Is the Hook Up Front?

The goal of the first sentence is to get the listener to pay attention to the 2nd sentence, and so forth. 

Trimming promos from :30 to :15's might be the simple directive.  "Get to the point" might be a simple way to coach.  But the real deal to improve the stickiness of your station is to get the hook up front.  By the way, :15's are basically long enough to accomplish 2 things:  A-get attention, and B-communicate the benefit of taking 1 action. 

What's the job of the opening of the promo?  To get attention.  Without accomplishing that,  the rest of the message won't be communicated.  PPM may well listen to it.  But the consumer won't hear it to take the marketer's desired action, unless they are paying attention.

What's the Hook?

From the perspective of your target listener, it's interesting.  It caught her ear.  It distracted him so he broke his focus and put it on you.  

You yourself have responded many times today to hooks all around you.  Think about that.  Don't just be a passive consumer.  Consider how marketers all around you have succeeded in getting your attention with hooks.   Training your brain to think like this improves your own skill improving the construction of your station messages.
 

Get Attention: Identify and Promote a Bandwagon that Matters to Your Target

I  was  really taken with Dan Mason's advice to Programmers at the 2007 R&R Convention.  Mason said  "Find a Bandwagon and get Your Station on a Bandwagon every day.  You'll make a difference in your community".

If the station makes such a difference, each day,  how can we NOT become anything less than indispensable?   What if, every day, some segment of the community deeply and sincerely appreciated the efforts of your radio station?

The station, the morning show, the staff, all of our efforts would always be neccesary and compensated.   Without our radio station, there would be a gaping hole in the lives of our listeners.

Find today's "parade" by paying attention to life among your listeners' tribe.  Get your station and your show in front of it.  

Hooks

Screams.  (The evergreen hook for both scary movies and radio contests).

Emotional Utterances.  (Weeping.  Laughing. Muttering. And Talk Radio's current favorite tactic-Anger).

Your Name or the name of Someone Important to You.  (nothing gets my attention like someone in my environment saying "Dave" . Or that of my favorite actress Andie McDowell).

Forget the trite expression "content is king".  Marketing still trumps quality.  Look how great hooks sell crappy products, again and again.   Examples:

"No More Wrinkles!"  Direct mail insert for green spongy-thing that goes in your clothes dryer and has sold million$.

"Tone Your Flabby Arms"   Shake Weight.

"Stop Your Dog from Barking"   Some little white box that takes 1 AA battery and sells for $9.95