio media like podcasts and the radio is actually on the rise!

Many businesses have been out of the audio marketing game for a while now, which is why we are going to show you how to develop a successful audio marketing strategy in 2020!

Why You Should Choose Audio Marketing

Audio Marketing is a great tool to connect to your target audience! In recent years, it is shown that audio content has the highest retention rate. 

The nature of audio allows listeners to engage at any time, unlike visual or written content. Millions of people are now listening to the radio on their way to work, streaming music or books in the background at work, or listening to a podcast while they work out at the gym. 

Due to the fact that most audio content can be enjoyed while a person is doing another specific activity, many listeners tune in to their favorite audio media for a dedicated amount of time. 

Think about it, you can’t read a book on your drive to work, but you can listen to one. You can’t dedicate time to watch an hour-long TV episode if you are on a run outdoors, but you can definitely tune into a podcast! 

People in all age ranges, genders, socioeconomic status and backgrounds are listening to audio media! This is a market that still is under-saturated and any business can weave their audio marketing content seamlessly into it. Now is your chance to try it out!

Identify Your Target Audience

The most important aspect of any marketing strategy is to identify your target audience. Many businesses make the mistake of not being specific enough in regards to this!

A business that sells active wear might say, “We want to target women that go to the gym.” This leaves out a ton of factors like location, age, and socioeconomic status. All of these factors play a huge role in how you can effectively advertise to your specific audience!

Your target audience is going to affect the type of audio content you put out, and where you are hosting your audio content!

If you are advertising a product towards the elderly, it may not make sense to host your audio content on Spotify or YouTube, because the likelihood of it reaching your audience is slim. In contrast, if you want to market a product to teenagers, you might not want to use the radio to market to them because individuals that don’t drive usually do not listen to the radio. 

Take time to identify your target audience and then do background research on where your target audience is consuming their audio content!

Different Types of Audio Content

Once you select your target audience, you will be able to choose the type of audio marketing you want to create and where you want to host your content!

There are a few different types of audio marketing you can try out:

  • Podcasts
  • Audio Commercials
  • Audio books
  • Voice Search

Most people are familiar with audio commercials already, however, this type of marketing strategy can cost a lot of money if you want your commercial to air on a big radio station during the prime listening time! 

However, you can try creating a podcast about the product or service you are trying to market by creating your own material and hosting your content for free! 

Whatever type of medium you choose, there are several things to keep in mind to make sure your target audience is hooked to the content your producing and driven to check out more information about your business. 

1) Build the Sound of Your Brand

We can still recall radio jingles or funny commercials years later! Companies that are successful at marketing take time to build the sound of their brand so that when their content is consumed, the listener knows exactly who that content belongs to! 

Take time to choose the voice behind your audio marketing plan and create a hook that draws your listener in every time. 

2) Provide a Service or Offer Help

The second thing to keep in mind when creating your audio marketing strategy is that your audio content needs to address a need! If your commercial is just explaining a product without explaining how it can help improve the lives of your listeners, you can guarantee that no one is actually listening. 

The purpose of the product or service you are trying to promote needs to be crystal clear. Following up on this, the listener needs to know where they can go to learn more about the product or service if they want! 

3) Captivate Your Audience

The last thing you need to remember is to dazzle your audience through your audio marketing strategy! There are millions upon millions of pieces of content that an individual can choose to listen to. 

What makes your content different? Is it hilarious to listen to? Is it the most informative? Is it shocking? Does it build upon itself? 

Choose an angle and stick to it! The growing number of podcast and podcast listeners show us that people are truly interested in all sorts of things! Make what you have to say engaging and you will surely be able to connect to your target audience. 

Don’t Wait, Start Your Audio Marketing Strategy Today!

Now you can see that audio marketing is more relevant than ever before in our society. While some strategies like radio commercials do still cost a pretty penny, there are lots of other affordable avenues to try to make sure your company’s voice is heard!

Narrowing down your target audience and choosing a platform to market your business are the first steps to success. To really drive this strategy home, remember to create a sound brand, share your purpose, and enthrall your audience! 

Have more questions on the best audio marketing strategy for 2020 and how to get started? Feel free to contact us! We’re here to help you succeed. 

