How To Advertise With Audio

As you know,  ANN's addition of DAILY Aero-Casts (often known as "podcasts") to our news line-up has become a wildly popular feature of our news programming. Adding DAILY audio products is an unprecedented move by the Aviation World's Most Comprehensive DAILY News Service.

Our audio staff has been in the radio business for more than 30 years now -- they've written, produced and, of course, heard their share of commercials over three decades. But Aero-Casting is a new technology, especially to aviation businesses that generally don't advertise in the mainstream media. So here's a quick Q&A on some of the particulars you might want to know if you want to use this exciting new medium to get your message across to our listeners.

Who Can Advertise On Aero-Casts?

Well, just about anyone, come to think of it. But you might consider who you're trying to reach. Our audience is made up of aviation professionals, hobbyists and enthusiasts -- so if you're trying to reach a crowd of peers, this might just be the place for your message. But consider the demographics generally associated with aviation fans. They have above-average educations, above-average incomes and are very technology-minded. They're both men and women -- slightly more men -- between 25 and 74.

If you're trying to reach an audience like that, then it really doesn't matter whether your product is aviation-oriented -- you've got one of the most sought-after demographics in the business right here at Aero-News.

How Much Time Do I Have To Get My Message Across?

We offer "spots" (yeah, it's an insider term for "commercials") of either 30- or 60-seconds in length. That's an industry standard and, while it doesn't sound like a lot of time, it really is more than enough to get most messages across. A 30-second spot is about two paragraphs of typewritten copy. A 60-second spot is, as you might expect, about twice that.

What Do I Say?

Here's where we can help you. I suggest the following process:

• Boil your message down to a single sentence of no more than 30 words. Then expand on it until you've written a few paragraphs. Keep your idea simple and center it on that one sentence. Make sure you include your organization's name and contact information as well as your message.
• Remember that the purpose of advertising is to motivate. You want the listener to do something, go somewhere or come around to your way of thinking on a particular issue.
• Keep it simple. I can't stress that enough. Write short, declarative sentences and make it VERY conversational. Remember, you're talking to friends here.
• When you've written your spot, grab a stopwatch and time it. Remember, if you want to use music or sound effects (use the effects sparingly), they take extra time.
• Your message can take the form of a direct, one-on-one appeal to the listener. It can also be something like a skit, where the listener is a fly on the wall. You can use one voices or several.

Get A Second Opinion

When you've written your commercial, run it by a friend. If your friend "gets it," then you've probably written an effective spot. But to be sure, find a sympathetic ear that's not attached to someone in your organization.

Aero-News has a full staff of media professionals who are able to hone your message until it's razor-sharp. Even if you've only sketched out the bare essentials of your spot, our staff can work and rework it until you've got a world-class commercial that perfectly suits your intent.

Repetition is the key to radio (or Aero-Cast) advertising. When you consider how to schedule your spots, remember that repeating yourself is a good thing. Industry wisdom says, "Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them." In other words, a listener needs to hear your commercial at least three times before it begins to sink in. The beauty of Aero-Casting is that you can afford to do that much more so than you can with general media.

Mix It Up

Consider a mixture of audio and print advertising with Aero-News. That way, you're reaching our entire audience.

Aero-Casting allows listeners to pick and choose exactly what they want to hear. That means they're already inclined to receive your message. Now, all you have to do is get it to them.

Have More Questions?

Drop me a line. I'll be happy to help. You can reach me at editor@aero-news.net.

FMI: www.aero-news.net