Talking To People Will Grow Your Business

4-8-15

As programmers, sellers and marketers, you know all about how to speak business to business or business to consumer. But businesses don?t have emotions ? humans do. At Radio Ink?s Convergence 2015, coming up May 27-28 in California?s Silicon Valley, PureMatter CEO and best-selling author Bryan Kramer will explain the importance of ?Human to Human Marketing? and how to communicate in ways that demonstrate human qualities like simplicity, empathy, and imperfection. Kramer?s an expert storyteller who?ll share with you the five tools you need to make critical human connections and become a better marketer, manager, programmer, and even human being.

Kramer is a social business strategist, author, and speaker whose first book, ?There Is No B2B or B2C: It?s Human to Human #H2H,? quickly became a top-selling business book on Amazon. And with over 250k social followers, he has quickly become one of the country?s leading authorities on social and digital.

At Convergence, Kramer will share his expert advice with you on:  

?Four Rules of Social Contact?
?Six Basic Human Needs?
?How to make an idea ?crowd-worthy? (with real-world examples)
The difference between ?dark? and delightful? disruption
And much more
Ever wonder why we, as marketers, struggle to connect via social media? How do you connect ? really connect ? at a human level?

You?ll have the opportunity to find that out, and much more, when Bryan Kramer takes to the stage to explain what goes wrong with our connections and, more important, how to think human-to-human and do H2H right.

Learn to speak human:
Register for Convergence 2015 today.
For the full agenda, go to www.radioconvergence.com.

View the original article here

At Power 106 It's All About The People

1-8-15

It's an anomaly these days. A major radio company, with one station in a major market, succeeding without the back-up of a big cluster sporting a menu of formats. Of course, Jerry Lee comes to mind in Philadelphia (market #8). The man's a legend in our business. In Los Angeles (market #2) Power 106 stands alone for Emmis and CEO Jeff Smulyan cannot heap enough praise on General Manager Val Maki and her team.

Smulyan fielded a question about how the station is doing so well, all by itself out there, after telling investors Power 106 took market share again in Q3. Smulyan credits Maki, her 32 years on the job and the employees who work for her. "They are the best radio station group in the U.S."

Smulyan said, "Val Maki is one of the best managers in America and I'll take all comers on that one. Power 106 is just a great station. Whatever they throw at us there, we're ready. The always humble Maki told Radio Ink last night that the success at Power 106 is all about teamwork. "It's really about the luck and privilege of an opportunity that started before me and that continues due to Emmis? extraordinary operating philosophy and strategy. Add to that the combination of talent, hard work, innovation, and teamwork of a great number of people over the years ? a truly magnificent group of people ? and it's impossible to isolate any one person. I hit the jackpot and I am very glad and grateful that I get to be part of it.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

So How Many People are Actually Listening?

12-4-14

Nielsen says radio's total monthly reach is now 258.7 million, up from 257.4 million just a year ago. African American and Hispanic listeners are also growing in numbers. The African American monthly listening totals grew from 32.7 million to 33 million in the past 12 months and the Hispanic audience is up to 42.5 million from 42 million. The traditional TV numbers are down overall, dropping from 284 million in 2013 to 282.7 million this year. The big gainers were wastching time-shifted TV (167 million to 173.3 million), using an app on a smartphone (139 million to 163 million) and watching video on a smartphone (101 million to 126 million).

View the original article here

Smulyan: People Want Free Radio on Their Phones

8-1-14

More NextRadio research from Coleman Insights was released Thursday. It's a study paid for by The NAB, that included 801 online interviews with 18- to 49-year-old smartphone owners who viewed a 90-second video explaining NextRadio. 63% say they would listen to local FM radio more if they had NextRadio. 45% of the participants said they ?definitely would? use NextRadio if it was installed on their smartphones; another 43% said they ?probably would? use the app. And, another  80% said they ?probably would? or ?definitely would? download NextRadio if the app was not already installed on their smartphones. Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan said, ?These findings line up nicely with the anecdotal evidence we?re seeing since NextRadio was launched. People want free, local FM radio on their smartphones and NextRadio gives them exactly what they want.?

Here are some additional findings from the Coleman Insights study. 88% had a positive reaction to NextRadio, including 56% who described their initial reaction as ?very positive? 73% of those with metered or pre-paid data plans acknowledge that such plans limited their consumption of audio entertainment on their smartphones. Low battery and data plan usage were evaluated as the most positive of NextRadio?s benefits. 92% ?strongly agree? or ?agree? with the statement, ?The NextRadio app is really cool?

A streaming video presentation and a written summary of the study?s findings are available at www.ColemanInsights.com/NextRadio. Furthermore, Coleman Insights and knowDigital will share additional findings from the study in private briefings with the consortium of radio broadcasters supporting NextRadio?s launch in the coming weeks and months.

(8/2/2014 8:22:25 AM)
i am definitely one of those people who would listen to FM radio more if i had it on my smart phone.
(8/1/2014 5:56:09 PM)
Give me a break. No mater what you try to do things are changing and the radio industry is in trouble. Outside of Radio Shack try to find any place that sells radios. You can't. Because there is no demand anymore. There is no FM Radio on smartphones because there is no demand for it. If people wanted it the manufacturers and relailers would give it to them. Radio has chosen to miss the boat by cutting back on its investment in content and going with long music sweeps followed by 10 minute stopesets or confrontational Baby Boomer talk radio. If you want to save the last shreds of what you have,stop programming for PPM and start programmijng for an audience. Oh here's a great idea. Lets implode the station and run a national sports radio network. If I owned a radio station I would sell to a consolidator for top dollar as soon as possible.
(8/1/2014 2:48:24 PM)
Ummmm... Josh? That's why you pay experts to find out what consumers think. Because there are too many people like you who make gross assumptions about "what everyone wants". Did you even read the research?

