Why radio advertising can be one of the best ways to reach your buyer.

As someone who has worked on both the creative and production end of radio advertising for 25 years, I can tell you unequivocally that it is absolutely one of my favorite mediums.

Why? Because radio truly is the “theater of the mind.” Radio uses voices, music and sound effects (sfx) to create moods and images that spark the imagination like print or television ads can't.

With radio, the possibilities are endless.

Radio advertising gives you the opportunity to deliver a powerful message to a specific group of listeners. Radio stations know exactly who their audiences are, so if you know who your customers are, then radio gives you the perfect opportunity to reach them. Find the station with your demographic, get a sales rep who will partner with you, and get ready to mine for gold.

Another great thing about radio is that it’s everywhere. At home, in the car, at the office, at the ballpark…wherever your customer is, radio isn’t far behind. It is a truly mobile medium and goes where you do.

Radio listeners are loyal.

Have you ever noticed how loyal radio listeners are to their station?

Seriously loyal. Bordering on fanatical loyal.

Mention a popular radio station’s call letters in a group of people and you will inevitably hear someone say “Oh, I love that station! I listen to them all the time!” Not only do listeners identify with the station, but they identify with the DJs. These station personalities work hard to establish a rapport with their listeners, and consequently, listeners respond.

Radio stations are about community involvement.

Whether it’s performing a live remote at the grand opening of the new car dealership, or sponsoring a local charity event, no other medium touches consumers quite the same way radio can.

Quick facts about radio.

Feel free to use these to impress your friends and family:

• Radio advertising’s return on investment (ROI) is much higher (some studies say as high as 49%!) than television’s ROI. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that television is much more expensive to produce and run than radio, so the money you spend to produce and run radio is much lower.

• 96% of people who drive or ride in a car use the radio.

• In-car radio listening averages two hours and 12 minutes weekdays, and two hours and five minutes on weekends.

• 43% of drivers leave their car radios set to one station.

• There are over 600 million radios in use in the U.S.

• There are 5.6 radios per U.S. household.

• There are over 13,500 registered radio stations in the U.S.

Okay, I’ll stop…you get the picture. Radio is everywhere! Radio advertising is everywhere! And if you want the most bang for your advertising buck, radio is one of your best—if not the best—bets.

How much will it cost?

Well…it depends.

As I am always fond of telling my clients (and you may have heard me say it before) when they ask me that question, “How big’s a house?” Depends on if you want a nice one-bedroom townhouse, or a mansion in Le Swanky Estates.

How much your radio advertising will cost depends on the following:

Length of spot—Radio advertising space is sold in :15, :30 and :60 increments.

Frequency—This means how often you run your radio.

Time of day your radio advertising runs—This is called “Day-Parts” and is how the station divides up its day for cost purposes. The more listeners in a Day-Part, the more it will cost to advertise during that time frame.

Popularity of station—The more listeners a station has, the more money they can charge for the space your spot will take up.

Your script—If you choose to have your radio advertising produced somewhere other than the radio station, your production costs will be determined by the number of voices you have, the number of sound effects, music, level of complication, etc.

Radio advertising isn’t free by any means, but it can be an incredible bargain, especially when compared to other mediums like print and television. Besides letting you target your audience in a very specific way, radio lets you reach a vast number of people, making it a highly creative and cost-effective advertising outlet.

If you’d like to learn more about radio.

I hope you’ve found this section of the site helpful and informative. Above all, I hope it’s given you the desire to go out and conquer the world through radio. I really do love the medium and hope you will as well.

Obviously, I can only go so deep on a website, so if you’d like to learn everything I know about producing radio, you may want to purchase my new ebook entitled the The Insider’s Guide to Writing and Producing Radio.

Magazine Advertising also has a mass audience and can be an ideal way to reach your customer. Magazines don’t have quite so many opportunities for overcrowding as newspapers, but they are usually more expensive. Still, magazines and trade publications can be a great small business advertising opportunity.

Newspaper Advertising is a good way to reach a mass audience. While they’re not cheap, they can be reasonably priced. However, it’s very easy to get lost on a crowded newspaper page, so here are some ideas on how to make your ad stand out.

Television Advertising,” – Everyone wants to do tv commercials because they’re sexy and extremely high-impact. Unfortunately, when it comes to small business advertising, tv can quickly blow the budget. But there are ways to make tv more affordable and impactful.

Direct Mail can be a cost-effective way to reach your customer in a very specific and targeted way. Learn what it takes to create a successful direct mail piece, and why you should give direct mail a try.

Advertising Taglines - The goal of great advertising taglines is to communicate your product or service to your consumer, and do it in a way that builds brand awareness and your bottom line.

Yellow Pages Advertising definitely isn’t cheap, but is a great way to add credibility in your local customers’ minds.

Company Brochure
Get practical tips on how to develop a corporate brochure that will have maximum impact.

Specialty Advertising
There are ways to use specialty advertising to help build your business - and there are ways not to use it. Go here to get inside and expert view, advice, and recommendations.

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Insider’s Guide to Writing and Producing Radio

Learn the insider secrets to writing and producing business-building radio commercials!

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