Benefits of Advertising on Radio

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Author
Glenn A. Hascall

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The Benefits Of Advertising On Radio
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No matter what style of music strikes your fancy there is likely a radio station that plays it. The common understanding of radio is that somehow it takes us to a different place emotionally; a place separate from simply enjoying the music and listeners understand we somehow become an audio community. And though iPods or other MP3 players have their place, there is still a very strong group of listeners that find comfort in radio. That’s why advertising through the radio still makes economic sense.

There are numerous benefits of advertising on the radio, but let’s focus in on two.

Benefit # 1: Cost

In most cases radio advertising will be less expensive than print or television advertising and can be placed in a time frame where it can have the most impact. For instance, if there is a program that has a high volume of listeners it may be to your advantage to pay extra to have your advertisement placed within the program or near it (this is called an adjacency).

The cost factor for a radio ad can be as little as 25% of the cost for a television spot and more than 10 times the cost of a newspaper ad.

I know prices will vary from one location to the next so I would like to present some hypothetical figures to help you understand why radio can provide significant impact.

Let’s say you have $300 to spend in advertising for the month. Here are a few choices.

I’m using figures from a smaller market and realize these figures are minute when compared to larger markets where advertising prices can be hundred if not thousands of dollars. However, the percentage of difference between the mediums is similar across the US. The point is the coverage on radio can significant.

With the advent of cable television, advertising can seem like throwing a dart blindfolded because there are so many channels and you can only hope that someone is actually seeing your $35 advertisement.

Benefit # 2: Harvest an Audience

If you are a local business you are likely to generate local contacts and interest by tapping into the “community” of radio listeners. These may be the farmers who talk about what was said on the radio at the local donut shop. It could be ladies talking things over at the salon, but radio can get people talking and radio has the ability to make an impression on those listeners. Having your business represented in those “impressions” certainly can't hurt your business. They may not talk about your ad, but if your ad is located within the program it is a bit like casting seed. You may not see a sale today, but the multiplied airing (impressions) of your radio spot will result in a harvest at some point because even if the audience has no use for your product today the seeds are growing and they are likely to remember you at a future date when they do have need.

Many radio stations can also bring high school sporting events into your home or car. This is generally not available with television, and newsprint can only give you a recap of the event the next day. Advertising with a radio station in support of the local team benefits everyone.

It may seem I am only talking about small town radio stations, but the truth is there are towns across the U.S. in all shapes and sizes that rely heavily on their local radio stations. These are the stations that provide severe weather coverage, regional news and other items of local interest along with significant links to the world at large. These radio stations are an effective means of facilitating a town hall gathering and are generally very responsive to the real and perceived needs of a community.

Many of the people listening to radio are friends in the local PTO. Maybe these listeners attend your place of worship, are neighbors, or are some of the folks you see at Little League or the grocery store. Radio provides a common bond that many may not realize.

Most radio stations can provide either a package special or an annual contract to manage your advertising needs. In either case you may likely find the costs per spot announcement to be less if you buy in bulk or agree to long-term advertising.

Radio stations can also help you develop a spot that is professional and personal. Many provide production work at no additional cost, although some may assess a production fee.

As a business owner one of the best links you may have to your community is via the radio. Your commercial can be crafted to be humorous or emotional. It can be straightforward or simply work at casting a positive image in your community. The possibilities are enormous and the value of radio advertising is worth a second look.

About The Author
Glenn Hascall is a twenty-three year broadcast veteran and has assisted thousands of clients in ad placement and script writing His writing credits include three novels and credits in thirty other books including Embrace of a Father. To find out more about Glenn visit www.shoutlife.com/glenn

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