By the way, for a radio guy, you don't seem to want people to have more access to radio. Weird.

(8/1/2014 2:14:29 PM)
We've already been through this before, and it was determined long ago that that's a big, fat, stinky lie. Nobody wants radio on their phones and no matter how many times the industry tries to convince them that they do, they'll never go for it.
(8/1/2014 8:52:16 AM)
Rick,

All new HTC phones available on all major wireless carriers (including AT&T and Verizon) are FM enabled and ready for NextRadio download! To view a list of supported devices, visit www.nextradioapp.com.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Pittman Makes 2014 People to Watch List

1-2-13

Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman is one of ten people Advertising Age is keeping a close eye on in this year. The reason, according to the magazine, "The CEO has an all-star team in place, but will it be enough to overcome its debt burden -- and the challenges radio faces in a digital world?" Take a look at the entire Ad Age List HERE

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(SALES) Why People Hate To Advertise

9-9-2013

The game is called Word Association. Ready? ?Advertising.? Here?s the second word: ?Sales.? Quickly, what is the first word or set of words that come to mind? Sadly, for most people the first words that come to mind are not positive. They are words of negativity, distrust, and disdain.

I spent the last 26 years of my career selling; but worse, selling advertising. I?ve conducted hundreds of seminars for advertisers. One of the first things I ask participants to do is, ?Raise your hand if you love to advertise.? Generally not a single hand goes up. Then I say, ?Raise your hand if you HATE to advertise.?  Every hand goes up. Then, with a perplexed look, I ask them, ?You hate to advertise? You know this is a seminar about advertising, right??

That gets a chuckle? but here?s what is going on: Passionate people, people very good at building widgets, or providing a service, have no clue about how to market and advertise their products or services. Worse, there are people supposedly servicing these advertisers, running around, paid a commission for what they sell, and claiming they know what they are doing; but their life expectancy in the business is less than two years. No wonder clients need to attend seminars.

I?m the type of person who asks, ?why? a lot. When people tell me why they hate advertising, it usually boils down to these four things:

1. They don?t know how to do it.
2. When they do it, they don?t know how to measure it.
3. They?ve tried it before and it didn?t seem to work.
4. They don?t have the patience to let it work.

The truth is, it wasn?t advertising that I was selling. It was cars, boats, banking services, kitchen remodeling, and steaks at a great restaurant, etc. Claude Hopkins wrote in his 1923 book about advertising: ?Advertising is multiplied salesmanship.? I was helping my clients make more sales calls. More sales calls = more sales. If advertising is multiplied salesmanship, then salesmanship must be advertising to a single person.

Reality check:  If you?re in sales, you?re in advertising. You can?t have one without the other. Great sellers are great marketers. As Chris Lytle explains in our "Masters Course of Sales," great sellers:

-- Know what they are doing.
-- Know they know what they are doing.
-- Are known for what they do.

To be known for what you do requires marketing, dare I say it? advertising!

David Newman, in his great new book "Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition," says in his experience there are 10 reasons that entrepreneurs fail. Five of the 10 relate to marketing/advertising:

1. Delivering a great product or service but being terrible at marketing and sales.
2. Not getting the right kind of marketing or sales help in time, or at all.
3. No differentiation ? trying to market ?me-too/same-o/lame-o? boring stuff.
4. Over-investing in fancy business cards, websites, and overly broad advertising.
5. A lack of expertise and thought leadership in their marketing focus.

"Advertising" and "sales" are not dirty words. They are the driving forces of economic growth and prosperity in our world today. Without advertising, sales are sporadic and left to chance; without sales, businesses fail and people lose jobs.

In my lifetime there have been three phases of sales:

1. The persuasive phase: fast talking, product peddling, feature benefit, and close.
2. The consultant phase: ?I want to learn about your business.?
3. The business advantage phase. This is the phase we are in now.

In the business advantage phase, people EXPECT you to know about their business and they EXPECT you to bring something to the table that will give them a competitive advantage -- something they can?t get from anyone else.

It doesn?t matter what you sell, you have to be seen as an ?expert? in your category -- a ?thought leader.? If you are viewed as the expert, clients find you.

There are three vital qualities that buyers look for in a seller: 

1. Empathy
2. Expertise
3. Problem-solving skills

Empathy is the ability to understand, to put yourself in the clients? position and identify with their challenges or frustrations. You are seen as empathetic. The more you prepare in advance for your calls with articles and questions specific to industry- related issues and how they relate to your client, the better. Empathy is careful listening and following up with questions that indicate understanding and concern.

Expertise is being known for what you know. Kevin Eismann is my attorney. I asked him how he can charge me $300 an hour? He smiled and said, ?Because I know s#*t you don?t know.? I have to hire him and pay him if I want his expert services.

Problem-Solving Skills -- Chris Lytle says, ?To know and not to do, is not to know.? You can have all the empathy in the world, you can be seen as an expert, but unless you can SOLVE your prospects? problems, you?ll never earn their business.

