Fix Radio Case Study
Introduction
Fix Radio is having a growth explosion. It's been incredible to watch their posts on social media showing off their increase in listenership. That's obviously good for them and it's brilliant for their advertisers.
The station is aimed at the trades - builders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters etc. They have a very specific demographic, and they really know their audience. For their clients this makes the process of booking ad spots a breeze.
But is it easy for everyone involved?
The problem - finding a voiceover you can trust
Like I said, Fix Radio is in a boom period. They've got advertisers banging down their door for spots, so time is of the essence.
But quite often clients are finalising the details of their offers or changing scripts right up to the last possible moment. The slot they've booked is fast approaching but they're still... well, doing whatever it is they do until they're 108% happy.
This means the producer has very little time to get his part done, which then knocks onto the voice actor, who has even less time.
The solution.
When I first worked with Fix, they asked for a live session. The session lasted about 6 minutes. Now, I don't like this phrase but it seems apt when talking about people who work with hammers and the like...
BISH BASH BOSH. Job done. Happy producer, happy client.
I'd shown I could do the biz, efficiently and effectively. This comes with experience.
Every subsequent ad I've been booked for with Fix I've been left to do by myself. No session needed. I gained their trust with their first interaction with me and now the process has become even more efficient.
Can you record this asap?
Yup!
Implementation.
If I'm being completely honest, they're wasn't a whole lot of direction that was needed for this.
The clients are advertising to tradespeople. The radio station is for tradespeople.
They wanted a voice that's relatable to tradespeople. (I won't use the word 'tradespeople' again, I promise).
My natural voice is pretty normal. Although, not as normal as it used to be. I pretty much had to relearn how to talk properly when I took up voiceover! The one bit of direction I got was simple - do it in your natural voice but a bit more blokey. No hard Ts please!
Results - delegating with confidence
For every job Fix Radio get a piece of fully edited audio - saving more time for the producer. It's always cut exactly to time - in most instances bang on 30 seconds. (Radio commercials are usually 10, 20, 30, 40 or 60 seconds long. Although this is less strict on smaller stations.)
It's tough to pass something off when you're being trusted with a client's money. So it's an incredible thing to be able to take the burden away from someone, to be able to help make their life easier.
Point of note - the first job with this producer was when he was freelance. Since then he's moved in-house at Fix and taken me with him. If that doesn't show the confidence that has been instilled, then I don't know what would!
Obviously I'm not the only trusted voice actor on the roster, it would be weird if I did all of the adverts, but I'm proud to be playing my part in the continued growth of the station.
The piece
The quote.
You’re a pleasure to work with and you sound great on these ads.
Challenges faced.
"There might be a slight change to that script, so will send you the final version very shortly."
Emails like this don't bother me. There's always something else to do, so I get on with my day until the finished script arrives. But it does mean you have to be ready to go at the drop of a hat and not everyone likes living life on the edge!
Lessons learned.
Building trust is important. It all starts with professionalism and delivering your best work in as timely manner as possible. It just makes it easier for everyone involved. It can be scary waiting for a finished piece to drop into your email box. But when you hire someone who does this every day, it should feel as comfortable as... something you find really comfortable.