VOICE OVER WEBSITE SEMINAR

http://WebsitesForVoiceActors.com Voice actor Jack Bair's distinctive voiceover style as he reviews Dan O'Day's Websites For Voice Actors - Voice Overs audio seminar.

JINGLE SINGER JOBS

http://danoday.com/jinglesinger How to become a jingle singer and get paid for singing jingles, commercial jingles, radio jingles. Download insider's secrets now!

RADIO ADVERTISING FOR AIR CONDITIONING CONTRACTOR

http://StrikeForceSecrets.com Radio advertising guru Dan O'Day describes a wildly successful ad campaign for an air conditioning contractor. Effective local advertising that works.

 

In case you haven't heard of Strike Force Radio, it's an ingenious approach to creating short-term radio advertising campaigns that actually WORK. Not "branding" campaigns; I'm talking about radio ad campaigns that make money for the advertiser…in as little as week....

 

MICHAEL JORDAN HANES TV COMMERCIAL

http://danoday.com/blog Using TV or radio commercials for "branding" usually is a waste of ad dollars, especially for retail advertisers. Advertising guru Dan O'Day explains why this Hanes ad works.

 

IPOD NANO GREAT COMMERCIAL REVIEW

http://danoday.com/blog Radio advertising guru Dan O'Day explains: An effective TV or radio commercial gives consumers a "test drive" of the results the advertisement promises. Sometimes great copywriting involves very few words...

WEBSITES FOR VOICE OVERS SEMINAR

http://WebsitesForVoiceActors.com Voiceover specialist Debbie Grattan's review of Dan O'Day's Websites For Voice Actors audio seminar for voice actors, voice overs.

 

 

VONS SUPERMARKET RADIO ADVERTISEMENTS - AWFUL!

http://danoday.com/blog Von's radio commercial campaign is a case study in how not to advertise effectively on radio, as explained by radio advertising guru Dan O'Day.

 

 

Vons is owned by Safeway Inc., which has an annual revenue of around $40 billion.

Surely they can afford to hire only the best people to create the advertising for its various brands. So I'm sure that's what they did: hire the very best to create Vons' radio advertising.

The opening line of your commercial is "the commercial for the commercial." This is your one opportunity to command the attention of the targeted listener.

So what did the high priced advertising wizards behind Vons' commercials do to grab the targeted consumer's attention from the very beginning...

 

"Spring is in the air."

 

That is how they begin the commercial?

With a meaningless cliche that has nothing at all to do with the advertiser and which could have been written by a 13-year kid as part of a class "write a pretend radio commercial" assignment?

But maybe I'm underestimating them. Maybe they cleverly connected 'Spring' to 'Vons' so powerfully that it all flows together naturally and irresistibly."

Uh, well...Here's the connection:

 

"And the only thing better than warmer weather is knowing that you can always save money at Vons."

 

Let's recap what we've learned so far:

1. The second best thing in your life is warm weather.

2.  The best thing in your life is...

Your children's health? Your own health? World peace?

No. The best thing in your life is knowing that you can always save money at Vons.

 

They begin with a an irrelevant cliche.

 

They quickly move to a lie by saying: "And the only thing better than warmer weather is knowing that you can always save money at Vons."

 

They mention their "everyday low prices."

 

They mention their "Vons Club" prices.

 

They list some of the foods they have on special this week. (And, by the way, how many do you remember...?)

 

They tout their flu shots.

And then —  before tagging the commercial with a bizarrely juxtaposed disclaimer, they end by...

 

Advertising a different supermarket chain.

Yes, Safeway owns both Vons and Pavilions. No, that doesn't mean a commercial for one should be a commercial for the other.

Vons and Pavilions have different names because they are different brands.

Different brands make different promises to the consumer.

Different promises require different messages to communicate them.

By the way, in this hemisphere Summer officially begins June 21. Gosh, I wonder how the Vons commercials will begin then?

 

HOW TO BECOME A JINGLE SINGER

 

http://danoday.com/jinglesinger Ebook reveals insider's secrets to becoming a jingle singer, how to break into jingle singing, sing on radio jingles, commercial jingles.

 

INEXPENSIVE RADIO AD CAMPAIGNS FAST RESULTS

http://StrikeForceSecrets.com A revolutionary system of short-term radio commercial advertising campaigns that produce results instantly.