9 Benefits of Video Marketing to Grow Your Online Presence

benefits of video marketing

If you haven’t been using video marketing, then you seriously need to reconsider your marketing strategies because you’re missing out big time. Interesting videos make interesting stories, and stories are excellent for marketing because they elicit emotion.

Some of the most significant reasons why video marketing is essential for your business is the fact that it’s memorable and measurable. This makes video marketing one of the most powerful ways of reaching customers, whether prospective or existing. 

So what are the benefits of video marketing, and why should you implement it in your marketing strategies? Once you are done with the marketing basics, you need to delve deeper and capture more attention. Let’s look at the benefits of video marketing for your business. 

1. Videos Result In Great ROI

To get you started off with some excitement, video marketing provides fantastic ROI, and this is one of the things you’re in business for. Even though video production may not be the easiest or cheapest of tasks, with a plethora of online video editing tools on the internet, it will pay big time.

Additionally, most customers are not worried so much about the video quality, like the content quality. Provide clear and relevant messages that explain what your products or services are all about. Of course, this is not to say that they should be low quality, even smartphones nowadays produce incredible videos, so you’ll have no excuse. 

2. Videos Build Trust

Essentially, trust is the foundation of conversions and sales. In a highly competitive business world, persuading clients to do business with you and not your competitors is not an easy feat. Building trust and strong relationships with customers gets easier with videos.

Videos ignite emotional responses, regardless of how short they are. In fact, you don’t need to keep selling because once you provide useful and interesting information, customers will come to you. Effective and interesting videos present your business in a conversational form and give customers the confidence to purchase products online. 

3. Videos Appeal to Mobile Users

An overwhelming 78% of consumers watch videos on mobile devices because people nowadays want to do things on the go. The number of mobile users increases by the year, and this only means that your video audience will keep expanding. Mobile users are more likely to feel a personal connection with a brand than desktop or TV viewers, so it’s imperative that you take advantage of the market. 

4. Videos Boost Conversions and Sales

Adding the most important video to your landing page alone could increase your conversion rates by 80%. One of the many benefits of video marketing is that videos have the ability to lead directly to sales. Vision is the most dominant sense that human beings possess, so it’s only natural that videos have such a huge impact on them. 

5. It’s Easy to Explain Everything Through Video

It’s so much easier to show people how your products work compared to writing about it. Explainer videos trend every day, and so do tutorial videos. Most consumers are watching explainer videos to learn what products are all about and how to use them. 

An explainer video on your homepage would be super effective in driving conversions and sales. If you have a difficult concept, then video is the best way to explain it in a way your target audience understands. Besides, interesting videos, such as animated videos, are fun to watch, and people like to share such videos. 

6. Videos Engage Everyone

One of the most significant benefits of video marketing is the ease of video consumption. Consumers get bored very easily, and reading long product descriptions is not pleasant at all. The modern customer is too busy for that anyway, and videos are easier to work with because all they have to do is watch, regardless of where they are.

Even if they’re lazy, as long as your videos have clear audio, they will certainly watch them. 

7. Videos Encourage Shares

Most people tend to share videos than they do content, and shares lead to a larger audience. If you want to expand your target audience and get the message out there, delve into video marketing and watch your customer share! This is simply one of the best ways to go viral. 

8. Videos Are Excellent for All Search Engines

All search engines, especially Google, value high valuable content, and interesting videos will have a tremendous impact on your SEO. With prolonged exposure, you will build trust, which will signal to search engines that you have valuable content.

You are more likely to rank high on search engines if you have a video on your website, and given the fact that Google owns YouTube, videos certainly affect search engine ranks. 

9. Social Networks Thrive Through Videos

It’s already clear that people love videos, and you should give provide just that, but where? Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are some of the best places to post your important videos. Most consumers would share company videos as long as they were entertaining, regardless of whether they are actually interested in the products. 

Bonus Tip: Ads Do Wonders in Videos

Video ads have the highest click-through rate among all digital formats. This says a lot about marketing videos and all the benefits they come with. If you do everything right and create awesome videos, you can be sure that people will remember, regardless of whether they watch the whole ad or not. That’s how awesome videos are for business. 

The Benefits of Video Marketing: Summing it Up

From financial motives to practical reasons, you can well see the benefits of video marketing. All these points make quite a strong case for videos and showing you that they work. If you want to jump into the modern marketing wagon, video marketing is the way to go. 

