Diversity
The city of Long Beach is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States!Green community
There are an incredible number of parks, hiking paths, greenways, community gardens, skate parks and bike paths. The LBC Parks, Rec & Marine department covers a wide range of activities and clubs available in the city. There is also a Farmer’s Markets running pretty much every day somewhere in Long Beach. I live only a short walk from the Tuesday and Saturday market in Bixby Park (also famous for its skate park). As an East Coast native and newcomer to Long Beach, I found the accessibility to fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis to be a welcomed surprise!Entertainment
Our CEO, Natalie Hale, loves the many different restaurants Long Beach has to offer. “I love all the variety…from Tantalums to Brix, Panama Joe’s to Gladstones.” Long Beach also houses a beautiful Aquarium of the Pacific, as well as many museums and historic landmarks. The Pike, conveniently located next to the Long Beach Convention Center, is full of restaurants, shops and more activities like a Ferris wheel, arcade and comedy club. And since Long Beach is so walk and bike friendly, it is easy to get around and see all the beautiful beaches throughout the city. “The beach area has so much to offer from family fun time to a great place for fitness activities, to a great variety of foods and drinks. You can even just relax listening to the waves and watching the birds fly around,” said one of media strategist. Many people live without a car with ease, including myself. Between the various bike paths and bike-friendly street lanes, I find getting around fun and easy. I actually ride my bike to and from work daily.
Media Partners Worldwide, a women-owned business, was founded in 1997, by Natalie Hale and a small team of radio veterans working out of a garage. In honor of the 20th anniversary of Media Partners Worldwide, we asked Natalie to answer a few questions about entrepreneurship and starting a successful business on her own.
Media Partners Worldwide, a women-owned business, was founded in 1997, by Natalie Hale and a small team of radio veterans working out of a garage. In honor of the 20th anniversary of Media Partners Worldwide, we asked Natalie to answer a few questions about entrepreneurship and starting a successful business on her own.
While we are not all born geniuses or extroverts or overachievers, that does not mean we are doomed to mediocrity. Some of the most famous of entrepreneurs, like Bill Gates, didn’t even make it through college. So while there is no foolproof guide to entrepreneurial greatness, here are six common personality traits that entrepreneurs possess.
Therefore, every marketer should be making this generation a priority. As a millennial myself, born in 1990, I can attest to understanding our habits, likes, and dislikes. We may be particular and at time unconventional but we are still loyal to brands we love.
According to a Forbes.com and Elite Daily (the voice of Generation Y) 
While it’s true that ad agencies are an investment, you and your business could save considerable money by working with an agency who will likely have close ties to media channels, providing cheaper rates than an individual trying to work with them on their own. 
However, there are still millions of people out there who find this free resource invaluable. Don’t overlook these consumers, as radio is affordable and working for many agencies.
Here is a little cheat sheet on how to successfully advertise your business or product via radio.
Because the power of radio relies so heavily on the quality of the copy, it is in your best interest to find a writer who recognizes this medium and understands how to target your specific audience.
Here are some tips for writing ads that will work and generate sales.
1. When Hiring a Writer
The best writers are those with broadcast experience. Radio relies on skill and salesmanship so you need someone who has an understanding of direct response marketing. You also need to be willing to spend some money, as good writers aren’t cheap.
When hiring a writer, remember to let them write. Good writers will listen to you, but they will also do what is necessary to create the best ad to sell your product. Don’t get in their way and take over the project. Let them do what you hired them for.
2. Timing
Most radio spots are broken up into 30 second or 60 second segments. 60 seconds gives you twice the amount of time to get listeners attention. 30 seconds are usually good for well known products or a simply offer. We typically advocate for a 60 second commercial, as you need to mention the phone number or call to action, such as go to your website, at least three times. A 30 second advertisement is usually too short to include everything you need.
3. Call Now!
Since the main focus of direct response advertisement is to make the phone ring with inquiries, everything in the spot should prompt the listener to pick up the phone and call. Offer free consultations, free information or limited time offers to instill a sense of urgency in the customer. You want them to ACT NOW.
4. Selling Comes First
When you only have 60 seconds to work with, every single second counts. Get the listeners attention, make an offer and generate a response. That is your objective. A good way to test if your ad is concise enough, remove the product from the copy. If you still have a complete concept, then your ad isn’t selling. The product, website, offer, phone number or selling idea should make up the entire spot.
5. Know Your Audience
This is key in any form of advertising. With radio, you have two options: Talk Radio and Music Radio.
With Talk Radio, your audience is ready to listen. Catching the listeners attention or blending into the surrounding talk are two ways to infiltrate talk radio. You want to encourage further listening.
With music radio, your ad will be an interruption. Your spot must peak the listeners interest before they can change the station.
6. Choose a Creative Format
There isn’t a set way to write a radio ad, however, here are a few creative formats that have been proven to work and get your listeners calling.
Straight Announcer- With a clear, straightforward copy and a strong, direct voice, nothing could be simpler for your ad. The announcer should speak as if addressing one single person. Asking questions such as “Have you ever…?” or “Wouldn’t you like…?” helps create a personal connection with the listener and makes the ad feel less like a lecture. With the right voice, this effortless approach can pull listeners in quickly.
Dialog – A typical example of this type of format, involves two people conversing with one another. One person is excited about a product or service and wants to share this information with the other person, who knows nothing about it. That person asks questions, while the other relays the information, thus divulging your product or services main information. If you have voices that match your demographic, speaking in a believable way, then this ad will come across as a testimony or referral, which is great for business.
Person on the Street– Asking real people what they think of your product is a great attention grabber. Get the person you are talking to on the street to describe how the product worked in their own words, or how it benefited them. Ask if they would recommended this product to others. Listeners will hear real people giving their true opinions and this will act as a testimony to your product. You can take this one step further by having the person on the street address the audience directly. Add in a celebrity endorsement or an experts opinion works great as well.
Vignette– This creative format, starts off with a short life scene exhibiting a problem. Then it cuts to the announcer who will describe your product as the solution. Time permitting, the life scene will continue, this time to show how your product has made their life easier. Make sure to return to the announcer to end the spot with a call to action and your 800 number.
7. Establish name identification early and often
Give the name of your company, service or product early in the spot. Since you only have 60 seconds, you want to establish everything your listener needs to know about your business as quickly and efficiently as possible. Repeat this information at least three times throughout the ad.
8. Use a memorable or relevant 800 number
Most radio isn’t interactive, like podcasts and apps like Pandora where you can click to call or purchase right from your phone. Most listeners are in the car or at work when they hear your ad. Therefore, they need to be able to remember your phone number if a phone isn’t within their reach. A special 800 number relevant to your product, is very helpful.
9. Call to Action
Answer the question that listeners might have: “What do you want me to do right now?” Of course, you want them to call! Don’t be subtle about it either. For example, the announcer could say, “For a free brochure on how to get rid of extra weight fast, call 1-800-LOSE-FAT.”
10. Limited Time Offers
People respond well to limited time offers. It provokes a sense of urgency and urges a call to action. People don’t like to miss out on good deals. Establishing a deadline forces an immediate response.
I hope you found these tips for writing radio advertisements helpful! For more information, call us at 