 

INEXPENSIVE RADIO AD CAMPAIGNS FAST RESULTS

by Dan O'Day

 

Hi, I'm Dan O'Day. I never thought I'd say this, but if you have clients who can't afford long-term radio advertising OR who are just too impatient to do it "right," you STILL can create successful, short-term campaigns that make money for you AND for your clients.

    

This is a revolutionary approach to what used to be a no-win situation. Until now, either you turned away that “wrongheaded” client and lost the sale…or you took the money and allowed a “test” campaign to go on the air with little chance of succeeding.

    

But STRIKE FORCE RADIO ADVERTISING has changed all that. And you can download the blueprint for this unique method - in an mp3 recording of the seminar I did with Strike Force Radio Advertising's creator.

    

It's a detailed description of what Strike Force Radio Advertising can do for you and for your clients.

KINGSFORD CHARCOAL: WORST RADIO COMMERCIAL OF THE YEAR?

 

http://danoday.com/blog Is Kingsford Charcoal's radio ad campaign the worst of 2010? Radio advertising guru Dan O'Day analyzes this radio commercial.

 

KINGSFORD CHARCOAL: WORST RADIO COMMERCIAL OF THE YEAR?

by Dan O'Day

 

You know how RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK starts out with a tremendously exciting action sequence and then throughout the movie keeps piling on the thrills?

That's what this commercial is like. Except it begins horribly and then, astonishingly, gets worse and worse.

Advertising intersects common human experience. When is the last time you encountered a talking hamburger and/or a talking sausage? How effectively does that little scenario connect with your life?

 

And...a talking hamburger? How original.

 

If that commercial was created by an ad agency (and not -- as I dearly hope -- by a precocious 7-year old child who has been allowed to watch Mad Men), now I will reveal a closely guarded trade secret:

 

It's a national "branding" adaptation of an inane, cliched, paint-by-numbers blueprint long used by People Who Never Should Be Allowed Near A Radio Commercial.

 

Radio is a visual medium, and successful radio advertising paints pictures of the results promised by the product or service.

Maybe you pictured a talking hamburger.

Perhaps you envisioned a talking sausage.

But you DIDN'T picture food grilling on your barbecue, smoke gently wafting toward your hungry guests who are delighted by the aromas.

 

Next: A rain dance???

 

That comedic climax is so lame, so mind bogglingly stupid that my most scornful invective couldn't begin to do it justice.

 

I mean, a rain dance??

 

But Here Is What Puts This Commercial In The Hall of Shame:

I heard that spot in Los Angeles.

Here's a special Note To The Guy From New England Who Wrote This Commercial: In THIS part of the country — in fact, in most parts of the United States — we don't have "cookouts."

We have barbecues.

Among the many things you never learned about radio advertising: Speak the language your target audience speaks. If Californians have "barbecues," why would you talk to them about their "cookouts"?

Okay, fine. The inexperienced, entry level copywriter who wasted Kingsford's advertising dollars didn't know that "cookout" is a regional colloquialism unheard of west of the Mississippi River. After all, you don't know what you don't know.

But not a single person down the line knew and cared enough to say, "Uh, guys? No one here says 'cookouts'"??

I've got an idea: Let's all get together and do a rain dance. Maybe the resulting storm will drown out this 60-second audio embarrassment. 

INEXPENSIVE RADIO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS WITH IMMEDIATE RESULTS

http://StrikeForceSecrets.com How to create radio commercials with brief, inexpensive radio advertising campaigns that deliver immediate, profitable results.

 

FAST, INEXPENSIVE RADIO AD CAMPAIGNS THAT PRODUCE IMMEDIATE RESULTS

by Dan O'Day

 

There's a RIGHT way to advertise on radio -- and when you do it right, you make money.

 

Unfortunately, too many advertisers insist on doing it the "wrong" way -- and they end up losing money and convinced that "radio doesn't work."

 

But now, for the first time, when advertisers are too cheap or too impatient to use radio properly, you still can create wildly successful campaigns for them -- with STRIKE FORCE RADIO ADVERTISING.

 

For the first time, when stubborn advertisers insist on "testing" your station for just a week, you can accept their business in good conscience, knowing that you can produce fast, impressive results for them.

 

In fact -- and I know this is hard to believe -- with STRIKE FORCE RADIO ADVERTISING you actually can do ONE-DAY campaigns.

 

This is a revolutionary approach to what used to be a no-win situation. Until now, either you turned away that "wrongheaded" client and lost the sale…or you took the money and allowed a "test" campaign to go on the air with little chance of succeeding.

