You’ve got an amazing song and you think that you won’t be able to sleep at night unless you get it onto a commercial radio station for millions of fans to listen because somewhere along the line, someone got it into your head that that would be your defining moment. So here’s what you do: Find the person that told you it was the most important thing for you to do and slap them so hard it leaves a mark. Now that we’ve got that out of the way here’s how it worked at the radio stations I worked for:

First of all it costs up words of $250,000 to get ONE song on the radio. If you’ve got that kind of cash just lying around, hire a radio promoter and give him a big bonus incentive so they’ll get your music on the air. Secondly, if you can give me ten names of people right now that listen to regular radio I’d be completely amazed and tell me that the $250,000 you’re willing to drop is well worth it. Who wants to voluntarily subject themselves to 20 minutes of commercials while hoping to hear their “favorite” song. I can think of a million other thing I’d like to do, including running my car off the side of a cliff, than listen to that crap. So if you’re like the rest of us broke (and sane) musicians I’ll go through ways to get actual air play without signing your life away to the devil.

First I need to explain the difference in radio stations:

Commercial: The big boys. These stations tend to dominate the central part of the dial and are greedy bastards. Thanks to our wonderful government, corporations are now allowed to own as many stations as they want as long as they have the money. Did you know that Clear Channel, the single biggest station owner, was started by a few car salesman!

Free air/Thin air/Independent: Depending on who you talk to these will be grouped with community but I’m listing that on it’s own. There’s a very long description as to where the names came from and what they are but here’s the short version: Some rich guy decides to buy a radio station or two in a market and funds it either completely out of his own pocket or sells some of his space for local advertisers. In return he gets to play whatever he wants. There is the rare occasion that space gets sold to big corporations but like I said its rare. Oh and the more important thing is that they don’t answer to stock holders.

Community:

Don’t think that SIRIUS and XM are adults-only medium, obsessed with shock jocks and edgy comedians. There is plenty of family-friendly content available for both providers. While satellite radio has allowed for more free speech than conventional radio has ever attempted (since analog radio is controlled by numerous sponsors and consumers groups) they have also managed to create numerous shows and channels meant for children and families. Consider some of their most popular programming that is suitable for all ages.

SIRIUS made headlines by acquiring Martha Stewart’s input for a new channel called Martha Stewart Living Radio, as well as high profile political commentators like Bill Press, Michael Reagan, Bill Bennett, Lynn Samuels and G. Gordon Liddy. They have also secured deals with celebrity musicians for exclusive music channels from such talents as Bruce Springsteen, Joan Jett and Rolling Stones Radio. SIRIUS radio has also led the way in original Christian programming with gospel music channels like Spirit and Praise and the FamilyNet Radio channel, covering Christian lifestyle talk.

There are also channels devoted to health and medical information such as Doctor Radio, as well as children’s programming from the Radio Disney Channel and Kids Stuff. You can also reminisce with the RadioClassics old time radio channel or sample sports programming from the Sirius NFL Radio channel, the Sports Play-by-Play 1 or the ESPNEWS channel. Recently, SIRIUS announced plans for a video service called Backseat TV, which will feature streaming video from three family-oriented channels in Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel and Cartoon Network Mobile. This will allow backseat drivers to enjoy a decent show while the folks drive on to the destination. This is a great way to keep the kids entertained!

How about the XM channel? XM offers more options in the way of family entertainment, including children’s channels like Radio Disney and XM kids as well as family comedy shows like Laugh USA. There are also general entertainment channels to consider like Oprah

Radio is still surprisingly inexpensive for advertising. The medium has been around for about 100 years. Many businesses give radio a pass because of the misconception of the return on investment.

Radio is an intrudes into the mind of the listeners. The power of radio advertising is two-fold. The right stations and demographic target coupled with a consistent delivery of your message will yield the best results. Like Direct Mail, you must have a clear idea of who your most profitable market is and conduct a campaign to brand your message in their minds.

Radio works by familiarizing your prospects with your brand through association. When they first hear your commercial, there usually is no major response. The process is similar to growing corn. The results do not show up until the hard work, patience and persistence has been consistently applied. The campaign needs time to instill its message in the minds of the listeners for at least 13 to 20 weeks.

To expect instant results is naive at best and counter productive. The process will also depend on the correct sequence of frequency – by that I mean will you run the ad four times a day for 20 weeks or 12 times a day for 15 weeks? Are you appealing to the folks who listen to the local shock jock in the morning or the smooth talking DJ in the rush hour traffic going home?

So, first you will need to define your goals, objectives, challenges, strengths, competitors, and your unique advantages and benefits. Then determine what you want to do about it. What do you want to accomplish?”

The greatest advantage of radio is its ability to go after a very specific kind of market. You don’t waste your advertising budget sending your message to thousands of people who don’t qualify or aren’t likely to be interested in what you sell.

Recent trends show radio is rapidly becoming the advertising method of choice for thousands of businesses and web sites. The medium allows you to focus your message to a tightly targeted audience.

