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The specific strategy we highlight in this article is applicable to other forms of advertising, but it was first developed and used in the radio & television industries, so we have written it with a slant in that direction.
If you are looking to do some broadcast advertising then you will find this article very useful, especially if you are of limited means with regard to advertising dollars. This technique is still a viable and effective one, so I hope you will keep an open mind.
Where applicable, we explain how it's possible to tie this into an online advertising system as well.
Let's get started, shall we?
It's an accepted reality in business that one of your largest expenses is going to be for advertising.
Advertising is a must. No business will grow without advertising. Advertising is the "life-blood" of any profitable business. And regardless of what methods, techniques, or strategies you use or where, when, and how you advertise, it's going to cost you something in one form or another (cash, time, energy, etc).
All successful businesses are primarily built upon a solid foundation of good advertising. The largest and most successful companies in the world have advertising budgets that number in the millions of dollars annually.
Now you may not be able to match their advertising efforts, at least not in the beginning while working from your garage, kitchen table, or basement, but there are ways you can get similar results without spending astronomical amounts of money on advertising. This technique is called "P.I" Advertising.
"P.I." means “per inquiry”, and even though this kind of advertising is mostly associated with the broadcasting industry (radio and television), it can be adapted to almost any advertising medium. Just use your imagination and be creative and you might be surprised at what you can do with this strategy.
What makes the “P.I.” strategy so attractive is that you only pay for the responses you get from your advertising message. It's very popular (somewhat akin to bartering) and is used by many more advertisers than what most people realize.
The advantage of “P.I.” Advertising for the marketer is (as stated above) you only pay for the results the advertising produces.
The advantage of “P.I.” Advertising for the provider, in this kind of advertising arrangement, is that they are able to fill unused or lower value advertising slots with cash-generating ads, creating a greater opportunity for them to see profits they would not have previously expected.
To benefit from this "free" advertising (it's not really free because you will be paying the provider a commission, but you won't have to take money out of your pocket to do it, as your clients will have already paid you before you pay the provider), start by creating a file (or by getting a loose-leaf notebook and about 100 sheets of filler paper, if you don't have a computer) and make a list of advertising providers.
- For internet advertising providers just do a Google search for solo, classified, or emailing marketing services.
- After compiling your list, just email the providers with your proposal and see who is willing to work with you on your terms. It may be difficult to find some that will do this because of the popularity on online marketing, but if you find some new providers looking to grow their online presence, you might get a few that are interested.
- For broadcast advertising providers visit your public library and start poring through the:
- Broadcast Yearbook on radio stations in the U.S. (this publication actually ceased publishing in print in July 2010, but the information is in digital format, generally for free, available online. CLICK HERE to get access to the last published issue of the yearbook. You will also find a great deal of information there that can help you with this step.
- Standard Rate and Data Services Directory. This publication can be accessed online (www.srds.com) but it is very expensive. Retailing for just under $900 for a one-year subscription to each database and each category is it's own database (radio being one database, television being another database, newspaper another, etc.), so the cost adds up very quickly.
Both these resources will provide you with just about all the information you could ever need to know about licensed broadcasting stations.
After you gain access to either of these publications, start with the state or states where you want to advertise first. It makes the most sense to begin in your own state and then work outward to surrounding states.
You wouldn't try to sell suntan lotion in Minnesota in December or winter Parkas in Florida in July, would you? Ok. Then, you will want to use some good, old-fashioned common sense here when planning out your marketing strategy. Think: “Who are the people most likely to be interested in my offer?”, and “Where will I find the largest numbers of these people?”.*
*Regarding online concentrations, just search “forums + your niche (like, “health”, or “gardening”, or whatever)”
NOTE: If you are marketing a “How to make money online” or “work from home” report, for example, you will probably want to target those states (or better yet cities) reporting the highest unemployment rates first before branching out to other areas.
Once you've got your target area(s) selected, go through the radio listings for the cities and towns in that area, and update your file or jot down in your notebook the names of general managers, the station call letters, telephone numbers and addresses.