Want or need more sales? Try empathy, expertise, and problem-solving skills; thought leadership, marketing, and advertising. These are not dirty words; they are the battle cry of a sluggish economy, your blueprint for selling yourself, your products and services. Your mission is to get better at them all.

Billy Crystal played Mitch Robbins in the movie "City Slickers." In the final moments, after his exhaustive search for meaning and purpose, his loving wife tells him, ?It?s okay. You can quit your job as an advertising salesman.? He smiles and says, ?No, I?m not going to quit my job, I?m just going to do it better.?

You can do it better, if you want.

Think big and make big things happen.

Jeff Schmidt is EVP/Partner with Chris Lytle at Sparque, inc.  He can be reached at  Jeff.Schmidt@Sparque.biz

(9/9/2013 4:46:07 PM)
Good stuff, Jeff.

Please pass along to Chris that, I found after many years in radio sales, the real reason many clients (at least local owner/operators) hate to advertise is:

It's an admission that they are not quite as successful as they once thought they would be.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

It's About How You Treat Your People

7-11-13

Joe Schwartz has racked up many radio wins over the years. From running stations, to running markets, to owning and operating his own company, the Cherry Creek CEO knows how to be successful and make money in radio. A little over a decade ago, and leveraging his vast radio knowledge, Schwartz wanted to build a small market radio company. He put his plan together, polished his fancy shoes, and went on a road show looking for money. He was rejected 31 times.

That did not stop Joe Schwartz. "I am a funny guy. I have never given up in my life. I am incredibly persistent. I don't take no for an answer and I usually get what I want, because I stay after it. I was obsessed with getting it done, and I got it done. It's just that simple." Cherry Creek now has 61 stations spanning eight states. In an upcoming issue of Radio Ink we highlight many of the "Independent Warriors" making great radio across the country. Joe Schwartz is one of them. Here's some of what he had to say.

RI: What's the key to being successful in small markets?
Joe Schwartz: Your manager is key because you don't have that many people, and that one person can make or break you. Hiring great salespeople. Being competitive, format-wise. Within the first year, I hired a good program director who is still with me, Bob Guerra. He's our corporate PD. It all comes down to people. We could talk about anything else you want to talk about, but it all comes down to people.

RI: You say radio is weak at selling. Why?
Joe Schwartz: The typical radio industry for years has been, find a salesperson, maybe test them, maybe not. Give them a three-month guarantee. Hand them a phone book. Don't train them. Send them out in the streets, kind of kick them into the shallow end of the pool, and say "sink or swim." We expected that to bring us a lot of success and a lot of good salespeople. That doesn't work. It just doesn't. That's the first thing. The way we pay people ? you can't attract good people that way. Secondly, the way we train people ? we not only have our own in-house training right now, we do webinars three days a week, and they are done by my director of sales, John Kraft. Every manager in this company and every rep sits through it and participates in the training, because I am obsessed with training. They have to be trained properly. They have to know how to walk into an advertiser and talk to them about their business. We train them like crazy. Our edge is we compensate differently, and we need to, because we need to attract better people, and we train like crazy. That is what we are all about right now.

RI: Talk about your philosophy on treating people.
Joe Schwartz: Well, on our website, it says, "When the lights go off, your assets go home." Our biggest asset, today, yesterday, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, is people. It is really all I care about. Equipment and all that? Who cares. It is all about our people. We are going to win with great people and we are going to lose with bad people. My philosophy is, if we err, I am going to err on the side of the employee. I want to give employees benefit of the doubt. The one other thing that I will add to that was when I went to work for Emmis in Denver. The piece that was missing in my career that I gained at Emmis, is being a very people-friendly, very people-oriented company, which Emmis was and still is. That was something that was instilled in me and it helped me a great deal with Cherry Creek.

RI: Why is small market radio different?
Joe Schwartz: When I first did it, back then, small markets were at that time, not professionally run. It was very much a mom-and-pop business. My first thought was, if we can come in with my background?I have worked New York, Chicago, L.A. I have worked for CBS, Emmis, Saga. I have run every size market you could think of, owned every size market you could think of. I have basically put my expertise, my operating knowledge, and used it to grow a small market group and to be much different than others, and we are. We still are. Secondly, a lot of the costs. You don't have to have the same costs in small markets like in major markets, for example, when we sold Alice in Denver, when I was running it for Emmis, my morning show was over $1 million. In small market radio, my morning shows are  $35,000 to $40,000. Third, the Aribtron expense. Don't need it. Don't need it in those markets. And you know what Arbitron charges. That is a huge amount of money. There were a lot of expense savings and we thought with professional management, we would be able to grow the top line tremendously, and we did, until 2008-2009, when the world came to an end.

