Why I Love Talk Radio as a Promotional Tool!

As you know I’ve been a huge fan of talk radio all my professional life, and part of the reason for that is because I’m also a marketer. I was just reminded of why I’m such a fan when I saw this demographic survey that Talker’s Magazine just came out with about the profile of the talk radio audience (Talkers Magazine survey results).

Here’s my article on the reasons I really love the talk radio medium:

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Talk radio is one of the best and quickest tools for you to gain national recognition, promote your book, product or service, or popularize your cause.  Fact is, talk radio may honestly be one of the best-kept marketing secrets there is.  There are many reasons why this is true – but let me give you nine to start with:

1. The Right Demographics. Talkers Magazine’s annual research project to profile who’s listening to talk radio confirms that 2009′s talk radio listeners are, “politically and economically active, in addition to being affluent and well-educated, when compared to the general U.S. population and other mass media…”  (Click here to see Talkers Magazine survey results.  If this describes your consumer – it’s a perfect match!
2. Target Audience.  Not only are the demographics of talk radio great – but with specialty talk shows on politics, health, relationships, lifestyles, finance, consumer advocacy, sports, etc., you can identify shows that are a perfect match for the audience you’re trying to reach!
3. Effective Sales Tool.  Publicity is definitely not paid advertising.  But it can be far more effective.  Just ask Dr. Arnold Goldstein, well-known financial advisor and bestselling author, “The interest in our books from radio interviews has far exceeded the response we’ve seen from our advertising campaigns.  Dollar-for-dollar, talk radio interviews has shown a much better return!”
    
   A compelling radio interview can promote your company and product without the audience even realizing it!  And, as hosts don’t want to be bombarded with phone calls with questions about your book or company, they’re highly motivated to frequently mention your website or toll-free number. 
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4. Third Party Endorsement.  Talk radio hosts have loyal followings – that’s how they maintain their ratings.  And listeners tune in daily to hear what their favorite host is talking about.  As that host is often thought of as an old friend or even a trusted advisor, when you appear as a guest on their show, listeners hear an implicit endorsement of you and your message!
5. Credibility.  This is a crucial ingredient in every marketing campaign – and talk radio supplies it in abundance.  One of our clients told us, “…every show I’ve appeared on – the host tells his listeners about my great expertise, my many accomplishments and how proud they are to have me as a guest!  Of course, the more important I am, the more important the host appears to be. As far as promotion and credibility goes – it just doesn’t get any better!”
6. Time to Tell Your Whole Story.  As a guest – you get not just 60 seconds, but ten to twenty minutes of quality time with a very targeted and attentive audience.  You have enough time to talk about your product, service or book and in many cases you have a chance to answer questions from callers.  It’s a perfect way to get your full message heard and understood by the audience!
7. Cost-effective Promotion.  Talk radio interviews are all done by phone.  So without ever leaving your home or office you can have a direct, and oftentimes, live conversation with consumers around the country.  (Plus the cost for this publicity service is minuscule compared to what you’ll spend in advertising dollars to buy the same amount of air time!)
8. Immediate Exposure. You can be on the air within two to three weeks! And, because talk radio keeps up with changing times and topics, you can continuously create new angles for your topic that reflect current events, to keep you on the air and in the news on an ongoing basis.
9. Best Bang for the Buck.  With probably 1,000 + talk radio interviews under his belt, nutritional products spokesperson, Dr. W. Wong says, “Talk radio is the greatest way to get your message across to a large group of people at one time.  There’s a captive audience during morning and evening drive times, in the middle of the day with stay-at-home moms and people in the workplace and for those folks awake late at night.  It’s better, cheaper and faster than TV appearances.  Without question – talk radio provides the best bang for the buck!“

The holiday buying season is upon us, and consumers have LOTS of choices for gift-giving, especially with the deep discounts driven by current economic conditions.  And with all the competition for consumer’s gift dollars, you need to make every day count in the promotion of your book, product or service.  Getting your message out to your target market should be your top priority – and now is the time to do it!

It’s not too late to get your message the exposure it deserves, but you need to start now!

If you need professional help with getting booked as a guest on Talk Radio, please let me know. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised to learn about how my company’s unique “pay-for-performance” service can work for you.  Visit us at www.emsincorporated.com, or give my partner, Steve Friedman, a call at 727-443-7115, ext. 202, or email him at steve@emsincorporated.com.

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