The world moves fast, and listeners have high expectations. That alone should be enough to reconsider how a station brand is promoted. Every element is an opportunity to entertain and promote, but most stations keep producing predictable, dated audio. That needs to change. Promos that repeat a positioning statement or yell at listeners with hype fall on deaf ears. Morning shows need promos with content to demonstrate the brand, create awareness, and build fans. But it must be more than the standard, “Did you hear Peppy and Zippy this morning?”
Promos With Content
Does saying “We have the most fun in the morning” 14 times an hour cause a reaction? Does building a promo around “Keep listening for the next chance to qualify for a trip tomorrow morning at 7” truly drive tune-in?
Communicating benefits and a value proposition is key to a promotion strategy, and driving tune-in occasions to specific times is definitely a good idea. But most of those promos are a waste of time. And stations can’t afford to waste even a moment.
Here are two steps to fire up promos with content.
Step One: Call To Action
Get rid of claims built around positioning. Great promos should inspire action.
Here are a couple of examples of generic, ineffective promos:
Peppy and Zippy, with the most fun in the morning. Miss a day, miss a lot. Weekday mornings from 6-10 on (station).
Did you hear Peppy and Zippy this morning? If you missed it, you missed this (out-of-context clip that doesn’t make sense unless you heard it). Peppy and Zippy in the morning, with the most laughs and (city’s) best music on (station). Home of the All-Request Workday.
The promo copy will not inspire listeners to take action. Here’s how it would sound with content in the promo, and provide a specific time to listen.
Nicole has a problem and needs your help. Her boyfriend was away for two months, and now he’s back. Should she tell him about her affair while he was gone? Or ignore it and hope he never finds out. Your calls and Nicole’s decision on Group Therapy at 7:40 tomorrow morning with Peppy & Zippy on (station).
This promo demonstrates what Peppy and Zippy do while building interest in the show’s signature feature, Group Therapy.
Step Two: Focus The Message
Most promos try to do too much. We want to give all the details, but long lists fall on deaf ears. The audience lacks patience or attention span. They are confused and tune out.
Instead, create a series of messages, each focused on a specific aspect of the promotion. Add a call to action!
For example:
Peppy and Zippy’s $10,000 Secret Sound is on Mix 100.3. What is this sound? (play sound). Think you know? It’s worth Ten Grand. Listen and win at 8:15…and get details at www.MixSecretSound.com.
Playing the $10,000 Secret Sound with Peppy and Zippy on Mix 100.3? And it’s driving you crazy? Here’s a tip…check out all the incorrect guesses so far at www.MixSecretSound.com. Then listen to win $10,000 at 8:15 this morning on Mix.
Do you notice what these promos do? In the first promo, all that matters is getting the listener to the next tune-in occasion. This is much more powerful than a list of all the times to listen. For those who want more, there’s a way to get it.
In the second promo, the goal is to encourage participation on the station’s website. Side note: Stations should get a unique URL for promotions. It is easier for the audience to remember. You can always redirect it to a landing page on the station website.
Next Steps
Following this advice takes time and resources, and those are in short supply at most stations. Don’t get frustrated that the production department can’t handle additional promos. Take matters into your own hands.
Have the production genius create production parts or shells. Then write, voice and produce the promos yourself. Then, build programming schedules for maximum effectiveness:
Position the Brand: Branding works best when you lead listeners to discovery instead of pounding a single statement relentlessly. Build promos around the audience benefit, and tag station or show values to an active message. It’s much more effective.
Create Urgency: Once promos with content are on the air, ensure they’re heard! Develop a system to manage the promos. Some stations set up a rotator cut with a series of promos that run at random times. This is easy to manage, but you need more control. Create multiple rotators, each airing at specific times. Then, populate the rotator with promos designed to run only in that position. It’s more work initially, but it sounds great.
Here’s an example of how it might work for a contest with multiple tune-in times:
Rotator 1: Runs at 10:20. Content: Directs listeners to tune-in to win at 11am. Promo targets just this one tune in.
Rotator 2: Runs at 10:50 into spots: Content might be: You’re less than 10 minutes away from winning $10,000.
Rotator 3: Runs at 11:20: This resets the promo and references the 11am game: Do you know the $10,000 Secret Sound? No winner at 11. Direct tune in to 2pm.
Conclusion
Promos are essential to forward momentum and more listening occasions, but generic promos don’t work. Specific promos do, and promos with content are highly effective. Audit your station. Remove everything that doesn’t fit this description and replace it with content-based messages that inspire action.
Pic by Freepik.
Tracy Johnson is a talent coach and programming consultant. He’s the President/CEO of Tracy Johnson Media Group. His book Morning Radio has been described as The Bible of Personality Radio and has been used by personalities worldwide.