Reach out to Joe Schwartz by e-mail at jschwartz@cherrycreekradio.com
Subscribe to Radio Ink HERE in time to receive our Independent Warrior issue.
Are you doing something spectacular in radio like Joe Schwartz? Let us know by contacting edryantheeditor@gmail.com

(7/12/2013 7:44:49 AM)
Glad to see that small market broadcasters are getting their share of Ink in Radio Ink....Joe is one of the remaining 'Good Guys'
(7/12/2013 7:29:16 AM)
"When the lights go off, your assets go home." That pretty much says it all! Whenever have I won and won consistently, the pattern is one at which management valued each and every employee for what they were bringing to the table. Appreciation is highly undervalued and can go a long way. Great read, enjoyed it very much.
(7/12/2013 7:26:57 AM)
Great interview with one of the (many) good folks in our business.
(7/11/2013 8:34:04 PM)
Even though the wheels came off in '08, I'd still be willing to wash his car.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(MARKETING) When Godin Speaks People Listen

Seth Godin has a new book out called the Icarus Deception. It's sure to be a best-seller. What Seth Godin book isn't? According to Buzz Knight, who interviewed Godin about his book, The Icarus Deception is another in a long line of great motivating publications that pushes us to make some noise. Listen to Buzz Knight's interview with Seth Godin HERE

You can purchase Seth Godin's new book HERE

Buzz Knight is the Vice President of Program Development for Greater Media and he can be reached at bknight@greatermediaboston.com. Knight was named among ?Best Programmers? by Radio Ink Magazine in 2007 and 2010. He has served on the programming subcommittee of the National Association of Broadcasters(NAB) and is currently a member of the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) COLRAM Committee.

Read more articles by Buzz Knight HERE

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Just a Few of The People Who Were let Go

In Cincinnati, Jay Gilbert lost his job. Gilbert spent nearly 40 years with the company doing afternoon drive at WEBN. He was also one of the most widely used voicetrackers at Clear Channel.

In Detroit, those that were let go, include; Frankie Darcell (WMXD afternoons), Jag (955 middays), Dan Watkins (WNIC mornings), Jenna Cork (WNIC mornings), Kristin Burns (WNIC afternoons and The D APD), Danielle Carr (WNIC weekends), Dahmer (The D afternoons), Eric Chase (WDFN afternoons).
More HERE at the Detroit news website

In Tampa, Vice President of Programming Doug Hammond wrote to his staff,  "I need to let you all know that as of today, Steve Versnick is no longer with the company.  Moving forward I will be overseeing the day to day Programming responsibilities on 620 WDAE, 970 WFLA and 1250 WHNZ in addition to my regular Operations duties.  I want to thank Steve for his many contributions these past two years and wish him nothing but the best!  We have been through many changes together in the building and have overcame them with flying colors due to YOUR professionalism and dedication to what you do, which is the best in the business."

More layoffs are expected today and we've been told, but have no way to confirm, today will focus more on management cuts. If you have lost your job and would like Radio Ink to post your information to help you find another job in the industry, we will do it at no charge. Send all details to edryantheeditor@gmail.com

(12/8/2012 3:06:39 PM)
I have to wonder if the shareholders are paying any attention and questioning as to whether some of these guys have lost their minds.
(I do realize that panic can motivate a lot of strange behaviors.)
(12/7/2012 3:57:28 PM)
Doug is a real CC suck-up, and phony. Hammond will be around as long as they need some guy to work 100 hours a week & do 15 different jobs
(12/7/2012 3:57:11 PM)
Doug is a real CC suck-up, and phony. Hammond will be around as long as they need some guy to work 100 hours a week & do 15 different jobs

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

When Dan Mason Speaks People Listen

11-15-2012

Radio continues to be one of the most powerful and effective mediums ever invented. The recent weather emergencies, for example, offer just one more instance of radio's ability to inform, communicate, provide companionship, and call listeners to action. Radio, a medium that has consistently proven its resiliency and ability to adapt to every new wave of technology, continues to enjoy remarkable reach among listeners today, and is positioned to enhance that position even further tomorrow.

CBS Radio President and CEO Dan Mason, one of radio's top visionaries, joins Radio Ink's Forecast for a sit-down interview with the industry's leading advocates, Gordon Smith of the National Association of Broadcasters and Erica Farber of the Radio Advertising Bureau. Dan will lead an all-encompassing discussion about what lies ahead for radio. What initiatives will top the radio "to do" list at the NAB? Where does the RAB see the greatest revenue growth potential, and how will it help foster and lead that growth?

"We are fortunate to have such great leaders championing radio," Mason says, "and I'm very much looking forward to hearing more from Erica and Gordon about their vision for the future."

Find out how these organizations, along with one of America's top radio companies, view tomorrow and the opportunities that lie ahead in 2013 at Forecast, on November 28 at New York City's Harvard Club.

Dan Mason serves as President and CEO of CBS Radio, overseeing all aspects of the group's more than 125 stations across 28 markets, including all of the top 10, as well as the day-to-day operations of the division. Mason returned to CBS Radio in April 2007 after serving for five years as an adviser and consultant to CBS and other domestic and international radio companies. He has initiated an aggressive growth strategy at CBS Radio, including the launch of new formats at dozens of stations across the country, the purchase of FM stations in New York and Washington, DC, and creating CBS Sports Radio, a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week lineup of national programming from premier entities CBS Radio and CBS Sports. Additionally, Mason has diversified the division's portfolio with station formats that cater to a variety of male and female demographics, as well as myriad age groups from teens to young adults, and boomers.

Erica Farber is President and CEO of the RAB. She joined the organization in January of 2012 as EVP for membership, services, and professional development and rose to her current post later in the years. Before that she was CEO of radio consulting and Internet service provider the Farber Connection, founded in 2010, and during her 15-year tenure at Radio & Records, she served as COO, President, Publisher, and CEO. Earlier in her career she served as VP/Radio Development Director at Interep.