If you’d like more awesome marketing tips, check out our website or give us a call and we’ll be glad to help. 

9 Video Advertising Trends of 2019

Photo sign with human hands

Television commercials and traditional advertisements are becoming a thing of the past.

As the next generation of tech-focused consumers saturates the marketplace, keeping up with these advertising trends is important. You either adjust your strategies or you risk having to close your doors for good.

So, where are consumers getting their information these days?

90% have said that they discover new brands through YouTube ads. 80% of shoppers say that they tend to switch between online search and video when deciding what to buy.

Set yourself and your brand up for success by plugging into the “show don’t tell” mindset. Keep up with current trends in advertising and generate quality video for the greatest potential of return on ad spend.

Here are 9 advertising trends for 2019 to get you started!

1. Web-Based Video Content

Focusing on optimizing your advertisements for web users gives you great potential for organic traffic.

More than ever, people are leaving behind paid television programming to switch to web-based streaming entertainment.

Reach them here by providing high-level, professional videos that give the best view of your products or services.

2. Full-Funnel YouTube Advertising

One of the best features of video advertising is that it offers you the chance to cater to the full advertising funnel.

  • Reach your target customers at the brand awareness level with lighthearted, catchy videos.
  • Generate interest by showing them how much better or easier their lives will be with your product or service.
  • Compare your product with similar products to help answer questions they may have in the evaluation phase.
  • Get them committed to your product by offering incentives, guarantees, or support.
  • Finally, reel them in by offering special sales and deals at the purchase level.

By offering specialized content at each level, you will be optimizing this marketing strategy in full force.

Bonus: Take advantage of this structure by shooting all of your material at once. Tell your whole story and then chop it up and distribute it where it fits in the buyer’s journey.

3. Over-The-Top and In-Stream Advertising

OTT advertisements refer to those short, 5-15 second ads that play on streaming platforms that a viewer can’t skip.

This style of advertising allows you to lump viewers together into different groups so that you can target them based on their user profiles.

More and more people are switching to streaming alternatives for entertainment. Every platform requires the viewer to create an account or profile. This gives you access to their personalized data information like their region, age range, and viewing trends.

With over 70% of in-stream ad impressions on Facebook viewed to completion with the sound on, this is a valuable way to get your information out.

Additionally, you can control what sort of content shouldn’t be appearing alongside your ads. For example, if you’re running an ad to help people quit smoking, you won’t want a cigarette brand’s ad running alongside it.

4. Mobile-First Advertising Trends

Customers are more likely to shop online with their phones over any other means. It is vital that video advertising (and online shopping platforms) be compatible with this format.

Keep social media formatting in mind when producing video content. Many shoppers rely on clickable and shop-able social media ads. If you are showing them content, make sure they can click through to make their purchase, otherwise, you run the risk of losing them.

5. Customer-Made Content

Customers are more likely to trust the information or opinions of their peers on the Internet over those of a mega-corporation.

Take advantage of this by encouraging opinionated customers to share their experiences. This can be an actual video testimonial or a rave review they left on your site.

6. Influencer Content

Are you a new company or perhaps an established one looking to generate some positive feedback? Buy into social media influencers!

Depending on your product, this can be a powerful way to get your brand in front of a lot of people in a short amount of time.

For a current customer, you can offer them a gift card or free merchandise to introduce new products. Encourage them to focus on their continued business with you!

For new customers, focus on your brand and key products or services. Offer the influencer free product or services that they can review and explain.

Generally, it’s best to establish an agreement for how long your product review needs to stay on their platform. It’s also important to make sure they know you may use their images and video in your advertising campaigns.

7. Graphic or Animated Videos

Blend graphics, text, or animated characters in your video ads. This can be an easy way to tell a story for anew or online exclusive brand people may not have heard of yet.

Bring your blueprints or digital layouts to life in anticipation of a grand opening, use text or customer reviews to tell a story, or animate with generic characters to give viewers a chance to imagine themselves in their place. This creates a much more inclusive branding statement.

8. Cinemagraph Advertisements

Cinemagraphs are cool photo and video hybrid advertisements. Set the tone in your static advertisements by catching the viewer’s eye with some motion.