 

But STRIKE FORCE RADIO ADVERTISING has changed all that. And with a click of your mouse, you can download the blueprint for this unique method -- in an mp3 recording of the seminar I did with Strike Force Radio's creator, Blaine Parker.

 

I never thought I'd say this, but if you have clients who can't afford long-term radio advertising OR who are just too impatient to do it "right," you STILL can create successful, short-term campaigns that make money for you AND for your clients. 

 

 

 

REVIEW OF WEBSITES FOR VOICE ACTORS

http://WebsitesForVoiceActors.com Voice actor Rowell Gormon with candid review of Dan O'Day's Websites For Voice Actors audio seminar for voice overs.

WEBSITES FOR VOICE ACTORS VOICE OVERS

http://WebsitesForVoiceActors.com Secrets for designing websites for voice actors, voice over talent that lead to more auditions and more castings. 100% non-technical!

 

WEBSITES FOR VOICE ACTORS: Why Your Website Isn't "Working" for You And How And Why You Need To Fix It Immediately

 

If you're a voice actor, which of these describes your website? 

 

*  You created it yourself, but in your gut you know it's not doing the job for you.

 

*  It was built it for you by a friend or relative who's a "techie" but probably doesn't know anything about marketing. So your website sits there, doing little if anything for you.

 

*  A "professional," very "artistic" Web designer created a fancy site that looks great. It's good for your ego, but for some reason you're not getting much traffic...and little if any new business from your website.

 

The voiceover field is too competitive for you to be handicapped by a website that isn't helping you attract more auditions and assignments. 

 

Unless you plan to scramble for every VO dollar that's spent on the cheapest voice available, you need a website that's a vital part of your marketing plan.

 

I'm going to teach you "just" two things.

 

1.   EXACTLY what your site needs to attract "organic" search engine rankings -- (meaning you don't pay for it ).

 

2.   EXACTLY what to do to convert more of your Web visitors into paying clients. 

 

100% Non-Technical

 

If you're intimidated by the technology, relax. This will be 100% non-technical. A voiceover website SHOULD be all about marketing, not about the bells & whistles your Web person loves to throw in. 

 

Bad News: Your "Web Guy" Will Hate Me

 

Don't be surprised if after this audio seminar your Web designer hates me. I mean, SOMEONE is creating all of those incredibly terrible, wasteful websites for voice actors. 

 

They just don't know better. But after you learn what I teach in this audio seminar, YOU will.

 

In this audio seminar, I personally will teach you:

 

*  How to identify your real online competition

 

*  Why you need to think a lot more about your voiceover site's usability 

 

*  The only three things you need to know about visitors to your voiceover website

 

*  Why site maps are the sign of a badly designed voiceover website (Note: Site maps created for SEO purposes are good. But they needn't be visible.)

 

*   One extremely important test of any voiceover website

 

*   The Web User's Mantra

 

*   The Reversed Type Trap

 

*   The key Usability Factors for any voiceover site

 

*   The two speeds of the Internet. (Most voiceover websites are on the wrong speed.)

 

*   The worst thing a voiceover site can do

 

*   Why your voiceover website almost certainly should not have a splash page.

 

*   The one question to ask of every page of your site

 

*   Exactly how long 30% of your visitors will wait for a page to load before giving up and leaving

 

*   How to increase the satisfaction of your site's visitors by managing their expectations

 

*   How scrolling marquees harm your website

 

*  Why and how you must maximize the user's Ease Of Navigation

 

*  The folly of Mystery Meat Navigation

 

*  The two things every page of your site should have (but probably doesn't)

 

*  Why your Web designer should not allow your online text to expand to fill the screen

 

*  Why blinks & animations annoy users...But how you still can use them effectively

 

*  How to write for online reading

 

*  The three questions your visitors have when they land on your Home Page

 

*  Where and how to offer your contact information. (Most voice artist websites get this wrong, and it hurts them.)

 

*  The first question to ask when designing (or redesigning) your voiceover site

 

*  Determining and then delivering your MDA

 

*  Why your site should not use Frames

 

*  How to test your site

 

*  How most voiceover websites misuse flash animation

 

*  How to protect your site

 

*  Linking strategies. (Most voiceover sites get this all wrong.)

 

*  Case Study: How one voice actor increased the number of people who listened to his demos by 40% -- with less than one minute's work, without spending an extra penny, and without increasing the number of visitors to his website

 

*  What you should not say in your bio. (Many voiceover artists get this completely wrong.)

