Radio

[Brian Trout]

Hi Martin,

I have an ad which has been running for about 6 months now.  It's a 30
second spot that runs once a week at a particular time between two very
popular programs on a local Christian radio station.  This particular
station has one of the largest listening audiences in this area.

I've changed the ad several times to reflect the season.  I can change it as
often as I want to drive out to the studio and voice the new copy.

Is it expensive?  Yes, and no.  Depends on how you look at it, and why
you're doing it.  It cost's me about $60 per 30 second spot.  Do I get
calls?  Yes, I do get a few.  It probably comes close to the break even
point.  But the thing that I'm getting is when I go places, people are
telling me that they heard my ad.  I'm making my presence known.  People are
starting to recognize my (company) name.  Most of those people listening may
not need my services on the day they hear my ad.  But when they do need the
services of a piano tech, and they reach for their yellow page directory,
(I'm in there too,) perhaps they'll remember hearing that name before and
make enough of a mental connection that they'll call my number out of the
dozen or so listed.

It's just one more way for people to connect with me.  That's what we need
to establish with piano owners in our respective areas.  We need to be
available.  We need to be accessible.  When they need us, they have to be
able to find us quickly and easily.  A lot of the time, the average piano
tuner seeker will either pick out one of the biggest ads in the phone book,
or pick a name that sounds familiar, or pick a name with which he has
established a familiarity with, even if it's only in his own mind from
having seen an ad in the paper, or heard an ad on the...radio...   We have
to make it easy for the customer to find us, and easy for them to connect
with us.

That's why I do bother with a radio ad.  It might not be for everyone.  I
would say, though, that it's probably not something you want to try for just
a couple of weeks and drop.  If you want it to have some impact, it probably
needs to be a longer term thing.

...At least that's where my thinking is on the matter...

Good luck, whatever you decide is right for you.

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net