08 May How to Boost Your Business with Radio Advertising
In this modern era of Internet broadcasting and omnipresent devices like smartphones and tablet computers, it can be easy to overlook the humble radio as an avenue of advertising. Yet this is a serious mistake, as radio advertising can still be an extremely powerful and entirely legitimate way to get the word out about your business. In fact, for smaller businesses who have a local scope it might be the best advertising medium of all, as radio stations tend to serve local areas in just the same way.
Radio is, in fact, still a very serious going concern. It is estimated that radio, with around 14,000 stations nationwide, reaches over 200 million Americans every week. That’s two thirds of the entire country by population. The key to this enduring popularity is the mobility of radio, as most people take the opportunity to listen in their cars or at work, places they are not able to engage with other media.
One of your first tasks, therefore, is to find the radio station that best reaches your target demographics. With so many stations and listeners it’s important to figure out how to get the most bang for your advertising buck and how to get your radio spots heard by the people most likely to want what you’re selling. You need to identify which stations are best for this, taking into consideration issues like programming and times of day. Fortunately, it’s in the interests of radio stations to help their advertisers out with all this. When you’re getting started with radio advertising talk to the channels you’re interested in. They will be able to provide you with information about how their listeners match your demographic targets, at what times and during what programs, and show you a signal map so you can see the physical area covered by their broadcasts.
Like any other advertisement your radio advertising needs to be compelling and attention-getting. The production costs are mercifully much lower, but don’t skimp on the script and voice talent. How to actually make a good commercial is a field unto itself so take help wherever you can find it. For example, the radio station itself may well have a list of local voice talent that you can browse, and they will be able to put you in touch with local production agencies who can help you create your advertisement. Once you have your commercial and have researched the best times to have it played, it’s time to decide on how often and for how long to run it.
Do not underestimate the importance of repetition. Your advertisement will probably need to be heard multiple times before it begins to sink in no matter how good and well produced it is. In short the more often your ad runs the better your chances of reaching customers. Fortunately you tend to be able to negotiate a better deal with the station the more ad spots you buy, so use this to your advantage and buy in bulk.
Finally, remember that many stations will also offer the opportunity to sponsor shows of theirs, especially those such as news and weather reports. This means you will be able to get mentioned during the shows themselves and the first spot during commercial breaks, setting you apart from other radio advertising on that station.
Radio advertising still has the potential to give your business a big boost in visibility, so don’t overlook it just because it doesn’t seem as glamorous or sophisticated as Internet-based advertising might. After all, all that matters is getting your business out there.
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