Here are some Radio Facts

1. Radio has a distinctive advantage over print in that the audience is more focused on the message especially through repetition.

2. Google now sells radio advertising online.

3. One in five have listened to online Radio in the last month. Twenty percent of the U.S. population age 12 and older have listened to online Radio in the last month. The estimated monthly audience for online Radio is approximately 49 million.

4. Satellite radio now competes with tridational AM and FM radio for audience share but has also brought with it a new audience well; the Internet radio demographic

5. Radio reaches 93% of all adults each week.

6. Radio reaches 94% of college grads age 18 .

7. Weekly Online Radio Audience Remains Steady Over the Past Year.

8. 96% of adults 18-49 with a college degree and an annual income of $75,000 tune into radio over the course of a week.

9. 95% of adults 18-49 with a college degree and an annual income of $50,000 tune into radio over the course of a week.

10. Radio reaches 233 million listeners over the course of a week.

11. 63% of American adults listen to the radio every day.

12. Radio reaches 85% of likely voters.

13. 94% of Black Non-Hispanic persons and 95% of Hispanic persons, age 12 tune into radio over the course of a week. Radio reaches 95% of Black Non-Hispanics and 96% of Hispanics age 25-54 over the course of a week.

14. The average person spends 1,000 hours per year listening to the radio, second only to television at 1,500 hours. The Internet, newspapers and magazines are all under 200 hours per year each.

15. Radio Advertising used in conjunction with television advertising increased brand recall by 34% than television advertising alone.

16. Radio Advertising used in conjunction with newspaper advertising increased brand recall almost 3 times than newspaper advertising alone.

17. Radio Advertising used in conjunction with Internet marketing raises the return on investment 4.5 times more than just using Internet marketing only.

18. Most radio ads generate emotional levels equal to or higher than T.V.

19. Radio has a 49% better R.O.I.(return on investment) than Television.

20. Setting online radio aside, there are over 10,600 commercial stations licensed in the United States.

The field has grown rapidly in recent years with the addition of satellite radio. Sirius and XM Radio have done for music and talk what cable did for Television. The two giants might be merging if the FTC gives its blessing. This format is similar to traditional radio, though there are a mixture of sponsored and commercial free channels.

If this is the first time you’re buying air time, call a few stations. You will get a much better deal by buying advertising packages. Stations will sell you multiple commercials at different times of the day to run over weeks or months. The

price of individual spots can drop significantly.

Sixty second ads are usually a better deal than 30 second ads. They only cost

a few dollars more and double the time your message is on the air. Be sure to

repeat the main benefit you offer customers at least three times in your

commercial. End with your phone number, store address, or web site URL so

listeners can remember it. The advantages of radio are tremendous.

-By: Dennis Francis

Dennis Morales Francis is a consultant and coach for business professionals and wellness practitioners. His website, offers its members online coaching on building Internet income and automating their marketing on and off the web. Dennis is the author of “Double My Revenues In 12 Months or Less”.

Go to http://www.doublemyrevenues.com/money.html to learn how to put $120,000 a year in your pocket by pressing a button on your PC. You don’t want to miss this E-Tutorial.

I had a crazy idea. I felt compelled to bring the teachings and power of forgiveness into the world; beginning with the United States. I had read somewhere that the second most cited reason people don’t forgive is they don’t know how to. I was ready to teach the “how.” I spent 1.5 years on the road under the banner of The National Forgiveness Tour. It was during this time I was introduced to a new form of talk radio — positive or spiritual talk radio. It is similar to the standard talk radio idea; what is different, however, is that most of these hosts purchase their own air time and then create marketing teams to get the word out — this genre is not mainstreamed, yet. These shows are often heard in undesirable time slots or through the internet. The listeners, however, are showing up interested and hungry, wanting to learn about solutions and living a life of meaning. These shows are ever growing in popularity and numbers across the country.

Several years ago other people with crazy ideas wanting to make a difference in their world, came to me and asked if I would help them get their word out — I immediately turned to Spiritual and Holistic radio programs. With such a new genre I created a list of over four hundred such shows country wide. See author box below for information.

How do you go from having contact names to getting booked on radio?

1. Research the program. Listen to a minimum of two different interviews. This is easy to do since shows are now archived on the internet. This is to your benefit. You may be interviewed on a show that is small in numbers today, yet over the time it is archived, you will reach a substantial sized market. When listening to shows, you don’t have to hear them in their entirety, however, getting a feel for the host and their style is imperative. Take notes on the host’s interests, commonly asked questions, and way of interacting with guests. If the show has a producer you will want to submit your information to them for scheduling. With many of the spiritual and health talk radio programs, the producer and the host are one in the same.

2. Prepare a compelling request for an interview. I use a two to three paragraph e-mail format. I tell the producer/host what I like about their show, I let them know why I would be a good fit for their show and how I can serve and increase their audience-base.

