Radio Blog ideas & advice | PROGRAMMING | MUSIC | TALENT | PROMOTIONS |

What would you think if you heard a dj on the radio saying: "I have two pieces of papers with letters on them specially for you, be caller 100.000 and win those two pieces of paper". Would you get exstatic and run for the phone? Ofcourse not! But why do so many stations keep selling their concert ticket give aways in this fashion on the air?

Most of the time I ask the same question to the talents that still do 'sell tickets', they admit they never really put some thought in it. "My PD says we're giving away tickets, my tease sheet says we're giving away tickets so I say we're giving away tickets." When you do think about it, it doesn't really sound attractive for your listener when they hear they can win two pieces of paper. Even when you add the sound of fumbling with some paper as I heard on a station yesterday, it keeps sounding lame and boring. It keeps sounding as paper!

It's the talent's job to make the prizes sound interesting and exciting. You're a sales person on the radio! So start thinking about how you could make two pieces of paper something worthwhile calling for.

Try to sell the experience the listener is going to have when he or she wins the tickets. Make them envision the experience: "imagine yourself standing frontrow with your best friend eye to eye with Justin Timberlake. Be sure to look good 'cause he might catch your eye, yeah that close!"

You can also make the tickets sound more interesting selling the benefit of having that ticket. Relate to real life: "I know all your friends are going to be unbelievingly jealous of you when you are standing eye to eye upfront at the completely sold out concert of The Fray". Or even relate to real life in a completely other way: "wouldn't it be awesome to stand front row, experiencing JT upclose and personal and hey, you can even make some of your friends happy 'cause you get to take 5 of your friends with you! God you're gonna be so popular!"

Especially if the tickets come with an exclusive limo ride to the concert and a backstage pass, try to tell how it would be if they really won. Tell them a story, tell them what they're thinking, help them envision the experience. But please don't sell them tickets anymore.