Some examples are a few strands of hair blowing in the wind, a single blinking streetlight, waves crashing on the sand, or sparks from a campfire.

Generally, a viewer will spend more time looking at a Cinemagraph ad than a photo because they want to see what else is moving. This means greater absorption of your messaging and higher potential for ROAS.

This advertising trend brings life and variety into your messaging, without distracting away from it.

9. Television Commercials

That’s right, television should still be on your radar folks! Don’t alienate or ignore your more traditional customers by forgetting to occasionally advertise on TV.

Think about the types of ads you are working on for the digital market and play to those trends for TV as well. Delight your viewer with ads that they won’t want to leave the room for or fast-forward through. Hit them right away with exciting content so they stick around for your messaging.

Where to Start

For newer, smaller, or more traditional companies, video advertising trends like these may be daunting.

But depending on your customers’ age, lifestyle, region, and shopping habits, video production could be a game-changer for your business! Learn more about your customers and decide what would be the most beneficial avenue to get them your information.

If you’re ready to get started on your video marketing strategy, contact us today.

Desktop vs Mobile Advertising

People checking mobile and desktop devices

Smartphones are here to stay. 257 million Americans had a smartphone in 2018, and that number is only going to rise as the years go by. People do everything on their phones; text and call each other, browse social media, read books, and surf the internet. Finding a way to advertise to those users can go a long way to spreading brand awareness. But there are some key differences between internet advertising on a computer and advertising on a mobile device. Let’s go through desktop vs mobile advertising.

Real Estate

The biggest difference between mobile devices and a personal computer is the available space. With a computer, space is hardly ever an issue. Even with the smallest laptops, full-screen browsers offer plenty of space to display menus, banners, navigation tools, and columns for text. Mobile devices are another story. Even with a tablet, the available space for different compositions is limited. Keeping in mind how your website or ad will be displayed on a phone or tablet will help improve reactions to your brand.

Try to keep your call to actions simple on a mobile page. One link to a cart or a contact page is more than enough for a mobile page. Keep the text to one column and make sure it scales for mobile. There’s nothing quite as annoying as having to zoom in and out of a text, scrolling across the page, just to read it.

Optimization

While utilizing the available real estate and space you have for mobile, it is also vital you optimize your page for mobile users; or use a mobile-specific page. Many websites’ navigation relies on mouse hovering, holding your cursor over a link to show more menus. This doesn’t exist on mobile. There are no cursors, only fingers. Having a system that relies on something not there is only going to annoy and frustrate users.

Videos

Videos are another sticking point with mobile users. Many websites will load a video when users access the site. Maybe it’s a news story, maybe it’s an ad. Whatever it is, it must load. This isn’t a problem with a computer over Wi-Fi. Wireless internet is pretty fast nowadays, so bandwidth isn’t a big deal for some at home. Using mobile data, however, is not as quick. You have limited bandwidth on mobile and having a video load right out the gate may slow down site load times.

Adobe Flash is installed on close to 90% of computers, so designing an ad running on flash isn’t a terrible idea for desktop. But for mobile, flash isn’t nearly as popular. It runs only on a few versions of Android operating systems and is completely banned by iOS. That means if you have an ad based on flash, anyone using Apple products won’t see it.

Know Which Ads to Use

Knowing what types of ads to run when interacting with mobile users is crucial. Most people, while using a computer, are sitting down, focusing on the screen in front of them. Often, they’re working or doing something that needs a computer specifically. Longer ads work well here because they’re captive audiences. Mobile usage is different. Users are more likely to use their mobile devices in between activities that require their attention. Browsing social media on the train during their commute, texting a friend while in the waiting room of an appointment, shopping online while on their couch during a commercial break. Mobile devices have used a distraction for most, something to fill downtime with. Keeping your ads short for mobile is ideal. If it’s too long, people might get bored and move on.

Conclusion

There are some key differences between desktop and mobile marketing. Being aware of these differences and knowing how to utilize the advantages and avoid the disadvantages is important. Having a mobile-optimized site is ideal. This way you can take advantage of the benefits of both formats without having to tip-toe around the detractions of the other format. You can tailor ads for the focus you get from a computer user and use the higher interaction rates of mobile users. If you have any questions, contact us here!

