Posts Tagged ‘ marketing ’

Paying the Bill - Finding Sponsors

Apr 3rd, 2008 | By Justin Kaiser | Category: Podcast Consulting

If you are creating a show to promote yourself, you may not be concerned with attracting sponsorship - but most shows are at least open to the idea of having paid advertisers on their program.

I get asked all the time, how do you find a sponsor?

I’ve been blessed. We aren’t always sold out but we do always have some level of support each month.

I want to be sure to warn you. You won’t be getting rich from selling ads on your show. Internet Radio is still new and advertisers really need to be educated about the value of placing ads on internet radio shows - so be prepared to educate and sell on a regular basis.

If you don’t like selling, you may want to seek out and hire an advertising manager who will do the selling for you in exchange for a percentage of the income. (Usually at least 20%)

To begin your search, take a good look at your target listener.

Who are they and what are they interested in. If you have chosen a tight focus like I recommend, this will be an easy step.

If you’re producing a show about children - you know that there are any number of businesses out there that want to market to parents.

Brainstorm and list some products and services that your listeners would be open to hearing about during your show.

Go to the web and search for companies that offer these products and services. If they offer an affiliate program, you should definitely sign up and look for ways to promote them on the website and during the show. If they do not offer an affiliate program, they are a good lead to add to your contact list.

Now, you or your advertising manager needs to do some simple research. Find a phone number (look in the whois) and call to find out who is in charge of marketing or advertising. Ask to speak with them.

You don’t have to press a hard sell during the first call. You’ll want to just ask them a couple of things.

Have they ever thought about advertising via internet radio on a show that reaches their target market?

Whether they say yes or no, you can ask them if they would they like to receive some more information.

If they say yes, you can ask for their email or snail mail address and promise them some information about your show, target market and advertising rates.

Don’t worry about being a pest. You are offering them a valuable opportunity to reach their target market. The worst that can happen is that they say no thanks :)

You may find that as you create your show website, send out an initial press release and start creating a buzz for the launch, that advertisers come to you to ask about your ad opportunities. I’ve seen it happen more than once.

If you have trouble attracting sponsorship, it may be a sign that you need to go back to the drawing board and rething or tighten up your topic.

Justin Kaiser
Creative Identity Group

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Promotions - Thanksgiving

Jan 14th, 2007 | By Justin Kaiser | Category: Broadcast Promotions

Ham It Up

Here’s a promotion that can be used prior to Thanksgiving or Christmas. Find a local grocery store or meat market that will donate turkeys (for Thanksgiving) or ham (for Christmas). Each day, give away one turkey or ham to a listener who gives the correct answer to a trivia question related to either Thanksgiving or Christmas. For each turkey or ham you give to a listener, donate one to a local food bank in the listener’s name.

Thanksgiving Feast

Just prior to Thanksgiving, send your jocks out to local schools during lunch to eat with the kids and sample their Thanksgiving meals. Then, select the school with the tastiest Thanksgiving feast and award them with lunch from a local pizza or hamburger restaurant.

Food Bank Contributions

Team up with a local grocery store during the holiday season to arrange a live broadcast from their location. Encourage listeners to come down and shop, and pick up some extra items to donate to the local food bank. Have containers for the food at your remote…give away station paraphernalia and put shoppers on the air to make the event fun for everyone.

Dinner On The Mayflower

Sponsor a “Thanksgiving on the Mayflower” dinner during the holiday season. Have listeners register for this contest at a local grocery store (you can even place the sign-ups with a food collection container encouraging donations, and give the contents to a local food bank). Announce the winner during morning drive the week before Thanksgiving…the grand prize is an elegant Thanksgiving dinner for their family or friends, served by candlelight, on a Mayflower moving van.

Holiday Visibility

The year-end holidays creates good cheer and positive feelings. Connect your station with that holiday spirit by being a visible part of your community’s holiday events. Co-sponsor tree lightings, arrivals of Santa and holiday fund raisers. It’s a great time to contact event organizers and offer to help out by publicizing and being part of their holiday fun! Warning: beware of clutter from November through the middle of December; limit on-air commitments and strive to get visibility at the events.

Home For The Holidays

As the year-end holidays near, get together with a travel agency or airline and put together a “Home For the Holidays” package. Fly a college student home or send a family to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Have them write or fax your station, in 50 words or less, why they or a loved one should win the trip.

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