Posted by Rich Harshaw on May 6, 2014.
Be Careful. You Might Accidentally Make Your Entire Town Hate You.
And The Phones That Just Kept On Ringing.
Do Not Try This At Home.
Written by Rich Harshaw.
I’m serious. Sometimes the stuff that works is so specific to a situation that it’s not really replicable anywhere else. If you try to do or use what I’m about to show you, you very well might fail. You’ve been warned.
So… I recently gave you some examples of some radio ads used by a company in a small town. I got a lot of positive feedback from professional, small-town remodelers who said they could identify with that kind of company. I love writing and running those kinds of ads because they do such a wonderful job of capturing the company’s identity and communicating it with power, precision, and passion.
But sometimes—for reasons known only to myself—I stray from the middle of the road into some pretty strange paths.
Nordine Remodeling is one of those cases. I met George Nordine and his wife Sandy 4 or 5 years ago at a seminar. George is one of those big, burly teddy bear contractors; he’s a super nice, super honest, “never harm a fly” kind of guys. He ran (and still runs!) a nice little roofing and remodeling company in Normal, Illinois. I had a lot of fun using Aim ‘N Flame negotiation tactics with his Yellow Pages rep.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on May 2, 2014.
We’ll Find The Stations, Negotiate Rates, And Produce The Ads.
Written by Rich Harshaw.
Okay, so I’ve spent an entire month on the topic of radio—are you ready to take the plunge?
Here are a few things to consider:
- You should be spending a bare minimum of 10% of your budget on “FARMING” activities in your contractor marketing.
- Radio is the best FARMING activity to start with.
- If your company is doing less than $1 million in sales, you should maximize your contractor internet marketing FIRST
- If your company is doing $1 million to $2 million in sales, you should probably be on the radio
- If your company is doing more than $2 million in sales, you should definitely be on the radio
Here’s the brass tax: I’ve given you lots of good advice, but you still need an expert to guide you through the process. I’ve seen too many contractors TRY to buy radio before and get torched.
That’s why we’ve created our RADIO PACKAGE:
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on April 29, 2014.
Post Category: Radio Month.
Radio convinces people you're the best choice BEFORE they even need your services.
The Premier HVAC Company In Wilmington, DE & Philadelphia Tapped MYM’s Radio Marketing Expertise To Expand Their Brand’s Footprint & Prestige.
“How Am I Going To Know If This Works?”
Written by Rich Harshaw.
Mark Aitken, co-owner and President of Horizon Services of Wilmington, DE, is one of the most intense individuals I have ever met.
He’s the kind of guy that you’d HATE to work for if you’re lazy, disloyal, sloppy, or lack initiative. He eats people like that for breakfast—by the handful.
Good thing, too. His intolerance for anything other than “A-Game performance” has allowed him to grow Horizon Services into one of the biggest and most well-run HVAC companies in the country with over 200 trucks, 8,000 monthly transactions, and nearly $100 million in sales. This is a company that does EVERYTHING right… and in the rare instance where they don’t, they find out why, fix it, and get even better than they were before. His competition doesn’t stand a chance. Mark Aitken and his superstar-caliber team are in the process of literally monopolizing their marketplace.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on April 28, 2014.
Forget About ‘Writer’s Block.” Here’s How To Write Great Ads…
Keep It Simple, Conversational, And Authentic… And You’ll Be Surprised At How Well Listeners Respond.
Written by Rich Harshaw.
Note: This article is part of Monopolize Your Marketplace’s ongoing “Client Success” series. All of the information is real and current; please respect the privacy of the companies mentioned; they don’t want to be overwhelmed with questions and comments.
Okay, so you’ve decided part of your contractor marketing to advertising on the radio. You’ve picked and negotiated your stations, and you’ve committed to at least 6 or 12 months to give your ads some time to speak to your target market and nurture them along. Now comes the hard part—writing great ads that will move the needle.
But how do you write an effective advertisement? What elements need to be present—and what should you avoid? Glad you asked! Here are my top pieces of advice for writing great radio ads:
POINT 1: Start With Identity: A common mistake is to make your radio ad a “menu board” style ad. Think about a menu—it shows what’s for sale and how much it costs. This leads to ads that say things like “We’re a locally owned company that can help you with whatever remodeling projects you have… from energy-saving windows to durable siding to award winning roofing.”
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