DIGITAL)Online Tools for Quality Leads -- Part 2

3-25-2013

Last week I shared some online research tools to help you track news about your prospects, as well as monitor their social media conversations using Google Alerts and Social Mention.   These tools can help you identify the optimum time when your prospects are most likely thinking about buying advertising.

This week we?ll take a look at some online tools to help you build quality lead lists more quickly.

Manta

Manta is a cross between a business directory listing and social network for small businesses.  The primary mission of Manta is to provide a platform for small businesses to promote themselves and to support one another. According to a survey of their 90-plus million members last year, 42 percent of small business owners say they get most of their business advice from other small business owners.

How can Manta help you get more quality leads? As you search for small businesses in your area, Manta provides additional filters, so you can target businesses based on their number of employees and company revenue. 

Here?s one quick search tip when using Manta, first search by type of business like ?restaurant? or ?car dealer." After your search results come up, scroll all the way to the bottom to filter your search by location or advertising category.

Angie?s List

If you are seeking to build a quick list of quality leads for home service advertisers like ?plumbers? or ?dentists,? AngiesList.com is your best bet. Unlike other business review websites, Angie?s List does charge a small monthly fee based on local rates, but it?s worth it for the leads you can gather. 

Qualify your leads by looking for businesses that have the most reviews, are promoting special offers or have newly created profiles. 

Those with special offers are indicating their desire to market a bit more aggressively. When you call on them, remind them that their pool of customers on Angie?s Lists is very limited. There is a much larger audience seeking their services who didn?t pay for Angie?s List, but can be reached by advertising on your radio station.

DemandBase

Think about all time and money you spend on getting people to come to your website. It?s probably one of your greatest unrealized sources of qualified leads. You probably have an ?advertise with us? on your website, but the majority of the people visiting that page are completely anonymous to you.

DemandBase.com enables you to identify businesses visiting your website. Your visitors? IP addresses are analyzed and matched against business information sources from Dun & Bradstreet and LexisNexis. DemandBase will identify the names of companies where your visitors work and then sell you leads to those companies for as little as $1.80 per lead.

This tool has a lot of promise, but for a radio station to realize its true capabilities, it would need to create content to attract businesses because most radio websites target consumers. A station could create a separate website, blog, or business directory targeting local business owners only. If you already have popular business content, then a tool like DemandBase might be worth your consideration.

The Web is one of the greatest sales research tools ever created and, at the same time, it is one of the most under-utilized research tools in radio sales. At the very least, before you call on any prospect, visit their website. Think of their homepage as a virtual billboard describing all of their marketing needs, priorities, and opportunities. 

Stephen Warley is the founder of inboundarts.com, a research and training firm dedicated to helping radio broadcasters use digital tools to generate more qualified sales leads.  He is also the founded of LocalBroadcastSales.com. Email him at stephen@inboundarts.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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(DIGITAL) Online Tools For Quality Leads – Part 1

3-18-2013
By Stephen Warley

Many radio sales veterans probably remember starting out their career by thumbing through the yellow pages looking for sales leads. Beyond getting the phone number and address of local businesses, there really wasn?t any information about their marketing needs or intentions. The only way to get that information was to call or stop by their business to ask them.

Selling against other media was and still is a popular method of qualifying leads by calling on businesses already advertising in the newspaper, in the yellow pages, on billboards, on television, and on other radio stations. The thinking goes that the business has already bought into the concept of paid advertising, now it?s just a matter of selling them on your station.

You and every other local media rep has the same idea. Once a business starts their advertising campaign, the owner?s voicemail ends up full of messages from other local media reps they?ll never call back.

Today?s local advertisers are busy and they expect us to know a little more about their marketing needs beyond knowing that they paid for advertising somewhere else.

The optimum moment to meet with a local business is when they are starting to research their marketing options. Businesses generally perform this task when they are figuring out their annual marketing budget, launching a new product or service, making preparations for seasonal business, expanding their business, or have a special event. While they are in the planning stages of their advertising plan, they haven?t committed to any one message, media, or maybe even a budget.    

Knowing when a business is planning to buy advertising is one of the highest quality leads. The trick is finding out which businesses in your area are ready to pull the trigger. Be the first local media rep to call on them and leave the rest of your competition left to be forgotten in your new client?s voicemail!

Here are five online research tools to help you search for higher-quality sales leads:

1. Google Alerts

Imagine monitoring every piece of news published on the Web about your clients and prospects? It?s possible using Google Alerts (google.com/alerts). Think of it as a news clipping service sent conveniently to your email. The best part, it?s completely free!

