Dec

The “Ear Rental Business” – an interview with Phil Bernstein, part 3

By Brett

Here is the third and final installment of my interview with Phil Bernstein, Portland’s Finest Media Rep. Be sure to read the entire interview here.

Brett Duncan: I’ve been told that talk radio is usually better for advertising, simply because listeners are more used to just hearing people talk, so they’re less likely to change the channel during ads. Is that accurate?

Phil Bernstein: I’m a big fan of news/talk radio for advertising. Listeners come to a talk station because they want information, and a good commercial is just part of the information mix. The other advantage of information radio is that people are likely to be paying attention — there’s no reason to have a talk show on in the background.

BD: With that said, I find myself often switching between the local sports talk station, and then flipping over to ESPN radio during the other station’s commercials. Do you have any research or insight into how many listeners will continue to listen during commercial breaks, how many flip stations, and how advertisers can take the most advantage?

PB: I’ve seen some research that indicates that long breaks can cause listeners to bail out, but it’s pretty rudimentary right now. Arbitron — the radio ratings company — is testing a device called the “portable people meter” that may ultimately give us a more accurate look at who’s actually listening at different times during a break. The main thing to keep in mind is that people will listen to something if they find it interesting and relevant — and that includes commercials. Which makes good copy more important than ever.

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BD: Is radio a stronger medium for local advertising or national?

PB: National and local campaigns both work on radio when they’re done well. It’s got a particular advantage for local business, since it’s the one way to reach customers in the car when they’re out shopping.

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BD: How has streaming online radio changed the game? I know most stations will throw in some opportunities on their website. Are they worth it? What really works for advertising on a station’s website, and what doesn’t?

PB: The streaming audience is still much smaller than the over-the-air audience, but it’s growing. Right now, a streaming audio commercial works best as a supplement for an over-the-air campaign. We don’t give streaming commercials away, but they don’t cost a lot of money, either. The game-changer for streaming audio may come when people can get reliable internet in their cars. We’re probably not too far from that happening.

In the meantime, I’ve found that there’s real value in combining radio and online tools. Instead of walking into a store or calling a salesperson, consumers are now doing much of their pre-purchase research online. If my clients can get them to do the research on their site instead of a competitors’ site, they win. And we’ve already trained our listeners to come to our station sites. So a radio ad might tell people to go to a station web site and click on a banner. The click-through might go directly to the client’s web page, but we can also build a custom landing page with specific information about a promotion. If you think the whole thing through — and it’s my job to think it through — it’s a very powerful tool.

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Bonus Question:

BD: You’ve obviously been blogging a while, and it’s always a pleasure reading your stuff. How has your blog directly affected your business? For example, I know you have your free downloadable ‘7 Deadly Advertising Mistakes. . .” available on your blog. What lessons and successes have you experienced with offering info like this or your posts, or even your phone number, on your blog. In a nutshell, how has your blog generated business for you, and what are the most important tips you could share with someone trying to do the same thing?

PB: The white paper has been a very good lead-generation tool, but it’s not the blog that’s made that happen. I’ve gotten good local leads by offering the white paper as part of my “elevator speech” at networking events, and getting press releases into things like chamber of commerce newsletters. I’ve gotten some significant business from prospects who requested my white paper from those sources and then called me for advice.

I was hoping that the blog would generate local advertising leads (the only leads of monetary value to me are people who can advertise in Portland , Oregon ), but it hasn’t done much locally. I’ve gotten blog comments from all over the world, and my white paper’s been downloaded by people in Great Britain , Belgium , New Zealand , and Nigeria . Very flattering, but not especially lucrative. I’m still trying to figure that part out. If I were to compare the money I’ve made with the blog to the amount of time it takes, I’d stop. But I like doing it, and hope springs eternal.

On the other hand, although the blog hasn’t put me in touch with many local people by itself, it has been an effective way of establishing credibility with prospects once we’ve made contact. My clients read it, and it’s generated some good conversations with them, but it’s hard for me to put a dollar figure on it.

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Thanks to Phil for his candor and willingness. Read the entire interview here, and be sure to go spend some time on Phil’s site.