Selling The Sizzle Without The Numbers

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by Ed Ryan, Editor-in-Chief, RadioINK


That’s the focus of a panel at the 2018 Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference being held March 13-14 in Miami. The panel will be moderated by Tomás Martinez, CEO and owner of Solmart Media. Martinez is responsible for managing the company’s three Southwest Florida stations: WZSP-FM, WZZS-FM, and WTMY-AM. Numbers don’t tell the entire story, especially Hispanic radio’s rich and vibrant story. And in small markets or for independent operators, sometimes numbers aren’t even available — or affordable. Telling a station’s story and marketing its audience is an art form, but one that can drive important dollars to your door. We asked Martinez to tell us what to expect from his panel.

Radio Ink: Numbers/ratings don’t tell the entire story when it comes to Hispanic Radio. Why?  
Martinez: Arbitron and now Nielsen have a history of not measuring well our Hispanic market and under counting the Hispanic population due to its mobility and immigration status. Our panel will be focused on the challenges of selling with and without ratings in small, medium, and large markets. Discuss creative ways to address these challenges.

Radio Ink: What is your advice on selling without numbers?
Martinez: Instead of selling numbers, we should be selling ideas, promotions, product integration, and 360 like packages. All specifically tailored to each client’s needs.

Radio Ink: Do sellers and managers get all caught up in the ratings and lose their focus on building relationships?
Martinez: Absolutely. E-mail, text messages and the rest have driven our sales forces away from what it is still the most effective way of selling. Face to Face.

Radio Ink: What are the biggest misconceptions about Hispanic radio that advertisers have?
Martinez: Advertisers who have not tried Hispanic radio doubt its effectiveness. They also believe that it can be addressed just like the general market. Some clients believe that recently arrived Hispanics are the main target of most Hispanic radio stations, a complete MYTH. Another misconception is that Hispanics are the same everywhere. Completely FALSE! The Hispanic listener does not have the same characteristics in every market. Some markets might be more Tejano, Rural Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or a peculiar mix. The successful Hispanic radio advertisers will fully understand their Hispanic community and project their ads accordingly. In the long run, this practice will significantly increase their chance of success in our industry.

Radio Ink: Why do you believe it’s important for broadcasters to attend conferences?
Martinez: Hispanic Broadcasters, just like doctors, lawyers and scientists need to network with their colleagues, learn the new trends in our industry, and share their failures as well as their successes to keep growing in this most challenging economy. One good idea or contact which can help you generate additional revenue will easily pay off your investment in attending any conference.

Register for our Hispanic Radio Conference HERE.