 

*  Helpful and harmful ways to use video on your website

 

*  Five ways your "artistic" Web designer is driving away potential clients

 

 

HOW TO WIN MORE VOICE OVER AUDITIONS

http://danoday.com/voiceover-auditions  Voice over agent and voiceovers coach with dozens of tips to help voice actors book more auditions.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH RADIO ADVERTISING

 

http://danoday.com/blog Why does someone who is not a broadcast advertising expert know why most radio commercials and TV ads are bad? Radio advertising guru Dan O'Day explains...

 

WHICH RADIO STATIONS WILL SURVIVE?

Can "traditional," terrestrial radio survive the Internet? Radio programming guru Dan O'Day explains exactly what contemporary programmers must do to survive.

CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO BRANDING CAMPAIGN PITCH

A business owner reacts to Clear Channel Radio's "branding conference" by declaring radio commercials are "a waste of money." Radio advertising guru Dan O'Day responds with a surprising, frank analysis.

VOICE OVER AUDITIONS

Top Hollywood voice talent casting agent and voice acting coach gives inside scoop on how to book more voice over auditions.

BURGER KING COMMERCIALS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Two brilliant, surprising commercials analyzed by advertising guru and top radio commercial copywriter Dan O'Day.

RADIO DJ SALARY: HOW MUCH DO THEY REALLY MAKE?

The Radio DJ Salary Calculator lets you know how much money that disc jockey REALLY makes.

Just tell us how much money the disc jockey claims to earn, answer a few easy questions, and we'll reveal the truth about his or her actual salary....

DODGE RAM TV COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT ATTACKED

Dodge Ram's TV ad campaign boasting about its award receives a blistering commercial critique from advertising guru Dan O'Day.

DR. SCHOLL'S RADIO ADVERTISEMENT CRITIQUE

Radio advertising guru Dan O'Day critique's Dr. Scholl's radio commercial and compares it to their TV advertisement.

HOW DO YOU USE RADIO ADVERTISING FOR A CLEANING COMPANY?

Radio advertising guru and copywriter Dan O'Day explains how to craft commercials for cleaning companies.

I advise people on their radio advertising campaigns, commercials and strategy.

Recently someone said his mother had started a cleaning company. But she doesn't have enough clients to pay the bills, and HE doesn't believe in advertising because, he says, "word of mouth is the best way to get clients."

Here's a quick, free consultation for him and his mom....

You're correct when you say "word of mouth is the best way to get clients."

On an individual basis, however, your mouth can speak to only a limited number of ears.

My fondness for radio advertising lies in the fact that it is word of mouth you control. Good radio advertising is nothing more than a trusted friend or advisor whispering in your ear. It's "word of mouth" on a mass scale.

Regardless of the medium you select to advertise your mother's cleaning company, start by answering this question:

"What problem does this business solve for its targeted customers?"

"A dirty office" or "dirty house" isn't the problem. You'll want to dig down until you identify the problem that affects consumers emotionally. The problem that causes them to say, "Enough! There must be SOME way to..."

Advertising solves problems. Identify the problem your mother's company will solve and then present that solution -- whether via radio, newspaper, direct mail, doorknob hangers, outdoor advertising -- in a personal, direct, honest manner.

How Do You Use Radio Advertising To Promote Your Facebook Page?

Radio advertising guru and copywriter Dan O'Day explains how to craft commercials for cleaning companies.

It's become increasingly common to hear radio commercials end with "follow us on Facebook," replacing -- and sometimes augmenting -- the equally weak entreaty, "Visit us online at..."

Radio has proven to be the single most effective mass medium for driving targeted Web traffic (whether it's a website, Facebook page, or Twitter account). But it's effective only when:

1. The entire radio commercial is constructed specifically to get the targeted listener to follow you on Facebook (or go to your website, or follow you on Twitter.). That is not the case when you blather on about your brand or push a product and then, as an afterthought, suggest the listener go to your online page.

2. The commercial's single call to action is to visit your online presence. When you blather on about your brand or push a product and then, as an afterthought, suggest the listener go to your online page, you're giving two calls to action. With radio advertising, choice paralyzes response; you need a single call to action.

3. You give the targeted listen a compelling REASON to take that action. "Follow us on Facebook" is worthless, because it doesn't promise to solve a consumer's problem or in some way enhance the consumer's life.

Will the listener benefit in some way by following your Facebook fan page or by following you on Twitter or by going to your website? Yes? Okay, sell that something in the commercial.

No? Don't waste your time and money (and the announcer's breath) mentioning it.