The Importance of Jingles

importance of jingles

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head all day? You whistle it out every time you stop at a street light? Well, that’s the power of an effective jingle. We all know some iconic jingles; McDonald’s, State Farm, Subway, Kit Kat, songs that have become ubiquitous with the brands that have used them. I’m sure everyone reading this can whistle “I’m Lovin’ It” off the top of their head. And maybe now you have a craving for a Big Mac. Good jingles can do that for a company. So having a good jingle is a crucial step. Let’s look at the importance of jingles in advertising.

Why you should be utilizing Jingles in your advertising

It leaves a lasting impact

Jingles have the benefit of being memorable and entertaining. They aren’t someones disembodied voice talking to the audience. Music, and by extension jingles, is personal. It invokes emotion and can grab people’s attention. Good jingles are catchy and memorable. They can stay with you for the rest of the day after just one listen. If you fail to capture the audience’s attention, then your advert can fall flat and be unremarkable for the consumer.

Choosing the right song

It’s no secret that music can affect one’s emotions. Picking the right song that conveys the right emotional notes for your brand is crucial. If you find the jingle annoying, you can almost guarantee the mass audience is going to find it annoying as well. The jingle will be associated with your brand. If it makes people feel angry or sad, then those emotions are going to reflect on your brand or product. Picking a happy, easy-going song can help improve your audience’s reaction to your song.

You can also go the route of picking a snippet of a song by a band you like and using that for your campaign. Honda did this a few years ago when they released their latest model of the Civic. Set to Empire of the Sun’s “Walking on a Dream” the commercial was a hit. I would suggest, if you go this route then you should avoid overly popular songs. These songs are played over and over again on the radio and can grate on some listeners. You don’t want to be associated with that fatigue.

Helps with Brand recognition

We all know some iconic jingles: The Old Spice whistle, McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ it”, Rice Krispy’s “Snap, Crackle, Pop,” and we can probably all break off into song on the first note. We associate those jingles with the brands, and even if you don’t eat McDonald’s or use Old Spice, you’ll think of them as soon as you hear the jingle.

If you pick a song, then hopefully every time someone hears that song they’ll think of your brand or your campaign. The song can even come to represent your brand, giving you an iconic sound. Which will be associated with your brand or company for years to come. Every time someone hears that song or the first notes of your jingle, they’ll think of you.

Conclusion:

The importance of jingles can not be understated. Jingles are still very relevant in today’s radio advertising world. Having an effective jingle can help increase brand awareness and recognition. Finding the right jungle for you is important, so don’t take the matter lightly. If you get it wrong, then your brand could end up being associated with negative feelings. If you get it right, you could end up with an iconic sound just for you. Using music to express emotion is a powerful tool in a company’s arsenal. If you have any questions about the importance of jingles or want help writing your very own, contact us here!

Hashtags and Digital Marketing

Social media is an important part of our world. Utilizing the platform in your business is also an important task. But how do you use the hashtag in digital marketing? We first have to start with what a hashtag is. Hashtag is the name for the pound sign (#) in the social media world. It began being used as a “hashtag” by Chris Messina in 2007 on twitter. Its purpose is to group posts and other content into easily accessible pathways for users. It is called a “hashtag” rather than “pound sign” because “pound sign” in the UK refers to “£” rather than “#” which is called “hash,” “gate,” and sometimes “octothorpe.”

Today the hashtag is almost ubiquitous with social media, being embraced on almost every platform ranging from Twitter to Instagram to Facebook. The hashtag has entered the cultural zeitgeist, it’s been embraced, it’s been parodied, and it’s been used in everything from disaster relief to weddings to advertising. This means that the hashtag is incredibly useful for online advertising and social media engagement, but how do you use it? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out; here are some tips to utilizing hashtags in your digital marketing.

1. Find the right words for your brand

A Hashtag is a word or set of words that can easily group things. They act as a keyword that people can use to search for tweets and posts related to whatever it is they’re interested in. That means that the words you choose as your hashtag are vitally important to its response from social media. Using big words, more than a couple, or difficult to spell words could hamper engagement and response.

Picking a word related to your brand, product, or service is also important. Some companies have it easier here than others. For example, all Coca-Cola need to do is throw a #coke at the end of a tweet and they have an instant engagement platform. It’s simple, and it’s synonymous with their product to the point that any tweet containing it will immediately hearken back to Coca-Cola.