You can monitor news about a particular business by submitting their name as a search term. Keep track of news in a single advertising category or even individual shopping items like shoes, clothes, or golf clubs. Be sure to also submit the name of your market as a search term to filter out irrelevant news. You?ll also be able to choose the frequency of your alerts and the type of content you?ll receive.

2. SocialMention.com

Wouldn?t it be even easier to target prospects if we could only eavesdrop on conversations about their marketing plans? Listening in on phone calls is of course illegal and unethical, but monitoring social media conversations isn?t. It?s the next best thing to overhearing an actual conversation.

Using SocialMention.com you can submit terms and phrases to monitor your prospects? social media activity on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and loads of other social media networks. It picks up where Google Alerts leaves off by sending you updates about social media posts based on your search criteria.

Many local advertisers use social media to gauge the needs of their customers, to promote special offers, and to inform their followers about their latest news. Social media conversations are rich in marketing information that can help you know when to call on a prospect well ahead of your competition.

END OF PART 1

Catch Part 2 next Monday?

Stephen Warley is the founder of inboundarts.com, a research and training firm dedicated to helping radio broadcasters use digital tools to generate more qualified sales leads. He is also the founded of LocalBroadcastSales.com in 2008. Email him at stephen@inboundarts.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Radio One Leads The Pack in First Quarter Revenue

5-21-2012

Expectations are high for second quarter revenue after a flat Q1 that was confirmed by the Radio Advertising Bureau on Friday when it issued its quarterly report. The RAB reported radio revenue was up 1% which was consistent with how radio's public companies reported in the quarter. Radio One was the big winner in the quarter posting a 6.4% jump in revenue while Cumulus was down 3.5%, Emmis and Entercom were down 3% and Clear Channel was up 1%. Both Salem and Saga had quarters that posted 3% revenue gains. And while most companies, both public and private, are cautious about pacing, most seem optimistic about the second quarter. 

The trend in the first quarter was to start off strong and see March revenue fall off dramatically. Looking forward, radio CEOs reported that Q2 was off to a strong start, with Radio One's Alfred Liggins more enthusiastic than most. He said May revenue was "off the charts," when he was asked about Q2 pacings. 

Weak comps from 2011, a rebounding automotive industry and an uptick in political advertising should play a significant role in stronger sales for radio in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2012.

According to the RAB, the top ten Spot Radio advertisers for Q1 were:
1) Comcast Xfinity Cable - $89.7 mill. 
2) McDonald?s - $87.6 mill.
3) Safeway - $59.3 mill. 
4) Verizon Wireless - $48.5 mill. 
5) GEICO - $46 mill. 
6) AT&T - $45.5 mill. 
7) T-Mobile - $42.2 mill. 
8) Toyota Dealer Association - $41.7 mill. 
9) Fox TV Network - $39.6 mill. 
10) Honda Dealer Association - $32 mill. 

Read the entire RAB Quarterly report HERE

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(PODCAST) Salespeople. Still Using These For Leads?

Download this show

5-10-2012

Sales have been flat in radio. There's no denying that. We hear about pockets of strength, mostly in small and medium markets, but we've also seen the big guns report weak revenue numbers. The cuts continue, as companies continue to reduce expenses until the economy rebounds and the sales improve. For sure some of it is the economy. Could another part of it be salespeople not making enough calls or calling on the wrong businesses or hitting the street with a pocket pen and a rate card?

How many times have you returned to the office and announced to the sales team..."that's it everyone, time to go home, we've just been making too many sales calls today. In his earnings report to Wall Street the always colorful Ed Christian said he still believes there are businesses not being called on by radio salespeople and he's been around quite awhile. What we dicided to do in our latest podcast with Matt Sunshine from the Center for Sales Strategy is discuss lead generation.

There are a lot of things salespeople can do to market themselves as the best at what they do. It takes a lot of hard work, consistency and dedication to the job to be the person everyone in your market depends on when they are ready to advertise. That's the relationship salespeople should strive for and to do that, it takes a whole lot more than sitting at your desk dialing for apoointments. In our 30 minute interview Matt gives specific ideas that you can start implementing tomorrow to be a better salesperson. Some of them you may have heard of. The question is how many of them will you implement Monday morning.

LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST HERE
OR DOWNLOAD IT FROM OURITUNES PAGE ANY TIME
After listening to the Podcast go to THIS PAGE for more materials to help you succeed.
Contact Matt directly mattsunshine@csscenter.com

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Balderas Leads Killer Revenue Panel in San Diego

1-9-2012
As March 21 quickly approaches, we want to be sure to give you the details on some of the panels that will highlight our Hispanic Radio Conference program. Angelica Balderas is the National Sales Manager for Adelante Media Group, and she'll moderate a panel focused on how stations can find and capture revenue in 2012. She says the panel will fous on several details that will help uncover that money.

- Spanish stations pricing off general-market cost per point -- and  how we move marketers, but more importantly their agencies, to plan inclusion of Spanish.
- What is the right revenue mix for a successful Spanish station (national, agency, local direct)? How much do you have to depend on Hispanic-owned businesses to make you profitable? 
- How do you balance a sales staff when  you have general market sellers, bilingual sellers, and Spanish dominant sellers?
- How do you do it right and hit it out of the park? 

During the show awards will be given out to the best Hispanic broadcasters in the country. Nominations are being accepted now. Here are the categories:

Hispanic Radio Station of the Year
General Manager of the Year (markets 1-25 and 26 and up)
Sales Manager of the Year (markets 1-25 and 26 and up)
Programmer of the Year (markets 1-25 and 26 and up)
Personality of the Year (markets 1-25 and 26 and up)
National Legacy Advertiser
Local Legacy Advertiser

Submit your nominations HERE
Register for the convention HERE

(1/25/2012 3:50:23 PM)
Perhaps Angelica can also explain Adelante Media's strategy of using live radio ads dressed up as contests for "winning" Disney vacations, not before the "winner" has to provide a credit card which will get charged hundreds of dollars after "winning" the radio "contest".

And how about all the live natural Viagra ads on Adelante stations? Talk about shamelessly misleading your audience.

I guess that's a killer revenue they are talking about.

(1/21/2012 11:39:43 AM)
Hispanic Origin. Persons of Hispanic origin were identified by a question that asked for self-identification of the person's origin or descent. Respondents were asked to select their origin (and the origin of other household members) from a "flash card" listing ethnic origins. Persons of Hispanic origin, in particular, were those who indicated that their origin was Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or some other Hispanic origin. It should be noted that persons of Hispanic
(1/19/2012 11:24:54 AM)
Also, to all those people that like to INCORRECTLY use the term "LATINO", could you please define it and then define the term "LATIN AMERICAN"as well, and tell me what the difference is?????
(1/19/2012 11:17:09 AM)
HISPANIC Radio???? Is there "ANGLOSAXON", "BLACK /AFRICAN/AFRICAN-AMERICAN", or "NATIVE AMERICAN" Radio as well??? I understand that the people at RADIO INK are not of Hispanic (WRONGLY phrased as Latino) descent, but if they are going to write about something, they should inform themselves FIRST, this way, they will avoid making these errors.....
The right term is "SPANISH" Radio, as it refers to the LANGUAGE format, which is obviously
SPANISH, and NOT to an ETHNICITY....
(1/13/2012 9:35:26 AM)
If you are attending make sure you put Angie's panel on your "must see" list. I have had the pleasure to meet and work with her over the past several years.
Bright, insightful, strategic and a dynamic seller.

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Balderas Leads Killer Revenue Panel in San Diego

1-9-2012
As March 21 quickly approaches, we want to be sure to give you the details on some of the panels that will highlight our Hispanic Radio Conference program. Angelica Balderas is the National Sales Manager for Adelante Media Group, and she'll moderate a panel focused on how stations can find and capture revenue in 2012. She says the panel will fous on several details that will help uncover that money.

- Spanish stations pricing off general-market cost per point -- and  how we move marketers, but more importantly their agencies, to plan inclusion of Spanish.
- What is the right revenue mix for a successful Spanish station (national, agency, local direct)? How much do you have to depend on Hispanic-owned businesses to make you profitable? 
- How do you balance a sales staff when  you have general market sellers, bilingual sellers, and Spanish dominant sellers?
- How do you do it right and hit it out of the park? 

During the show awards will be given out to the best Hispanic broadcasters in the country. Nominations are being accepted now. Here are the categories:

Hispanic Radio Station of the Year
General Manager of the Year (markets 1-25 and 26 and up)
Sales Manager of the Year (markets 1-25 and 26 and up)
Programmer of the Year (markets 1-25 and 26 and up)
Personality of the Year (markets 1-25 and 26 and up)
National Legacy Advertiser
Local Legacy Advertiser

Submit your nominations HERE
Register for the convention HERE

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