JEFFREY HAYZLETT: "DAN O'DAY'S RADIO BLOG IS...BEYOND WORDS!"

Kodak "celebrity CMO" Jeff Hayzlett can't hide his enthusiasm for radio advertising guru Dan O'Day's blog.

Should You Advertise Websites In Radio Commercials?

Can you successfully advertise websites with radio commercials and get direct response? Radio copyrighting guru Dan O'Day answers.

Hi, I'm Dan O'Day. As someone who's supposed to be "the radio advertising guru," quite often I'm asked if a radio campaign can be used to promote a website.

Actually, radio has proven to be the most effective form of mass media to drive targeted traffic to a website.

In hindsight, the reason is obvious: While few people watch television while working at their computers and few people read the newspaper in front of their computers, many millions of people listen to radio while at the computer.

Any business website owner who has mastered radio advertising will tell you that as soon as the first commercial airs, their Web traffic leaps.

But...I'm referring to well crafted campaigns. The typical "we don't know anything about radio advertising so let's try to be funny and/or to say as many different things as possible" campaign will, of course, fail.

Always Putting Music Under The Radio DJ's Voice

Radio talent coach Dan O'Day explains how music and help or hurt a radio personality's performance.

LAURIE DeYOUNG WPOC RADIO BALTIMORE 1991

 

http://danoday.com Morning radio host Laurie De Young shares with an industry crowd some of the challenges of being a female morning show host in a male dominated business.

 

VOICEOVER ARTIST MOVIE TRAILERS VOICE OVERS

 http://davidkaye.com Voiceover artist David Kaye with tips for movie film trailer voice overs, voice actors, auditions for radio and TV commercials.

 

Angela Allen KOOL Radio Phoenix 1987

 

http://danoday.com Angela Allen  at KOOL Radio Phoenix, video aircheck from 1987. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Crystal Parker WZPL Radio Indianapolis 1991

 

http://danoday.com Crystal Parker at WZPL Radio Indianapolis, video aircheck from 1991. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Susan Leigh Taylor Z100 Radio New York 1988

http://danoday.com Susan Leigh Taylor at Z100 Radio New York, video aircheck from 1988. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

Terri Hemmert WXRT Radio Chicago 1989

 

http://danoday.com Terri Hemmert at WXRT Radio Chicago, video aircheck from 1989. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Kim Carson WCZY Radio Detroit 1990

 

http://danoday.com Kim Carson at WCZY Radio Detroit, video aircheck from 1990. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Crystal Parker WZPL Radio Indianapolis 1990

http://danoday.com Crystal Parker at WZPL Radio Indianapolis, video aircheck from 1990. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

Stubbs KMPS Radio Seattle 1993

http://danoday.com Stubbs at KMPS Radio Seattle, video aircheck from 1993. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

Diane Shannon WIFE Radio Indianapolis 1978

 

http://danoday.com Diane Shannon at WIFE Radio Indianapolis, video aircheck from 1978. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Nancy Turner WUSN Radio Chicago 1989

http://danoday.com Nancy Turner at WUSN Radio Chicago, video aircheck from 1989. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

Jason Music Mason WPGR Radio Philadelphia 1993

 

http://danoday.com Jason Music Mason at WPGR Radio Philadelphia, video aircheck from 1993. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Lynn Samuels WABC Radio New York 1993

http://danoday.com Lynn Samuels at WABC Radio New York, video aircheck from 1993. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

DOMINOS PAPA JOHNS COMMERCIAL: SMART OR DUMB?

Dominos Pizza's attack ad against Papa John's; Radio advertising guru and copywriting superstar Dan O'Day sets the record straight.

Dave Robbins B-96 Radio Chicago 1984

 

http://danoday.com Dave Robbins at B-96 Radio Chicago, video aircheck from 1984. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Amy Lewis KRAK Radio Sacramento 1984

http://danoday.com Amy Lewis at KRAK Radio Sacramento, video aircheck from 1984. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

VOICEOVER ARTIST David Kaye, Voice Over Talent

Voiceover artist for radio and TV commercials and promos, movie trailers, corporate videos narration, animation voice actor.