Gordon Smith joined the NAB as President and CEO in 2009, and before that served two terms as U.S. Senator from Oregon. As a senator, his committee assignments included the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which oversees all broadcast-related legislation. His role on that committee and chairing a Senate High Tech Task force fostered his interest in new media and new technology issues.

Radio Ink's Forecast is the radio industry's exclusive financial conference, gathering radio owners, CEOs, CFOs, group executives, and managers with Wall Street and private equity investors and analysts to forecast the upcoming year. Well informed and noted economic, political, and media participants present trends, opportunities, projections, and analytical commentary on the state of business, especially as it impacts media. Now in its 10th year, Forecast has become the premium event in radio financial circles. The event is held at the Harvard Club in New York City and is closed to the press.

See the Agenda HERE
Register HERE before someone else takes your seat.

View the original article here

(SOCIAL) Do You Know What Your People Tweet?

2-10-2012
In the 1950s, radio stations all across America participated in allowing DJs to come in with their own records and essentially play what they wanted. It was a free-for-all. Sometimes it worked. Many times it didn?t. However, no radio operator would do that today. That?s because we?ve learned that concentrated programming with a specific strategy for the audience you want to reach is the way to go. But today, radio stations essentially allow personalities, and even part-timers, to tweet and post on Facebook whatever they want without regard to having a plan for social media. What should you include in your social media content today?

1. Take a serious look at your radio station today. How is it programmed? What is the lifestyle of your target listeners? Think local (not national) and peel the onion so that you think about populating your social media content with a rich and important local flavor focused on your listener.

2. Do you have local sports teams with ?stories behind the story? on their games, their stars, their sphere of influence? Yes, this can be a college team or even a high school football team. Are you familiar with what is going on in your city on a local level? Use that information because it will cause talk, it will cause re-tweets. It will create sharing.

3. Is there an undeniable story in your radio market? It?s easy to see the national picture, but digging into what is happening locally gives you a powerful tool to be the center of what is happening in your city. It doesn?t have to be sports (as mentioned above). It can be local government (it better be good if you go politics) or business (bragging on local industry or business that has done something everyone can be proud of). This is all about turning the mirror on what makes your market special and telling a story (in just a few words and perhaps pictures).

4. Does your audience like gossip? We?re human, right? Of course, we all love gossip. And gone are the days when you thought just women gossiped. Men are worse! So, turn on the gossip about what is happening with the stars in your format. People love to be on the inside and you are in the perfect position for listeners to credit you with being on the inside from the beginning! Go for it.

5. Talk to your staff about local charities that matter to them and match the audience you are trying to attract. Everyone finds something that touches their heart. Maybe it is the treatment of animals or the local children?s hospital. Get involved at the social media level and ask your listeners to get involved, but be careful to do this as a personality on the station. In other words, make it personal to make it impactful.

6. Social media is the modern individual way of seeking personal validation. Give that some thought and then get busy validating listeners. It?s a hidden law of attraction. Spend time looking at the people who comment on your posts. Go to their Facebook page and comment on THEM! Their posts! By validating them, you bring yourself closer to them and them closer to you. Then, take the next step and send them a Facebook email inviting them down to the station for free movie passes or a CD just because ?I was thinking about you and though you might like this.? Don?t make it a contest.

Think about it for a moment: What would happen if you pulled back from social media and had a meeting with your ?staff? (whatever that is these days)? What if you talked ?among yourselves? and decided what was important to each other and your listeners? And what if you laid out a strategic plan to build your content by assignment and percentage (the morning show does daily gossip and weekly updates on what is actually actively happening at the local children?s hospital; the midday talent loves animals and takes on posting about the local animal shelter activities and also posts pictures of concerts and video of backstage activities, et al). You get the idea.

But here is the secret:  Lay everything out by percentage so you have a balanced approach and make sure your team spends an equal amount of time seeking out validation opportunities in social media with listeners.
Take a moment to recognize that social media requires strategy. Take a giant step to move your radio station away from the 1950s model where we just do whatever we want. Try to see the future and get there before your competition. Take social media seriously and harvest the value of the free, and almost free, opportunity to connect with listeners at a level your competition is unlikely to embrace.

It can make a powerful difference in your connection to them and you will see real results that matter.

 Loyd Ford is the direct marketing, ratings and social media strategist for Americalist and programmed very successful radio brands in markets of all sizes for years, including KRMD AM & FM in Shreveport, WSSL and WMYI in Greenville, WKKT in Charlotte and WBEE in Rochester, NY. Learn more about Loyd here:  http://about.me/loydford. Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE  Visit his Facebook radio social media page HERE

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(TALENT) Rustic Reflections On The Powerful People

8-16-2012

During this sojourn into the wilderness, the magazine became soiled with spattered rain; was covered with my own red corpuscles ? a result of black flies taking chunks out of my person and leaving behind open, dripping wounds; and the fold-out cover had suffered the indignity of being used as a place mat for numerous, assorted beverages. Even though marked by numerous stains of mud, blood, and beer, reading the magazine reinforced my  belief that the radio business has huge, pressing, and threatening matters that require immediate attention.

Although couched in more polite terms, Radio Ink publisher, Eric Rhoads, had some sobering comments directed to those executives and owners featured within the pages. I will attempt to offer more than a paraphrasing of those sobering comments.