Initially, you should only list one radio or television station or newspaper per city. There isn't really a limit to the internet component, whatever you are comfortable with is what you should do.
Pick out the stations where the people most interested in your product would most likely be listening. This can be determined by the programming description contained within the data column about the station in the Broadcasting Yearbook or the SRDS Directory.
On the first contact, you should treat it as a way of introducing yourself, and inquire if they would consider a “P.I.” Advertising campaign. Tell the station manager that you have a product you feel will sell very well in their market, briefly describe the product, and explain that you would like to test it before going ahead with a paid advertising program.
Quickly highlight product benefits and price point. Then tell them that during this test, you propose to allow the service provider a 50/50 split with you on each response their station generates for your product.
Let them know that you will handle all aspects of the deal for them: from writing the commercials and/or ads, to all accounting and bookkeeping, to fulfilment of all orders, to settling any refunds or complaints. Basically, all they will have to do is schedule your commercials and/or ads to broadcast and give them their "best shot."
If you've contacted them by phone, and they have agreed to look over your “P.I.” material, tell them “thank you” and promise to get a complete "package" to them immediately. Then follow thru with your promise.
Include a short cover letter, placed on top of your complete “P.I.” Advertising Package, and get it to them without delay.
As responses come into the station or website, they count them and forward them on to you for fulfilment. You make out a check for payment to them, fill & deliver the orders and everybody's happy.
As explained in the previous section, where applicable, we describe how it's possible to tie this into an online advertising system as well.
Continuing...
Contacting your perspective providers by phone is certainly the quickest, least expensive, and most efficient method of inquiring as to whether those stations are willing to consider your “P.I.” proposal.
Upon your initial phone contact, naturally, you will, unfortunately, experience a few “No”s. If you should happen to get turned down, and they are not interested in undertaking any “P.I.” Advertising, simply thank them, make a notation in your file or notebook by their name, and go to the next call.
In some cases, circumstances may turn out to be less expensive to make this initial contact by letter or postcard.
If you determine that writing is your best form of contact, simply address your postcard or letter to the listed contact person. Always be straightforward and positive in tone. Ensure everything you present is complete.
Present all the details in a logical fashion on one page, perfectly typed on your letterhead paper, and mailed in a typed-address envelope. (Ink-stamped letterheads/addresses just won't work, they are rarely even read).
Ideally, include a self-addressed/stamped postcard with spaces for positive or negative check marks for responding to your questions: “Will you” or “Won't you” look over my material and consider a mutually profitable "Per Inquiry" advertising campaign to broadcast on your station?
After they look over your materials (if you have done a good job presenting your proposal) and given serious consideration for your “P.I.” program, you most likely will reach some kind of agreement. Now, you have your foot in the door.
Once you have a verbal commitment from your contact at the radio station, move quickly to get your cover letter and package off to them by First Class mail, maybe even Special Delivery if you can afford it.
Don't allow time for that interest in your program to be lost or even to cool down. Have everything put together and ready to mail just as soon as you have a positive response. You should be organizing your advertising package at the same time you organize your "radio station notebook".
The “P.I.” Advertising Package
Start with a follow-up letter, written to fit most, if not all, standard situations. Have 250 copies printed. Next, you'll want to put together at least two thirty-second commercials and two sixty-second commercials. You should write these up, and have 250 copies of these printed and organized as a part of your “P.I.” Advertising Package.
Then you should have some sort of advertising contract written up, detailing everything about your program, outlining how everything is to be handled and by whom.
- How and when payment to the radio station is to be made.
- Plus any special paragraphs relative to refunds, complaints, and liabilities.
All this can be very quickly written up. Have, a minimum of 250 copies of carbonless, multi-part, snap-out business forms printed and organized as a part of your “P.I.” Advertising Package.