Kahuna KLRZ Radio New Orleans 1993

 

http://danoday.com Kahuna at KLRZ Radio New Orleans, video aircheck from 1993. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Kathy Fox WTIC-FM Radio Hartford 1987

http://danoday.com Kathy Fox at WTIC-FM Radio Hartford, video aircheck from 1987. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

Wild Jay West KNRJ Radio Houston 1989

 

http://danoday.com Wild Jay West at KNRJ Radio Houston, video aircheck from 1989. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Carey Carlson WFBQ Radio Indianapolis 1982

http://danoday.com Carey Carlson  at WFBQ Radio Indianapolis, video aircheck from 1982. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

Jack Da Wack Z100 Radio New York 1990

 

http://danoday.com Jack Da Wack  at Z100 Radio New York, video aircheck from 1990. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Donna Rowland B-101.1 Radio Philadelphia 1993

http://danoday.com Donna Rowland at B-101.1 Radio Philadelphia, video aircheck from 1993. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

RADIO STATION PROMOTIONS IDEAS

Hundreds of new ideas for radio contests, radio promotions, radio sales promotions. Radio promotion or marketing director's lifesaver!

Thomm Christy WIFE Radio Indianapolis 1978

 

http://danoday.com Thomm Christy at WIFE Radio Indianapolis, video aircheck from 1978. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

Don Beno WCFL Radio Chicago 1992

 

http://danoday.com Don Beno at WCFL Radio Chicago, video aircheck from 1992. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

HOW TO PROGRAM FOR TOP RADIO RATINGS

Radio programming strategies to help your station achieve higher ratings and revenue. Specific, actionable, real-world.

Kid Kelly Z100 Radio New York 1990

http://danoday.com Kid Kelly at Z100 Radio New York, video aircheck from 1990. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

"DJ HELPER" FOR RADIO PERSONALITIES

Every radio personality and disc jockey's dream, from radio talent coach Dan O'Day.

Barry Richards Power 98 Radio Myrtle Beach 1989

 

http://danoday.com Barry Richards at Power 98 Radio Myrtle Beach, video aircheck from 1989. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

TERRY YOUNG WDFX DETROIT RADIO 1990

 

http://danoday.com Terry Young, WDFX Detroit radio video aircheck from 1990. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

RADIO IMAGING CRITIQUE BY DAN O'DAY

http://danoday.com Video of radio advertising guru Dan O'Day critiquing a station promo submitted by a college student.

Bobby Wilde KDWB Minneapolis Radio 1990

http://danoday.com Bobby Wilde at KDWB Radio Minneapolis, video aircheck from 1990. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

STEVE SUPER COOPER WIFE RADIO 1978

http://danoday.com Steve "Super" Cooper, 13-WIFE Indianapolis radio video aircheck from 1978. From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

HAS SOCIAL MEDIA KILLED RADIO?

http://danoday.com Radio stations coming to grip with Social Media — analysis by radio advertising guru Dan O'Day.

 

AD FOR IRISH RADIO STATION: SMART OR DUMB?

http://danoday.com An Irish radio station's controversial print advertisement is critiqued by radio advertising guru Dan O'Day.

 

RADIO ADVERTISING LESSON (Quick & Easy)

http://danoday.com A simple sign outside a retail store inspires Radio advertising guru and copywriting superstar Dan O'Day to share this vital radio commercial principle.

HOW TO WRITE RADIO COMMERCIALS

http://danoday.com/quickstart Radio advertising guru and copywriting superstar Dan O'Day with 3 secrets for writing good commercials FAST.

SHOTGUN TOM KELLY B-100FM RADIO

 

http://danoday.com A look back at the very first radio video aircheck? From the vaults of VuoloVideo.com.

 

REAL MEN OF GENIUS RADIO COMMERCIALS

http://danoday.com Is this radio advertising campaign for Bud Light beer "genius," or is it a huge waste of money?

 

Should Radio Stations Play 24/7 Christmas Music?

http://danoday.com Is it good for a radio station to broadcast Christmas music "24/7" in December? Radio programming guru Dan O'Day explains...

 

SHOULD RADIO STATIONS PLAY 24/7 CHRISTMAS MUSIC?

by Dan O'Day

 

The question I've been asked is, "How do you feel when a radio station abandons its format for 24/7 Christmas programming?"

 

Although this goes against what many people want to hear, it's a bad idea. With the possible exception of a Christian radio station, it damages your station's brand. 

 

Assuming we're talking about a mainstream, secular radio station, you are damaging your brand. People turn to your station expecting to get the same product every singe day -- whatever that product is.

 

If you air 24/7 Christmas music programming for the two weeks surrounding Christmas, you'll receive a flurry of phone calls and emails from people thanking you from the bottoms of their hearts: 

 

"Thank you so much! This is so wonderful. It's such a pleasure. I can't hear this music anywhere else."

