One of the most potent assets any successful sports station has is the testimonial/endorsement ads delivered by on-air talent.
These ads lend credibility to the advertiser and frequently are the conversation starter when the new client meets the advertiser. We get credit for matchmaking this transaction. Our hosts are one of the original influencers. Our best hosts have been influencing our audiences with their insight on sports and, at times, their personal life. Some hosts even open up about their money issues or health. This creates selling opportunities for the sales department.
I would add the dental industry to the six hottest advertiser categories for sports radio other than gambling. The dental industry is undergoing tremendous change. We all use them. Personally, my three children and I have had braces from an orthodontist and see a family dentist every six months. Additionally, I had my wisdom teeth extracted by an oral surgeon when I was in my late 20s and used laser teeth whitening from my family dentist. Those procedures and decisions could have been some tremendous on-air campaigns!
Mainly because the referral industry is changing for the dental industry. Some teeth straightening companies go direct to the consumer. Most dentists offer Invisalign, routine root canals, and easy wisdom teeth extraction. It is no longer the norm for family dentists to refer patients to orthodontics for braces, oral surgeons for wisdom teeth extraction, and endodontists for root canals.
We now have three new categories to start prospecting, and one of the most effective campaigns to offer is the on-air influencer. Survey your on-air staff and see who has had a root canal or maybe has children who need braces or wisdom teeth extraction. Or, better yet, who will need any of these services in the future. Which hosts need a new dentist or specialist? Who has had a bad experience that they want to correct? Maybe they want to try Invisalign from a family dentist rather than orthodontic work. This will make for outstanding social media before and after photos.
Make sure your hosts know that, for example, before they allow their family dentist to do a root canal on them, they have options. Like, going to an expert in root canals or an endodontist. Start prospecting amongst these specialists, and you will find that their referrals from family dentists are drying up gradually, and they need more business.
Dental and medical insurance companies vary on whether they cover these specialist procedures in part, complete, or at all. So, these specialists must compete on price, convenience, and specialty. And what better way to ease into an advertising campaign than using a trusted on-air talent to explain the whole process?
We can become an added referral source that these specialists need. Think influencer marketing and extend it to digital media. This should be an annual contract so that the education process can happen. Remember, our listeners need to be exposed to an advertiser at least three times for credibility, 6-10 times for recognition and transaction to begin, and 10-14 times before our audience remembers to refer our clients to others. We can create a referral network for orthodontics, oral surgeons, and endodontists! Us!
Jeff Caves is a sales columnist for BSM working in radio and digital sales for Cumulus Media in Dallas, Texas and Boise, Idaho. He is credited with helping launch, build, and develop Sports Radio The Ticket in Boise, into the market’s top sports radio station. During his 26 year stay at KTIK, Caves hosted drive time, programmed the station, and excelled as a top seller. You can reach him by email at jeffcaves54@gmail.com or find him on LinkedIn.
