Chapter Seven. How to Get Orders through Radio and Television

A mail order item may be tested on radio with almost no planning on the part of the beginner. Most of the smaller stations are eager to cooper­ate with the advertiser and will prepare the script or spot announcements, receive and forward the mail for the reg­ular rate. Time can also be purchased on the cooperative programs (i.e. disc jockeys, radio personalities, etc.). They are permitted wider latitude because of their following, and sometimes put over an item that otherwise would be a dud. Time can be purchased directly or through any adver­tising agency.

A word of warning is required at this point. Results from radio mail order advertising have been mixed. Fan­tastic successes have been achieved, but there are instances, known to the author, where spot announcements, running for weeks, failed to produce a single order. In general, mail order firms with retail outlets have a better chance on radio.

The same factors that influence the selection of pub­lication media and lists hold for radio time. Late morning and early afternoon audiences are composed principally of women. Early morning seems to be a time for men, and late afternoon and early evening, for children. Evening listen­ers are mixed; each program draws its particular audience.

Television

The newest medium available to advertisers is tele­vision. Phenomenal results have been obtained with mail order offers, and several of the largest publishers have been able to sell out titles that were ready to go as remainders. It is doubtful whether this boom will continue indefinitely. Experience would indicate a slackening off in responses as the number of mail order offers increases, the profits going to those with the best programs and offers.

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