With few exceptions, the comments of those being featured had a somewhat banal set of consistencies ? the nod to teamwork, the recognition that online participation was no longer an option, but a necessity to doing business, and so on.

Perhaps because the profiles were as much "sparkle" pieces, I was not expecting any noteworthy revelations. But I think there were some anyway. Most of the individuals paid no more than some form of lip service to a number of well-known "challenges" that are in play in the radio business. But, that was about it. Fair enough. There were also the required and multiple nods to the value of teamwork and the benefits of having a "passion" for the radio business. I got the impression, though, that these values were being offered in the same, safe terms as any politician who restricts their comments to generally held values ? those, about which, it would be difficult to argue.

Now, it's important for me to be clear here. I am not doubting the sincerity of those who claim a passion for the radio business. Few would rise to the level of influence and, to be sure, success that many of these individuals enjoy without the necessary enthusiasm.

My dad had a career as a salesman for Armco Steel. He sold bridging and corrugated culverts to contractors and townships all over Ontario. He had a passion for his business, as well. But, it wasn't a passion for bridging and culverts. It was a passion to meet people and to serve their requirements with high-quality products at competitive pricing and to make sure they were satisfied with his services and Armco products. Somebody else was responsible for design, manufacturing, and shipping.

I came to believe that a number, if not most, high-echelon managers are in a similar position. They have a passion for being engaged in the business of radio. Any other matters, like the design, manufacturing, and delivery of the elements that make up a radio station's broadcasts, are either assumed to be in order or are ignored altogether.

Yet, it seems the wails that audiences and advertisers are being grossly under-served continue to fall on mostly deaf ears. Others in the business take these to be patently obvious as well as long-held concerns.

I believe that the senior executives in the business (music radio in particular) have yet to grasp the most basic understandings, appreciations, and strategies necessary for a more effective approach to a broadcast audience. What makes this circumstance even more dangerous is that senior programmers and the talent base are in similar straits.

In the same Radio Ink issue, Roy H. Williams generated another articulate effort to encourage the business to begin addressing the necessity for far greater attention to be paid to the design and production of radio commercials.

I personally wonder if some of these management failures are brought about by a lack of knowledge or even an indifference or, rather, as a result of a considered collusion.

There is no kindly way of putting this. Any owners or managers who are knowingly under-serving their audiences and under-serving their advertising clients because they have a history of being able to get away with it while still producing healthy profits, are being supported by an extremely frayed rope. I realize this may be difficult to appreciate, particularly when one is wildly swinging between canyon walls and hollering "Wheeeee!"

These have been considerations that were developed where there was no Internet, no cell service, and no phones. I was able, however, to pull in many radio stations. I listened to some ? for a while. But, I quickly tired of banal V/Ts, superficial syndications, and innocuous spots. So, I turned the radio off and contented myself with listening to the breezes and the birds. Those, and the bears and wolves that were in deeper cover ? plotting.

Ronald T. Robinson has been involved in Canadian Radio since the '60s as a performer, writer and coach and has trained and certified as a personal counsellor. Ron makes the assertion that the most important communicative aspects of broadcasting, as they relate to Talent and Creative, have yet to be addressed. Check out his website www.voicetalentguy.com

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(TALENT) 6 Habits Of Memorable People

7-30-2012

By Angela Perelli

SPOILER ALERT: The #6 habit in Jeff Haden's "Inc." magazine article is to "get over yourself." That gem and five other tips on how to succeed in business are good reminders for all of us, and especially relevant for morning show personalities, who by nature of their job, should be interesting and memorable.

Here are the points from his article with my comments on how to relate them to radio. Read the original article here.

1. Don't see. Do.

"What you say isn't interesting; what you do is interesting. Spend your life doing instead of watching. Cool things will happen. Cool things are a lot more interesting and a lot more memorable."

In morning radio, some of your show will be about pop culture and topical news stories, and you do need to be informed. Yet, you have to be more than an entertainment correspondent. You have to have stories, and stories happen when you do stuff.

2. Do something unusual.

Personal stories don't come from going to work, going to the gym, doing a little show prep, and then watching TV. Stories come from living life with passion and with curiosity.

"Draw a circle and put all your 'stuff' in it. Your circle will look a lot like everyone else's: Everyone works, everyone has a family, everyone has homes and cars and clothes...."

"We like to think we're unique, but roughly speaking we're all the same, and similar isn't memorable."

"So occasionally do something different. Backpack to the next town just to see how many people stop to offer you a ride. Compete with your daughter to see who can swim the most laps in three hours. Or work from a coffee shop one day just to see what you learn about other people... and about yourself.

"Whatever you do, the less productive and sensible it is, the better. Your goal isn't to accomplish something worthwhile; the goal is to collect experiences.

"Experiences, especially unusual experiences, make your life a lot richer and way more interesting. You can even..."

3. Embark on a worthless mission.

"Remember when you were young and followed stupid ideas to their illogical conclusions? Road trips, failing the cinnamon challenge, trying to eat six saltine crackers in one minute without water... you dined out on those stories for years."

"So do something, just once, that adults no longer do."

We call them "quests" -- which give morning shows serial content, drama, viral content, and more. A quest can be a mission to find someone or something...or it can be a personal quest. A timely idea: Think about creating summer "bucket lists" for each show player as a "worthless mission" to create content for the summer ratings period.

