Thursday, January 05, 2012

For WHAT? Go To WHERE?

Resolve to stop using "dated" radio phrases, like "for more details, go to our website."

Why?

1. "For more" = more what?
2. "Details" = my life is full of distracting details already. Why would I want more "details?"
3. "our" = how about telling me about why I should do something, make it relevant to me, rather than just telling me what you are doing?
3b. "our" = stop using the formal "editorial we." Best, use a name, avoid the general with the specific, but if you must use a pronoun, use "YOU." Engage me. Talk one to one.
3c. Rather than pronouns, BRAND. If every radio station I listen to calls itself "us" or "we," will I remember which one is which?
4. "website" = if it was 1995, I guess the thought that a radio station has a website on the internet would be cutting edge. Today, it's 2011. If you tell me to "go to urlname.com," not only is that more powerful because it's fewer words to say the same thing, you don't sound like you speak like my grandpa.

If you've been saying it the same way for a very long time, I know you can do it in your sleep.

Don't expect me to pay attention.

Talk like I talk, not like all the other radio stations do.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good points, Jaye.

The trend to send listeners and viewers to a web site (however managed) for more info, more on a news story, or to hear "the rest of the interview" is growing.

As a member of the audience, I feel short changed. Tell me the whole story, give me all the necessary info, and finish the interview right now! I need a sense of completion. I feel like everything is abbreviated and everywhere I turn I get hauled up short.

If it's worth mentioning it's worth finishing. I don't have time to go to a web site to read the rest of a news story. To find the best price on a widget, yes. Or to get all my news start to finish. Not half on TV or radio and the rest online.