My good friend Blaine Parker, author of the must read book Million Dollar Mortgage Radio (Don't let the title fool you, if you advertise on the radio, you need this book), allowed me to reprint he most recent newsletter which is unavailable to the public at large, it is intended for radio salespeople. Blaine is one of the good guys, he actually tries to educate media salespeople about how to make advertising, specifically, radio advertising work. You need to get his book and you need to read this post. I'm going to see if he'll let me post a few of his future newsletters as well.
Ok Blaine, I'm turning the reins over to you!
HOT POINTS for The Week of April 3, 2006
NOTE: All the names and URLs here are changed to protect client privacy.
THE WEB IS STUPID. LONG LIVE THE WEB!
Once again, I’m back to frustrate all of you who think I’m vehemently opposed to using radio to drive web traffic.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. (As Roy H. Williams says, “The risk of insult is the price of clarity.) Web addresses in radio ads are fine—as long as the website can close the customer.
If the website stinks (as most do), and it’s a relationship service (such as a mortgage broker), sending listeners to the website is one more way to prove to the client radio doesn’t work.
There are times, however, when “visit our website” is a perfectly reasonable call to action.
There are also times when the client’s URL in a radio ad is like a western saddle on a bullfrog.
CAN YOU SAY, “HUNH?”
New credit union client. Lovely people. Great products. Existing print campaign.
We get to do the radio to support the existing advertising.
The client is happy to drive phone calls, but also wants their webpage in there. And it makes sense. They’re selling a CD with a kickin’ rate. There’s all kinds of disclosure required. The website can provide all kinds of information that will never co-exist with a 30-second radio spot. Website ho!
One problem.
The special URL for the particular webpage is going to sound something like this…
Los Angeles c u dot org slash special slash index dot php.
Hunh?
THE EIGHT DOLLAR & TWENTY-CENT SOLUTION.
Here’s the good news.
The existing print campaign is centered around the premise of being a Dream Saver. Saving up and earning interest to fulfill those bright, sparkling dreams that happen to be fueled by humungous piles of money.
And some investigation shows the URL Los Angeles Dream Saver dot com just happens to be available.
So I say to the rep, Tell the client they need to buy this URL. We need a radio-friendly web address.
The next day…
“The client says forget it. They’ve already got the website set up. Everything’s in place. Not going to happen.”
Oh, for cryin’ out loud.
So I go to my own domain name provider, buy the name myself for $8.20 for one year ($7.95 plus a .25 ICANN regulatory fee), and set up website forwarding.
That way, when somebody logs on to my URL (Los Angeles dream saver dot com), they’re immediately sent to Los Angeles c u dot org slash special slash index dot php.
“TELL YOUR CLIENT TO LOG ON TO LOS ANGELES DREAM SAVER DOT COM.”
So he does.
Lo and behold, there’s his website.
See how easy?
The client gets an effective radio ad.
We all look like heroes.
We can change the forwarding at a later date when the client changes his radio ads—keeping the same URL.
And added bonus?
The unique URL means the IT department can track the number of hits coming through that address.
Sure, I had to spend eight bucks of my own money to make it happen.
But that’s a preemptive strike against the thousands of dollars worth of headaches bound to evolve through the other, nasty URL.
And the rep gave me a $10 Starbucks gift card as a thank you, so I actually turned a profit of $1.80.
And think about how much money I’ll be able to make when it comes time to sell my URL to the client…
BOTTOM LINE
When it makes sense to send our listeners to a website, it’s incumbent upon us to Listen.
Listen to the URL.
Does it make sense?
Can our audience hear it?
Can they spell it?
Is it easy to remember?
Are there any homonyms?
One client had the word “counsel” in their web address.
Somebody on the client side (not me) was astute enough to point out the homophonic problem. (Insert Brokeback joke of your choice here.)
We got to look like heroes for buying them the URL that spelled their name “council.”
Very wrong. But very right.
URLs aren’t always our friends. But we have the power to tame them.
As Always,
Blaine Parker
Your Short, Fat Creative Director in
Los Angeles
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