3. I have a press release custom written for the show. I want to be sure who I am and the core of my message is portrayed in the press release. When the host or producer has read the release I want them to know my value to their audience. I often include quotes from those I’ve served or recommendations from previous hosts, something that sets me apart from anyone else with the same message (it is usually a story), an uplifting hook, and compelling text that keeps the producer or host with me throughout the release. You will want to be sure your contact information, including website is visible.

4. I follow up with a phone call within 24 hours.

5. If I don’t hear back from a show I will include a note in my tickler file to contact them every seven days. Persistence is key. Producers and hosts are busy people and tend to not mind repeat phone calls. Have fun with this. Joy tends to be contagious and how you present yourself on the phone with the producer/host is an indication as to how you will do in an interview.

6. I send a follow up thank you card and remind the producer/host of how I will continue to get the word out about their show. I will also let them know I am available for last minute interviews, should someone cancel. I find ways to keep my name in the forefront of the host and remain grateful for these mavericks who have cultivated and grown a listening community.

-By: Bonnie Barnard

Bonnie Barnard is a writer, speaker, and minister. You can find more of her products and wisdom at http://www.worshiponline.org She is the founder of a NEW Spiritual and Holistic Talk Radio List. If you set the intention to be on radio in 2008 you will want to save yourself time and money hunting and pecking for your perfect shows. Immediately go to http://www.spiritualhealthradiolist.com

If you’re browsing the internet in search of a satellite radio service for the US and Canada, then you need only check two websites: Sirius and XMRadio. These two giants are your only options and yet you’ll notice striking similarities between the two websites’ design, the product pricing and the programmer’s stations.

Rumors have been flying around that Sirius and XM will form a ground-breaking merger this year, uniting all 14 million customers under one banner. However, as of right now, you’ll need to know what makes each slightly unique.

Country Music Fans may favor the XM Radio satellite service, which provides listeners with two extra stations – one focusing on Americana Country like Robert Plant or Blackfoot, and the other focusing on Folk Country like Tim Garrison and The Nitty Gritty Band. Both stations have country music from the 80s and 90s, new country, bluegrass and classic country.

Christian Music Fans may favor XM one. This service includes one more Christian music channel than Sirius – in addition to Christian Pop / Rock and Gospel, XM also hosts a Southern Gospel channel with Gold City, Greater Vision and The McKarneys.

Electronic Music Fans will prefer the Sirius service if they’d like a Breakbeat/Old SKool station, in addition to the usual Trance/Progressive stations that both satellite radio services provide. XM has exclusive rights to acclaimed BPM, but Sirius has a special Dance Hits station.

Rock Music Fans will probably prefer Sirius. While XM provides four different “alternative radio” stations, a punk station, a heavy metal station, a jam bands station, a college indie station and three classic rock stations, Sirius gives subscribers roughly 23 stations with everything that XM’s service has — plus New Wave, Glam Metal, Jimmy Buffet, Grateful Dead, Elvis, Canadian rock, UK rock, Garage, 60s Rock, 70s Rock and an additional punk/ska station.

World Music Fans will find that both service providers offering two French stations, but Spanish-speaking subscribers will find XM the better option, since they offer Rock En Espanol, Regional Mexican, Latin Pop, Latin Jazz, Hispanic Rhythmic and Spanish AC. Sirius, on the other hand, has only one Spanish music station for Latin Pop. Additionally, XM has a station for African and a business station in Italian.

Rap and Hip Hop Fans may prefer XM because their service focuses on more Soul and Funk, along with uncensored Hip Hop and Urban Contemporary — unless they’re big Slim Shady fans, in which case they may need Sirius Radio’s Eminem station.

In some ways, XM Radio caters to the aging population with Good Morning America, Casey Casem’s Top 40 Countdown, Theme Time with Bob Dylan and Wolfman Jack. On the other hand, Sirius Radio goes after the 20-somethings crowd with Bam Marguera, Howard Stern, Jamie Foxx and Tony Hawk shows. However, both satellite radio service providers are likely to give you something you can enjoy.

Sports Fans will find many similarities in XM and Sirius service options. For instance, both providers have ESPN, Nascar and NHL exclusives, as well as both college and NFL football. XM gives better golf / PGA Tour coverage and Fox Sports, while Sirius gives better NBA coverage. On XM, catch shows with Jimmy Johnson, Dale Jr, Coach K, James Carville, Luke Russert and Cal Ripkin.

With the Delphi SkiFi2 radio, you can get a sports ticker to show game scores on your display screen and the SportsCaster comes with 30 sports presets programmed in. However, Sirius gives you game alerts, 30 presets and lists all your favorite teams in one category with the Sportster and Streamer satellite radios. Additionally, get exclusive programming with Jerry Rice, Daryl Johnston, Randy Cross, Adam Schein, Shannon Sharpe, Ray Evernham, Tony Stewart, Rick Ackerman and Frank Isola.

Whichever satellite radio service you prefer, you’ll be surprised to find that both are competitively priced at $13/month and most of the radio components cost from $20 – $200. However, which ever service you choose for now, you will still need to purchase a satellite radio receiver and luckily, most of the satellite radios will work in your home and in your car.

-By: Mike Selvon

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