And finally, include a self-addressed/stamped postcard the radio or television station can use to let you know that they are going to use your “P.I.” Advertising program. This postcard should also have them list:
- when they will start running your commercials on the air
- how often your commercials will run
- and during which time periods
Again, you simply type out these “reply postcards” with the wording and in the format you want to use. Have copies printed for these mailings and organized as the last part of your “P.I.” Advertising Package.
After you have all that done, you're ready to send out your advertising packages. All you'll have to do when you get a positive commitment is fill in the business salutation and sign it. If you discussed any different arrangements or a specific matter with your initial contact, you will want to type a different letter incorporating those specific comments or answers to the points discussed. This personal touch won't take long, and could pay huge dividends!
Now, really, the hard part is done.
Okay, Let's wrap this discussion up by doing a little review.
The first step is to do some planning and make some decisions. You have already developed a product (a physical product, book, service, training program, something you will sell).
You have an idea of who and where to find your customers.
Now, you can do some initial research by scanning through the SRDS or Broadcasting Yearbook to begin compiling a 'contact information list' of possible markets to target and the broadcasters that service those markets.
After you compile your list you will make contact with those stations by phone or mail. If turned down, simply say thanks, and go to the next station on the list. For any of those who respond positively and want to know more about your proposal, you immediately deliver a “P.I.” Advertising Package to them via the fastest method possible. Don't let that interest wane.
Your “P.I.” Advertising Package should contain the following:
- Cover letter
- Sample brochure, product literature
- Thirty-second and sixty-second commercials
- “P.I.” Advertising Contract
- Self-addressed stamped postcard for station acknowledgement and acceptance of your program.
As we all know, everything about business changes from day to day (conditions change, people get busy, and other things come up). Having both an acknowledgement postcard and a contract reinforces your position in case there is a change in the environment between you and the station.
Consider this, the station manager may have signed a “P.I.” advertising contract with you agreeing to start your advertising on the 1st of March. But suppose the contract was actually signed on the 1st of January, yet when March 1st rolls around, they may have forgotten, been replaced, or even decided against running your ad.
Having multiple pieces of paper seemingly "covering all the details" can be very reassuring and impressive to many broadcast station managers. Giving them confidence that you are serious and that they will benefit by doing business with your company.
Try not to be too impatient to get started with your own “P.I.” Advertising campaign. Don't let your excitement get the better of your judgment, radio and television station people are just as professional and dedicated as anyone else in business, so be sure that you have developed a product or service that lends itself well to selling via a broadcaster's inquiry system.
Remember that anything can be sold, and even sold easily and by any method, you decide upon, provided it is presented in the right way.
For example: "Hello folks! Who wants to buy a mailing list for 10 cents per thousand names?" couldn't even get on the air. However, what if you had the addresses of, let's say, the top 100 movie stars, and you put together an idea that would enable people to write to these movie stars directly, you might have a winner, and might end up selling a lot of mailing lists of those movie stars.
Another point to consider is that you have a great deal riding on the quality of the content of your commercial (what benefits you offer to the listener, and the ease with which they may enjoy those benefits, etc.), so it's in your best interest to ensure that your commercials are nothing less than top notch.
Let's say, you have a new book on how to find jobs during a time when there are very few jobs available. Your market (the people you will want to talk to) are the people who are desperately searching for employment.
You must speak to them in words that not only grab their interest but also cause them to feel that you're offering them something that will solve their problem. It's the product and in the writing of the advertising message about that product that will bring in those sales responses.
If you put your sales package together properly, radio and television station managers will be sold on your idea and will be willing to work with you. Providing a reasonable number of responses come in with your first offer, you just might set yourself up for an entire series of successes.
Success has a "ripple effect," that you can build on with each new project, but only if you take action and move on that first one.
As always,
To your success!
Next time we start a new 3-part discussion series on “How To Get Free Publicity With Press Releases”
Please leave a comment below to let us know how we’re doing.
Feel free to leave any suggestions for future posts or content. Or ask any questions regarding anything you don’t understand or need help with, I would be happy to help in any way I can.
I hope you find this information helpful. Thank you for reading.
P.S. A Business doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or time-consuming. We can show you a better way. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
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