Burkhard Works: The Call to Action

1. Run One Phone Number in all your Spots!

Once your core message is proven effective, don't try to track response from different stations or programs with different phone numbers. That just confuses people.

If someone hears your message on three or four stations and finally responds after the 4th hit, why should the last station get all the credit for the sale? (You can test new creative with a separate phone number. Once it's proven to work, slug in the corporate number and add the spot to your line-up.)

2. Run One Simple URL in all your Spots!

Always spell out the URL in the copy unless you're using a common word in English. Don't waste time with "visit us on the web at www..." Just say the URL.

If your corporate URL is long-winded or your home page is cluttered with lots of links to elsewhere, put up a go-to page with a simple URL (Maybe use your 1-800 Number.com) and a simple message that picks up where the radio spot leaves off. Build that page like a SEOPS landing page. Give impulse shoppers only two ways out: The Shopping Cart or your corporate home page.

3. Sprinkle Your CTA throughout the Spots!

Don't wait until the end of the commercial to launch a barrage of phone numbers. Start about 10 to 15 seconds in with the first CTA, add another about half way in, and finish off with two or three more. If you give prospects time to LEARN your phone number, you can even drop the last digit and listeners will fill in the blank! (Click the link and hear for yourself.)

4. Get Your Customers to Deliver Your CTA!

Any announcer can power-read a CTA. It's more effective if your customers persuade listeners to call or click. Here's a Real People Radio example of four different voices delivering the same 888 number at different times in one spot.

5. Free Samples Should be 100% Free.

On-line and 1-800 shoppers are particularly irked by Shipping & Handling charges. Everything they buy in a store is shipped free, right? If your "free" sample includes S&H, your in-bound upsell conversion will actually increase. Say so in the copy.

Inveterate freebie seekers will not re-order. So concentrate your follow-up efforts on people who reveal, during the in-bound Q&A, a legitimate need for your thing.


In TV or print people can easily see your phone number or URL. In radio, though, they have to learn them both by ear and remember one or the other long enough to get to their phone or computer. Direct Response Radio Commercials are so common these days that most radio listeners expect every spot they hear to end with a 1-800 number or URL, repeated two or three times in a row by an Urgent Announcer. Gee, if three work better than two, why not five or eight? Here are five ways to make yours stand out from the Daily Drone.
1. Run One Phone Number in all your Spots! Once your core message is proven effective, don't try to track response from different stations or programs with different phone numbers. That just confuses people. If someone hears your message on three or four stations and finally responds after the 4th hit, why should the last station get all the credit for the sale? (You can test new creative with a separate phone number. Once it's proven to work, slug in the corporate number and add the spot to your line-up.) 2. Run One Simple URL in all your Spots! Always spell out the URL in the copy unless you're using a common word in English. Don't waste time with "visit us on the web at www..." Just say the URL. If your corporate URL is long-winded or your home page is cluttered with lots of links to elsewhere, put up a go-to page with a simple URL (Maybe use your 1-800 Number.com) and a simple message that picks up where the radio spot leaves off. Build that page like a SEOPS landing page. Give impulse shoppers only two ways out: The Shopping Cart or your corporate home page. 3. Sprinkle Your CTA throughout the Spots! Don't wait until the end of the commercial to launch a barrage of phone numbers. Start about 10 to 15 seconds in with the first CTA, add another about half way in, and finish off with two or three more. If you give prospects time to LEARN your phone number, you can even drop the last digit and listeners will fill in the blank! (Click the link and hear for yourself.) 4. Get Your Customers to Deliver Your CTA! Any announcer can power-read a CTA. It's more effective if your customers persuade listeners to call or click. Here's a Real People Radio example of four different voices delivering the same 888 number at different times in one spot. 5. Free Samples Should be 100% Free. On-line and 1-800 shoppers are particularly irked by Shipping & Handling charges. Everything they buy in a store is shipped free, right? If your "free" sample includes S&H, your in-bound upsell conversion will actually increase. Say so in the copy. Inveterate freebie seekers will not re-order. So concentrate your follow-up efforts on people who reveal, during the in-bound Q&A, a legitimate need for your thing.		Hear Ye! Hear Ye! 1-800-545-1985 1-800-Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y 1-800-MIGRAINE D-I-N-O-V-I-T-E Dot Com! 4 x 888
You cannot bludgeon people into action. If your message is relevant to an individual you do NOT have to tell him to "Get a pencil and paper!" You do NOT have to waste precious air time on stock phrases such as "That number again..." And you should NOT beg listeners to call or click. KISS: Keep It Simple & Sell.