4. Embrace a cause.

When we craft your character profile, we look for your endearing qualities as well as your flaws. Endearing qualities can include passion toward a charity. It shows you have compassion and heart.

"People care about -- and remember -- people who care. When you stand for something you stand apart. But..."

5. Let other people spread the word.

"People who brag are not remembered for what they've done; they're remembered for the fact they brag. Do good things and other people will find out. The less you say, the more people remember."

This is trickier for on-air personalities. Some ways around it:

A.     Air a call from someone your work has helped. You can be humble and even embarrassed by the attention.

B.     Twitter, too, can help by allowing people to thank you publicly without you tooting (or tweeting) your own horn.

C.     Keep the focus on the cause or on the listeners who helped the cause rather than on your own good deed(s).

6. Get over yourself.

"Stop trying to seem perfect. Accept your faults. Make mistakes. Hang yourself out there. Try and fail."

"And when you do fail, people will remember you because people who are willing to fail are rare... and because people who display grace and humility, especially in the face of defeat, are incredibly rare."

Think for a moment about those Facebook friends whose lives appear perfect. (Ugh.) Now think back on a post from someone admitting a character flaw, mistake, or faux-pas. (More likable and memorable, right?)

While you may not be as interesting as the guy in the Dos Equis ads, The Most Interesting Man in the World, think about what your ad would look like. Let me know at angela@randylane.net or on Twitter @AngelaPerelli .

Angela Perelli is a SVP at the The Randy Lane Company (www.randylane.net). She can be reached at angela@randylane.net  www.facebook.com/TheRandyLaneCompany  www.twitter.com/TheRandyLaneCo

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(PROGRAMMING) How Many People Are You Reaching?

5-21-2012

In a business like ours, which is designed to reach and be consumed, it's not only about the ears you attract, but it's also about the number of eyeballs that get to check you out at any given time. Do you constantly challenge your team to push the number of eyeballs and ears that check you out and try your brand? Isn't this the core principal beyond your brand promise that will drive you to success?

Are you keeping daily and weekly track of the eyeballs and ears that are exposed to your radio station? If not,you should. Are you setting monthly goals of the number of listeners that your various personalities meet and overall station goals? You should be. Here are five simple points that could help you in the battle for eyeball exposure. I realize these aren't new earth shattering revelations, but, if you make them a priority you will reap rewards.

1) Why have a station van if it's generally in the parking lot?
This makes me especially insane when it comes to drive times. Get those roving billboards in high traffic locations rather than only at paid promotional appearances. If you're not getting the vehicle out on the streets, at least park them in your own parking area in a front and center location so your logo can be seen by those that drive by.

2) Explore ways to imbed yourself in local communities that attach your station to the passion points of your listeners lives. The more you specifically learn about the makeup of a zip code, the better you can serve it.

3) Watch for local angles to serve topical cause related needs that help your communities and expose your radio station at the same time. Radio plays a vital role in serving our communities. If you follow your heart, you'll do the correct thing for your brand and your market.

4) Get your teams consistently to set up an events calendar at least 90 days out for big local events and festivals within your communities.

5) Most importantly, make this a daily and consistent priority.

Let's learn something from the political campaign cycle that we can use for our brands. Great local brands need to get out on the street and be a part of the lives of a marketplace. It's a big part of our competitive difference!

READ MORE ARTICLE FROM BUZZ HERE

Buzz Knight is the Vice President of Program Development for Greater Media and he can be reached at bknight@greatermediaboston.com. Knight was named among ?Best Programmers? by Radio Ink Magazine in 2007 and 2010. He has served on the programming subcommittee of the National Association of Broadcasters(NAB) and is currently a member of the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) COLRAM Committee.

(5/23/2012 8:00:47 AM)
Buzz: You are so right with this one. J.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

NAB Says Over 92,000 People Came to Vegas

The National Association of Broadcasters has released preliminary figures for the 2012 NAB show that took place last week in Las Vegas. The NAB reports the event included 1,600 exhibitors taking up 815,000 square feet of exhibit space. 92,112 attended the 2012 show, coming to Nevada from from 151 countries. Numbers are based on pre-show and onsite registration and subject to an ongoing audit. The NAB says the final attendance number from the 2011 show was 91,932.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Dial Global: "20.6 Million People Listened to Final Four."

4-5-2012
Dial Global commissioned a study with Edison to measure the number of people that tuned in to hear the radio broadcast of the Final Four. The national survey was conducted via telephone interviews on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, following the University of Kentucky Wildcats? victory over the University of Kansas Jayhawks. From that survey, Dial Global estimates over 20 million people listened to the game which was heard on 512 radio stations across the U.S.

View the original article here

7,500 People Attend Ramsey Event in Orlando

3-20-2012

Nationally syndicated radio talk show host and New York Times best-selling author, Dave Ramsey, presented his common-sense debt reduction and wealth-building strategies to a crowd of nearly 7,500 people at his Total Money Makeover Live event at UCF Arena in Orlando. Ramsey was brought in by Clear Channel affiliate WFLA-AM who also spent time with sponsors and station staff at a WFLA- hosted reception.

The event was simulcast to more than 200 locations across the country. Ramsey also presented his EntreLeadership 1-Day event to nearly 1,000 business leaders.

