McQ Media Client "Texas Retirement Specialists" On-The-Air at WBAP
Financial planners are finding success using long-form radio & television programs to promote their services. Just listen to any AM News-Talk radio station on a Saturday and you’ll hear a wide variety financial planners, sometimes with back to back programs.
At McQ Media we are believers in using news-talk radio for financial planners but we also urge our clients to exercise caution before jumping into a relationship with a radio station. Before launching a financial talk program on radio, we urge that you get answers to the following questions:
Who Are Your On-Air Neighbors? The program directly before and after your program can have a large impact on your success. Larger cume stations will recover audience faster than smaller outlets, still your lead-in and lead-out are critical.
How Are Other Long-Form Programs Doing? We call other weekend programmers to get their feedback on how the station is performing. When possible, we contact previous programs no longer on the station for feedback. And while ‘former advertisers’ sometimes lose objectivity, the information is very valuable.
How Many Financial Programs? Radio sales people will tell you that as long as ‘it’s working’ you can have back-to-back financial programming. I don’t agree. Listeners know when a station is getting one-dimensional. Therefore, we look for station partners who limit the number of financial programs allowed on weekends.
What Promotional Support Will You Receive? Here’s the deal. Don’t accept verbal promises like ‘We’ll take care of you’ or ‘I’ll do what I can on the side’. Get any promotional support in writing.
What’s Your ‘Out Clause’?: Stations love to get annuals locked in. We believe a 60 day notice is more reasonable. At any rate, don’t assume that the ‘annual’ is the only way to secure a program. Everything’s negotiable.
Get answers to these questions and you’ll be in a better position for success. After your program time is acquired, then the fun begins….planning and executing a weekly or daily program. How will your program be distinctive…especially compared to all the other competitive programs? How are you going to promote your program outside of the radio station? How will you be certain your broadcast is compliant with FCC and SEC rules?
Call McQ Media and let us help. And when you call, be sure to ask me who the most important person inside a radio station is (It’s not your account rep, the sales manager or even the general manager).
Pete Thomson
President/CEO
McQ Media