2. Engage with Trending topics

Engaging with the topics and trends that are popular at the moment is a great way to find expand your brand influence. Find a trending hashtag that relates to your brand or service and engages with it. Using these trending topics are a great way of spreading your brand to more customers. These topics are relevant to people’s lives at that moment, so if you can engage in a way that is also relevant or promote your product when they are thinking about the problem it solves, you can leave a lasting impact on them.

3. Keep it simple.

As stated above, keep your hashtag short, the more words, the harder it is to read. With multiple words, capitalizing each new word is a good way of signifying the breaks between words. This makes your hashtag easier to read and less confusing for the consumer. Keeping it simple also means limiting the number of hashtags in each post. One or two, maybe three, but the fewer number of hashtags in a post the better and more sharable it is. #Putting #a #hashtag #before #every #word #is #annoying #to #read, and will put consumers off. The simpler the hashtag and the post, the easier it is for people to share.

4. Incentivize.

Use your hashtags to promote a deal or giveaway your doing. Give people a reason to use your hashtag, and thus do your advertising for you. A solid discount on a service or a product for using the hashtag or engaging with your social media can a long way in getting a response.

5. Engage with your audience.

A hashtag gives you a way to connect with people talking about the same thing, so actually, talk with them. Listen to what they’re saying, respond and craft your next campaign to utilize the feedback you’re given here. Coming up with a hashtag and making a post is an easy part, now you get to do the leg work and respond to it. They’ll engage with you for a reason, maybe it’s just as simple as saying they like your product. Maybe they’ll tell you something you can do better. Be open and willing to adapt and you can go a long way.

Conclusion

Social media is a platform that grows by the day. It has its customs and language. Being able to utilize those things are an important part of making the most out of social media. Nothing is more ubiquitous with social media than the #hashtag. The hashtag is a part of modern culture and knowing how to use it to its fullest potential can give you a leg up in expanding your business and brand. Keep these things in mind the next time you start a social media campaign. If you have any questions, contact us here!

Radio vs Digital Marketing

Pros and cons of Radio and Digital Marketing

What is the most effective form of marketing for your company? Digital marketing vs Radio marketing? Well that’s really a question only you can answer, but here I will break down some pros and cons of each medium to make that decision easier.

Radio vs Digital Marketing

Pros:

Radio:
  • A proof advertising on radio is that you can target a specific audience with your ad. Radio stations often have a specific demographic that it caters to. If your target demographic matches the one a radio station serves to, then you can easily reach by purchasing ad spots on the station.
  • With the right timing, radio advertising can be relatively cheap. If you know the demographics your targeting and what station cater to it, advertising during off times can be cheap and effective.
  • A radio ad is more personal than an internet banner ad. With radio, you can tell stories, personally talk to the listener, which makes you more memorable and favorably received.
  • Advertisements can be easily made. Radio ads can be as simple as a 30-second copy you pay the radio station to read for you. The more produced your ad is, the better returns you’ll find, but simple is still effective.
  • Since radio ads are relatively easy to produce, the turnover time on ads can be quick. Going from idea to finished ad on air can be a short process if it’s not overly complicated of an ad.
Digital:
  • Digital marketing can reach a massive audience. The internet is a global infrastructure, and buying ad space on the web can reach a global audience.
  • When you advertise online, you have faster response rates to your service. When someone sees an ad that his helpful to them, they’ll often go immediately to that website. If you answer their problem, then you’ll have their business rather quickly.
  • Helps you expand your customer service. If you advertise or have a presence through social media then you can interact with customers at a near-instantaneous rate. Answer a customer concern, posting an update on your page, or responding to a comment builds a relationship with customers and brings you into a favorable light in their minds. Relationships mean repeat business and brand loyalty which can drive future sales.
  • Online marketing is fast. It doesn’t always have to be a banner ad or a side ad designed professionally. Sometimes just posting a promotion on your social media is enough to get people talking about your company. Just Chipotle tweeting something like “free burritos today” or something of that sort, will see interactions with their brand rise exponentially for that day

 

Cons:

