"The problem in my life and other people's lives is not the
absence of knowing what to do, but the absence of doing it."
Peter Drucker
How Radio and Internet can Work Together
Effective radio schedules and well-converting web sites help each other get the job done
by David Young
Our own experience is showing that t the intrusive nature of a powerful radio ad on an appropriate schedule,
will work to drive people to a web site when the need for the product finally arises. For example, we have a
roofing company in Portland,
Oregon that has 45% of its traffic coming from either direct navigation or through searches for the company
name. A Toronto laser eye surgery
facility is seeing 59% of its traffic through direct nav or name searches. The Toronto company has been on the
radio and TV for years. In Portland, we're just entering into our 2nd year of the campaign and web referrals are
climbing.
Our philosophy of 52-week radio schedules with a powerful branding message, is paying off over time by having
web sites that can handle conversion. Nobody even looks for a roofer until some kind of event triggers their
need. We position our client to be the firm whose name pops into the mind, unbidden, when such a need arises.
Nobody wakes up in the morning and decides to get laser surgery. It's a decision that is contemplated for a
long time until an event or episode triggers their desire and they either search for the name they've come to
know, or they are susceptible to the ad the next time they encounter it. Either way, the result is a search
for our client by name. And, if we've done our job right from an SEO standpoint, they'll also be found if they
search for a more generic term but see the name they recognize in the search results.
We're going to talk about how these two media overlap at our Denver
Seminar on February 19-20. There are still a few seats, and for just $99, it's one of the best bargains in
the seminar world.
Creativity: Growth Tonic for Tough Economic Times
by Peter Nevland
Just past A-Rod's steroid confession and the tales of national and international conflict, Google's news website reads like an indicator of a changing guard. On the left, the business section teems with bailouts, resigning SEC officials and toppling industry giants. On the right, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Apple churn out wave after wave of technological progress. If you're committed to doing things the way you've always done things, I can tell you which column indicates the future of your business fortunes.
Opportunities abound in the turmoil of these times. The climate has changed. Gone are the predictions of “it's coming”, “it's on its way” and “things are about to happen. We've embraced a recession era mentality. Does it make you excited? It should.
Shifting media trends have resulted in advertising deals for businesses that aren't knee deep in debt. If you need to get your message out, now's the time to do it. People are beginning to realize that they can't survive with a website that sucks. That's great news for website developers or anyone who's not afraid of learning a new skill. Plus, it's much easier to find talented programmers who need income.
If you can embrace or develop new technology to satisfy the requests of your customers, you'll rise head and shoulders above your competitors. Don't get sucked into the mentality of only doing what makes you happy or sticking to your business model. When the same request for something outside your company model keeps popping up, find a way to add it to your products or services. Then incorporate your unique spin to it. You'll find new revenue streams to supplement the decline in your current lines
It reminds me of the constant complaining I hear on my performance tours of England. “I can't stand the rain.” “It's been such a cold summer.” When the sun finally comes out they say, “Oh, it's so hot today!” I've always loved the weather there. It's so much cooler than Texas summers. I get to splash in puddles and drink in the green of rolling fields that stretch as far as I can see. Come to think of it, I also love running in the hot sun and plunging into swimming pools to cool off. When the weather changes it becomes that much more pleasurable.
Take advantage of the changes in our economic climate. Don't cling to your dwindling supplies. Decaying business practices provide the fertilization and growth potential for leaps forward in creativity. Plant your seeds and watch them grow. Experiment with new methods and see what inventions arise. You'll get your hands a little dirty and encounter problems that you didn't foresee. But it will keep you moving forward into brighter days instead of merely attempting to stay alive.
Perhaps now would be a good time to have a complimentary meeting with a Wizard of Ads Partner. Links to their websites and blogs are listed down the right side of The Wizard Times. Hundreds of their articles with free insightful advice can been seen at www.americansmallbusiness.com 2009 would be a great year to attend a class at the Wizard Academy 21st Century Business School in Austin Texas. What is the Wizard Academy?
See you next week.
Clay Campbell
Wizard of Ads
PS. Need help to attract more customers and grow your business?