Clear Channel Orlando Market Manager Lynda Byrd said ?The personal attention and customer service we get from Dave Ramsey and his team is nothing short of stellar. It's amazing that in spite of having 500+ affiliates he makes us feel so special. Truly feels like he's a member of our local team. Dave does syndication the right way.? 

View the original article here

Report Says 241 Million People Tune Into Radio Weekly

3-13-2012

RADAR, a research arm of Arbitron, says it sampled 396,000 people twelve and older. The report includes data from all 48 Arbitron PPM markets and the information was collected between January 6th and December 7th of last year. Arbitron says the data represents "93% of the population tuning in to radio on a weekly basis. Here are some of the details Arbitron released about the data.

Arbitron says the data shows:
- 22.7 million persons aged 12 to 17 listen weekly.
- 66.4 million adults 18-34 listen to radio weekly.
- 126.2 million adults 18-49 listen to radio weekly
- 119.4 million adults 25-54 listen to radio weekly.
and
- The Hispanic audience 12 and older increased by nearly 2 million from one year earlier. Arbitron says "radio reaches 95% of Hispanics aged 12 and older.
? Hispanic Adults 18 to 49 added about 1 million weekly listeners according to Arbitron.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(HIRING) The Right Way to Fire People

3-12-2012

Let?s face it, there is no kind way to let someone go, but there are definitely some wrong ways to go about letting go of staff, especially when you need to make changes with key people at the company. And, you may not think it does, but firing people incorrectly can hurt future recruitment at your company.

Ideally no one should ever be surprised when being let go. If there has been strong communication, all parties should be aware of the possibility, thus no surprise. In a perfect world, the managers and the employee should be communicating about what is expected, what goals are not being met, ideas on how to make the needed changes and what the consequences will be, should they fail to be met. Many may argue that during this period, both parties have given up on the other and are spending time either finding a new job or a new employee, which is not always the case. Often with guidance and communication, bad situations can be turned around.

However, if you find yourself in a situation where you have a take-over or a major cut back where the firing has nothing to do with performance, it is important to handle this situation with the utmost care and respect, especially with those that have served the company well over the years. Keep in mind, if someone has been a visible part of your company, they will have many contacts and supporters who may not agree with the decision to part with them, but if these people are handled in a professional manner, it will soften the blow in addition to keeping the company one that others will want to work for in the future. Failure to do so can create havoc when recruiting and retaining key staff in the future.

Here are some tips to remember when making key changes:

- Always have the conversation in person, never via phone or email.
- Don?t do it alone, have another key person or HR staff member attend the meeting.
- Give the person time to clean their office/desk to get their personal things, even if you feel the need to have someone of authority in the office with them.
- Give them time to switch company phones and computers to their personal ones, often they need the contacts they have to reach out to people in their database, in most cases, it is easy for an IT person to lock down any confidential materials on the computers that should not be taken.
- Let the departing employee and the company know how much their contribution was appreciated over the years.
- Be prepared to offer them a separation package.
- Have the conversations early in the week and not on a Friday. Give that person a few days to get over their shell shock and schedule a time to meet with them the following week to go over any questions or details.
- Work the press ? make sure that if these are senior positions that there is a press release explaining the reasons and again, thanking those that were eliminated for their years of service.
- Offer financial assistance to allow the departing staff to work with career coaches, resume writers and other tools to help them land quickly.

Most importantly, walk in their shoes and get an idea of how you would want to be handled if the situation was reversed. A little respect can go a long way.

Laurie Kahn is Founder and President of Media Staffing Network and can be reached at 480-306-8930 or via e-mail at laurie@mediastaffingnetwork.com. Visit the Media Staffing Website www.mediastaffingnetwork.com

Read more articles from Laurie HERE

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Dear Radio People: "Your Stopsets Are Too Long"

3-4-2012

In the March 26th issue of Radio Ink magazine, we interviewed the Director of Media and Digital Marketing for La Quinta Inn, Amy Bartle (pictured). Bartle has been having tremendous success advertising on ESPN radio and in our interview she details why. She also gave us her general thoughts about the radio industry. One of the biggest challenges, she says, is understanding the importance of allowing the advertiser message to stand out. With stopsets that are way too long, on most stations, that is nearly impossible.

Here is an excerpt from our interview with Bartle. "The most difficult thing about radio is in general is that the ad pods have gotten so long and so cluttered that break through and message retention is darn near impossible. That is one of the key reasons that we are with ESPN because we can stay within specific personalities and programs and structure ourselves for that. I think with the broader radio landscape, it's really the ability for an advertiser to feel comfortable that their message is heard and retained. Being in the middle of a ten-spot ad pod isn't it."

On the topic of radio's inability to provide real listening numbers on the digital side, Bartle says when she hears from stations about digital, a lot of it is added value pitches. "As an advertiser it is not a problem right now because I know I'm getting some value added. It's more a problem for the radio stations because it's darn hard for them to charge me for it. But the reason I think it is not a problem yet is your (online) audiences are still smaller. In order to do fairly consistent comparisons, I actually translate all of my points to impressions, so I can look at all of my media on an impression basis. The radio audiences are still....while I can do 10 million impressions a day online easily, it doesn't mean I am hitting a highly qualified targeted 10 million audience. The better I want to target, the more cleanly I need to be aligned with programming and particular media properties."

Our entire interview with Amy Bartle will appear in the March 26th issue of Radio Ink

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here