Radio:
  • Radio spots during peak hours can be expensive because stations know they reach the most people. There is a reason for the price, as these spots are the most effective ones and where you’ll see the most return on your money, but they’re expensive nonetheless.
  • Not every product will thrive on the radio. Certain products and services either can’t be sold on audio alone. Services that answer problems listeners might be facing on their drive home from work do the best with radio advertising. This is especially true for places like restaurants that answer the question “What’s for dinner?” Keep in mind that when you decide to advertise on radio
  • Some radio listeners block out the radio or change the channel when ads come on. This is hardly surprising, people use the radio as background noise, or only want to listen to music, no matter the music. When the ads come on they’re either not listening or they change the channel and don’t even hear your ad. Repetition is one way to fight this, and is essential for any successful radio campaign, read this post to learn more about it!
Digital:
  • Digital marketing is going to take up a lot of your time to keep up with it. Staying on top of all the comments and questions, and making sure your social media is up to date and engaging with your customer base can be a time drain. It may not be expensive to start a digital campaign, but it can sure take up your time during the day.
  • You lose some control. When you advertise on digital platforms, and especially on social media platforms, you’re at the mercy of those platforms. Algorithms can bury your ad if it doesn’t create enough interaction (or if you didn’t pay enough) which creates a negative feedback loop, just pushing it down. If a site or platform goes down for whatever reason, then you no longer have it to advertise on, and if you lose internet service or power for a day, then you’re no longer able to engage with your customer base.
  • First impressions matter more here than in some other places. You have mere seconds to leave a favorable impression on someone online, if you fail then they’ll move on and forget about you. You have to be captivating and enjoyable in those first few instances, which can be difficult to get right.
  • There can also be some negative reactions online. Some people can be annoyed with your ads, sometimes they might feel wronged by you for whatever reason, or they can just be there to mess with you. This is a fact of working on the internet, and can sometimes have a negative impact on your perception online if not handled properly.

Conclusion: Radio vs Digital Marketing?

There are a lot of pros and cons to both sides of this argument. Ultimately, both forms of marketing have their advantages, and thus their place in any marketing campaign. Which one you do is entirely dependent on your company, your product or service, and what you can afford to do. Both can be successful, and both can fail, making sure you understand the pros and cons of both will help you avoid the later. For more information or help with either form of marketing, contact us here!

The Importance of Advertising on Radio

advertising on radio
Photo by Gavin Whitner

Is Advertising on Radio Still Profitable?

Radio is one of the cornerstones of the American entertainment market. According to Nielsen Ratings, radio reached 93% of American adults on a weekly basis in 2018. That’s millions of people who listen to the radio. They listen on their commutes to and from work, while they work, or while they’re around the house. So how do you tap into that kind of market potential? How does advertising on radio work? Well, this blog will attempt to tackle the lasting importance of advertising on radio.

The first question we must ask, is advertising on radio still an effective way of increasing sales? This is a hard thing to quantify and varies from city to city, but the short answer is yes, it is. A longer answer would be that in 2017 a New York radio station called Westwood One partnered with Nielsen Catalina Solutions to try and quantify the profits of a personal care brand’s radio campaign. The study showed, that a radio campaign ran from March 2017 to September 2017 brought an 8% sales to boost among male AM/FM listening households. The study showed for every $1 spent on AM/FM radio advertising for the male care brand, there was a return of $1.23 and parent brand saw a return of $11.96. Based on this study, it’s safe to say that radio advertising is still alive and thriving in the world.

Case Study performed by Westwood One and Nielsen Catalina Solutions for the ROI of radio advertising

So, what do you need to know before you start your advertising campaign? Let’s take a look at ad space.

Buying Ad Space

In advertising on radio, “when” you advertise is almost as, if not more, important than “how” you do it. Choosing consistent times to broadcast is a crucial part of building a consistent listener base to sell your product. Repetition is one of the most important parts of radio advertising. How often your ad plays, and when and where you play it is also something that can affect how successful your campaign is.

Ad spots are broken down into 15, 30, and 45-second-long commercials, and radio stations have an inventory of 18 minutes every hour for advertisements.