 

Those remarks are sincere, but they do not necessarily represent your core audience. Some of those listeners may be among your P1s, but there's no reason to assume most of them are. And perhaps NONE of them is among your P1s. 

 

So you get a flurry of excitement and of goodwill, and maybe some of your advertisers say good things, but for that time period you are driving away your core audience.

 

No matter how you like Christmas music, not everyone wants to hear it a lot. For some people, hearing "Little Drummer Boy" more than once per decade is too much.

 

For fans of your radio station who tune in for a period of time but do not receive the promise your station makes to them, you're hurting your brand.

Directing Voice Actors Jobs

http://danoday.com Voice over actors coached by Christine Coyle of Dick Orkin's Famous Radio Ranch, at Dan O'Day's International Radio Creative & Voiceover Summit.

RADIO ACCOUNT EXECS AND PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

Brian says, "I passed your "Real Men of Genius" video to our radio station sales force this morning. It did not get one response. How do you get the sales folk to start caring more about the product?"

Brian, you don't get the sales force to care more about the product. If they are going to care about the product, that has to come from up on high. It starts with hiring and it continues with training.

But I've talked to so many radio production directors and creative directors who are frustrated because no matter how hard they try, they can't convince the sales staff to do the kind of work they need to do to get the kinds of results they should be getting for their clients.

You can't do it. The sales staff doesn't answer to you. You didn't hire them. You can't fire them. You have no say about their pay, about their bonuses, nothing.

So the best suggestion I can make is the one salesperson on your staff who gets — and I'll bet there is one, the one person who understands that if they take the time to really do the research, to really ask the questions before asking you to create the commercial — focus your energies on that person's clients.

That person goes to the top of your pile. When you've got a stack of work to do, that person is the one whose work you do first and for whom you go the extra mile. You help that person makes more sales and make more money. Together you become this little team.

If you are really lucky, eventually one of the other salespeople notices that when you work with the other guy's accounts, the other guy seems to get better results or notices that you put in more effort or did a better job.

And then, if you're lucky, you'll discover you've made another convert.

How To Advertise Real Estate On The Radio

Hi, this is Dan O'Day again from Radio Copywriting Masters. We have a quick case history today from Phil Bernstein. Phil is an account executive from Clear Channel/Portland. And Phil, you're a salesperson who came to my Copywriting Masters class, and you even paid your own way. Is that right?

Phil Bernstein: That's correct, yes.

Dan: I understand you have at least one case history to share with us that somehow came out of that class. Can you quickly tell us about it?

Phil: Sure. This actually was something that had been a conversation that had happened long before the class actually took place. It was the owner of a real estate company in town who had done some advertising on my stations, had done some advertising on some other stations in town, was usually writing his own copy and I know, from having talked to him, was not thrilled with the results. I told him that I was going down to a three day copywriting seminar in Los Angeles and asked if I could use his company as an example and work on a script. He said that would be fine.

Dan: Did you have any fear that mentioning that to him in advance would somehow undercut your authority as an expert?

Phil: I didn't really think so because I didn't think I really had any authority as an expert at that point. So, this was something I hope would bring me some.

Dan: So, he had been advertising off and on various stations in the market. Who wrote the copy for the spots that he was running?

Phil: He was usually writing his own.

Dan: Oh, really? So, what was he writing?

Phil: It was a variety of things. At the time, he was running on another station with an ad that, in effect, compared selling your home with being out at a picnic in the park -- that when you work with this company, it was just that easy.

Dan: You're kidding.

Phil: No. I'm serious, and I've sold a home. In the best of markets, it's no fun at all.

Dan: But he meant it's like a picnic in Central Park at 2 o'clock in the morning?

Phil: No, not necessarily. I think he meant during the day in Laurelhurst.

Dan: Wow. Buying or selling a house with us is like a picnic in the park.

Phil: Yes. And there's a lot of evidence of the contrary.

Dan: Yeah, a little believability issue. Was he satisfied with the results?

Phil: He had not been happy with the results. He had shared that with me. But he had not been happy with anything else I had brought him, either.

Dan: So, what was it that you came up with? What did you bring back to him?

Phil: Well, he was interested in being involved in our traffic network, which involved 15-second commercials. And the beauty of a 15-second commercial is you have to get to the point in a hurry. Thinking about what somebody would need from a house transaction… You talk about the principle of WHAM: Why and How will it Affect Me? As a home owner, what I want is to be able to just put the house on the market, close on the deal and get back to my life. So the ultimate theme that I came up with in your class was, "List it, sell it and move on."

