Our stations have sent emails to our listener club members for years. But, with the launch of Entercom’s “Tribal Direct” (our permission-based email marketing outlet for advertisers) earlier this year, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t from an entirely different perspective. So it got me to thinking… if my business had an email database - how would I ENGAGE them. Oh sure, I already knew about the importance of a good subject line but what about the more creative aspects of email marketing.
I came across a great blog from AWeber Communications that covers 6 “fun” ideas including requesting subscriber photos, promoting FREE goodies, adding entertaining videos, posting an easy survey, employing the use of metaphors and - last but not least - showing off some of your company’s personality.
Over the next few weeks Entercom stations across the country will be launching FREE custom iPhone apps which will allow iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and, eventually, Droid and Blackberry users to listen to our on-line stream, follow station content and so much more. See press release.
The launch of these apps simply underscores the changing radio landscape and creates INCREMENTAL listening to a medium that already reaches over 93% of people every week.
Side note for advertisers… if you’re not including streaming in your advertising campaigns, app users will not hear your commercials! For more information on iPhone app sponsorships or any other digital marketing opportunities please leave a comment or send an email to sacdigital@entercom.com.
In the past 6 months (not 6 years, 6 MONTHS!), US daily newspaper circulation has dropped nearly 9% (7% for Sunday). What’s worse for newspapers is that this is GOOD news because daily circulation the PREVIOUS 6 month period was down almost 11%.
Although my heart and mind (and livelihood) are devoted to the efficiencies of combining broadcast radio and digital advertising, I’m still sad to see a competing medium take a header. There is a place for newspaper but, except for their digital and direct mail assets, that place may be the advertising graveyard.
By the way, the figures for the Sacramento Bee were even worse than the industry’s. According to the Sac Biz Journal (quoting numbers from the Audit Bureau of Circulations), “The Sacramento Bee’s daily circulation declined 13.7 percent to 214,219 subscribers, and Sunday readership fell 8.6 percent to 266,542. The company has aggressively cut costs in recent years, including layoffs and furloughs.”
Sorry to say goodbye, but it is what it is.
In an earlier blog I spoke about the relationship traditional media has in generating the best form of advertising… word of mouth. What was not discussed is how many forms ‘word of mouth’ now comes in. The internet, more specifically social media, has given WOM marketing a shiny new coat of paint.
But, as brands late to the game scamper to create fan pages on Facebook and Twitter accounts, the inevitable question is “what kind of value is my business getting out of my fans and followers?”
I found this article from Brandweek which attempts to answer that question via a study from social media specialist Virtue. Here’s the article.
Among tons of other findings in the recent Infinite Dial study (released by Edison & Arbitron) was a strong case for including STREAMING in every radio schedule advertisers invest in. Nearly doubling the percentage from just 3 years ago, statistics now show that 23% of people listening at work now listen most often using their computers. This lends further credibilty to the fact that, if you are not including streaming in your radio buy, then you are MISSING a valuable part of the station’s audience. More on a streaming listener’s “value” in a future blog.
USA Today is reporting that Target will become the “first major nationwide retailer to exploit the bar-code technology in all its stores. It almost certainly won’t be the last.” To sign up text COUPONS to 827438. To see how your business can take advantage of this technology on a local level - see your friendly neighborhood Entercom account manager.
Arbitron and Edison Research revealed the 2010 edition of their Infinite Dial study which looks at how the US population interacts with radio and related technology. There’s TONS of info to share over the next few blogs but one tidbit I found interesting was related to radio station websites.
- 31% of Persons 12+ have ever visited a Local Radio Station Web Site — up from 28% in 2002.
- About half of those who have visited a Local Radio Station Web Site say they are “More Interesting” than they were a few years ago.
- 57% of Local Radio Station site visitors go to find titles and artists of songs played (this is why Entercom has the ARTIST NETWORK - see widget below).
- 55% go to Local Radio Station sites to listen to that Radio station.
- Approximately 40% of Persons 12+ say Local AM/FM Radio Stations are their primary source of learning about new music; among those who cite the Internet, there is no way to determine what percent learn about new music from a Local Radio Station’s Web site (online).
When you have as many marketing meetings as I and my advertising sales cohorts have, you inevitably find yourself relying on crutches. Words, phrases and thoughts that you know you’ve said hundreds of times. In my case, one of those “isms” is… ‘word of mouth is the best form of advertising, the challenge is creating it’.
Like fire, word of mouth marketing doesn’t just happen, you have to initiate a spark somehow. I found a recent article written by John Moore from WOMMA (Word of Mouth Marketing Assoc) for PROMO Xtra that explains the PHYSICS of Word of Mouth and provides some great examples. My favorite quote from the article (mostly because it validates my crutch)… “The physics of inertia apply to word of mouth marketing. Conversation at rest tends to stay at rest while conversation in action tends to stay in action. If a company does nothing to encourage people to talk, no one will talk.”
Enjoy the article.
Many apologies for being away for so long. It’s not a good excuse but we’ve been busy doing some very exciting things - so many that I won’t be able to fit them all into this posting but it will give me plenty of material and incentive to update more frequently.
Let’s start with the most exciting news… Entercom Sacramento has a brand new radio station. Enjoy this video and I’ll be back soon with more.
The Radio Business Report recently held a 2010 Upfront Q&A with some of the bigger names in the agency world. One of the questions… How strong will streaming/digital media spend be in 2010? Here’s how each responded…
Goldwerger (TargetSpot CEO): “The streaming market is looking up. For one, radio buyers understand now that online listeners represent an important, growing segment of radio audience. But it’s not just growth that makes it a critical component of the marketing mix; unique features like precision targeting, measurement and analytics and helping buyers rise to the demand for increased accountability. The factors have fueled internet radio’s evolution from an ‘add-on’ to a critical component of the radio buy, and will continue to attract advertising dollars throughout the upfront and 2010.”
Warnecke (MediaCom Partner, Group Director): Streaming will continue to be a part of the audio mix - remember, there are still 235 MILLION weekly listeners to radio and some of those folks also listen online. Radio has also been shown to connect listeners with the web, so smart advertisers will connect with their consumers on air and online.
Mijatovic (Horizon Media VP, Managing Director of National Audio): Much stronger than 2009. Sellers have been working diligently in providing interesting solutions which in turn peaked agency/clients’ interest. Overall bringing more accountability to the overall audio buy. Excellent job on the part of the sellers.
Feinberg (President/Matt Feinberg Media): How strong is anyone’s guess, but it should continue to grow like most other things digital.
Swed Stone (US Director, National Radio Investment, OMD): Will grow significantly as it becomes more mainstream.
Casey (Associate Buying Director of National Radio, Zenithmedia): Definitely on the rise with advertisers who are familiar with the medium. The positive results of the Arbitron Edison research study certainly helped (audience doubling in last 4 years). More advertisers are dipping their toe in the water, so to speak.
Vasey (GroupM Senior Partner, Director of Radio): As the product offer continues to grow in digital media - I’d expect that our spend levels will increase.