Radio ad times are broken down into day-parts, not into hours. The parts are:

AM Drive Time (6 AM to 10 AM)
  • AM drive time is one of the two most heavily trafficked times on radio times. That makes it one of the two most desirable times to play your ad. This is the morning rush hours, when people are driving into work, and gives you the largest number of listeners. People tend to be the most receptive during the morning drive. All this makes this time one of the most expensive times to buy radio spots, along with its afternoon counterpart.
Midday (10 AM to 3 PM)
  • Many radio stations tend to lose listeners at this time, as everyone is getting out of their cars and heading into work. This is also the time when people listening has the most predictable habits. Listeners here tend to more loyal to certain radio stations or shows, making a conscious choice of turning on the radio while not in their car. Popular talk radio shows like Rush Limbaugh also happen during this time. While this time may not have the most listeners compared to other points in the day, listeners here tend to be more engaged and a good ad can effective here.
PM Drive Time (3 PM to 7 PM)
  • Like its morning counterpart, evening rush hour corresponds with some of the highest numbers of listeners as people drive home from work. This day-part is very desirable, especially for restaurants and entertainment advertisements as people look for ways to spend their night and suffer from choice fatigue. This slot also tends to be expensive for ad rates.
Evening (7 PM to Midnight) and Late Night (Midnight to 6 AM)
  • These two slots have the lowest number of average listeners as most people are not in their cars, and television is a more popular form of entertainment during these time slots. While listener numbers might be low during these slots, those listeners tend to be the most loyal, as they’ve made an effort to listen to the radio as their nightly entertainment instead of watching TV or other forms of entertainment. Rates for advertisement can be low during this time, and if the market is right for your product, it could be a very important impact on your sales.

Writing the Ad

Writing an Ad for radio can be a daunting task, and further producing it can be even more so. Here are some tips:

  • Make sure your ad gets people’s attention. Make sure your ad is well written and attention-getting.
  • Hiring a professional voice actor is one way to get a voice that really gets your attention
  • Get your point across in one or two simple, powerful and easily conveyed messages. You have less than a minute to sell your product.
  • Have a Call to action. Give the listener a reason to go out and get your product right now. Have a special limited offer that runs out in x number of days to incentivize the listener to make a purchase soon.
  • Clearly, state the next step the listener takes. If you have a brick and mortar store, give them a location. If you have a website, then give them the URL. While you have their attention, use it to tell them where to go. Most radio listeners are already driving, so tell them where to go next for whatever solution you’re selling them
  • Have plenty of repetition. As stated above, repetition is an essential part of any successful radio advertisement. Repetition of the product within the ad really solidifies said product in the listeners head. Repetition, and consistency, of when, what station, and what ad you run is vital to selling your product. Research suggests that at least 15 ads be played in a week. If you do a short run of 60 ads or so, having that ad appear at the same time will give you the best results
  • Hiring an ad agency with professional writers could be extremely helpful here. An agency is there to make every piece of information as easily digestible as possible for the consumer. Agencies know how to write an ad with all the features crucial to making a successful broadcast. You can also make the add whatever you want when going through an agency.

Demographics

Choosing what radio stations you broadcast your ad on is important, as not all radio stations are created equal. Each station has a certain demographic that it mostly caters too. Businesses should be cognizant of those demographics and their own target audiences, choosing stations that best fit. If you’re advertising for a nursing home, then pop hits might not be the best choice of stations. Follow the statistics for the best results:

  • Country music is the most popular kind of radio station and receives the largest number of average listeners in the US
  •  Talk radio, including news, sports, etc. is the #2 type of radio station. It attracts a larger number of high-income and highly educated individuals.
  • 70% of males in the 45-54 age demographic listen to Classic Rock Radio stations but only reaches the #4 spot overall for male listeners
  •  Over 72 million people listen to Contemporary Pop at least once per week.

Remember, you’re not buying a commercial to sell your product, you’re buying an audience to sell your product to.

Conclusion

Advertising on radio allows you to organically spread your message to many people without much effort on your part. Anyone listening to your ad, whether it be while driving in a car to or from work, or while working in their yard using radio as background music, will hear and subconsciously store your product in their mind.  You don’t need to encourage engagement either since engagement is an inherent part of the radio. Your product will spread just by the fact that it’s on the radio.

Advertising on radio is far from dead. In fact, it reaches millions of people on a weekly basis. Radio gives you an audience to sell to, all you have to do is make the pitch. Be sure to follow the tips above, do your own research. You can contact us here if you want to start your radio campaign now.