Dan: What a great core message. What a great way to say it. List it, sell it and move on. You understand that a large percentage of people who hear this are going to steal that line for their clients?

Phil: Well, I guess as long as each time it runs, I get a nickel. That's fine.

Dan: There you go. Everyone's on the honor system. "List it, sell it and move on." And you had to do it in 15 seconds?

Phil: Yes.

Dan: And I seem to recall you saying to me that at one point you were having trouble getting that message down to 15 seconds?

Phil: Yeah, to be able to tell the story in 45 words or less. I was having some trouble with that. One of the things you taught us was that often you can take a look at what you've written and ask yourself whether the commercial would still be as good if you eliminated the first sentence. Sometimes, even the first paragraph. So, I took the beginning and took it out, and it didn't seem to hurt at all. That helped me get down to 15 seconds without damaging the core message.

Dan: I don't know of any lesson I've learned that's been more valuable to me then cutting out the first paragraph if it's a :30 or a :60. I learned that from Dick Orkin. It saves my life just about every time I write copy. So, you looked at what you'd written. You simply deleted the first sentence and then you read it and asked yourself, "Is it any weaker?" Is that pretty accurate?

Phil: Yeah, that's it. And it did not seem to be.

Dan: So if it's not any weaker, you didn't need that first sentence.

Phil: Right.

Dan: So, you've got a 15-second spot that's built on the core message of "List it, sell it and move on."

Phil: Right.

Dan: Took it back to Portland. What happened then?

Phil: I called the client up and I said, "I'm back. I've written a commercial. Would you like to see it?" He said, "Could you come out this afternoon?" He was eager to see it, which was different.

Dan: Why do you suppose he was eager?

Phil: I suppose because I had been to school. This had the stamp of approval of having consulted an outside expert.

Dan: Ah! OK. If nothing else, he was hoping to pick your brain or get some of the knowledge that you had paid for, but he would get it for free?

Phil: Perhaps. Or at least he felt that what I was going to bring him had more credibility because it had come from that kind of an exercise.

Dan: Did you have the spot recorded, or was it just a script?

Phil: Just a script. So, I brought the script down.

Dan: And you handed it to him to read to himself?

Phil: No, I actually read it to him. And after I read it to him, I handed it to him.

Dan: What was his response?

Phil: He said, "This is very different from what I've been doing," and then he said, "I think I'd like to go with this."

Dan: Wow. Were you expecting that kind of immediate commitment?

Phil: No, I was not.

Dan: I know the answer to this. This is a set up. So, I guess you weren't prepared, huh?

Phil: No, I actually was. Dan, I'm a trained professional and I had a proposal in my briefcase.

Dan: So you whipped out the proposal. Can you share with us the dollar amount on that deal?

Phil: The dollar amount that I brought in was three months for about $18,000. The commission was enough to pay for the class including my travel expenses and actually wound up in the black.

Dan: That's not a bad deal.

Phil: No, it wasn't a bad deal at all.

Dan: OK., Phil. I'm going to put you on the spot. You have a few moments to share one key tip. What is the one thing people should take away from this success story that can help them with their advertising?

Phil: I think, probably, the one key to it is you have to, whatever the length of the commercial, whether it's 30 seconds or 60 seconds or even 15, somewhere within there has to be what you call the "WHAM Principle" -- Why and How does it Affect me? Me, the listener. Probably the real takeaway is to have something that is a realistic benefit to the listener, that the listener will get by doing business with the advertiser. You've got to get to it quickly, you've got to explain it simply and you've got to get them to do what you want them to do.

Dan: That's actually one of the good things about a 15 second format, which has lots of limitations. But it forces you to identify your core message, it forces you to identify how it affects the listener, and it forces you to say it really concisely.

Phil: It forces you to get to the point and then shut up. I think that's not a bad thing.

Dan: [laughs] In life, perhaps.

Phil: Yes.

Dan: Final question. I think it's been maybe nine months since this experience, since you went back and signed the initial $18,000 contract. Is he still on the air?

Phil: He is still on the air, and I can tell you that the real estate market around here is not a picnic in the park. So, the fact that he is still with me nine months later, number one, has made this a profitable investment. And number two, tells me that the advertising is working.

Dan: That's great to here. Phil Bernstein, Clear Channel/Portland. Thank you very much for sharing your success story with us.

Phil: All right. Thank you, Dan.

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