How Expensive is Radio Advertising?

Wondering how expensive it is to advertise on the radio?

The question is of “How expensive is radio advertising?”, Is quite honestly the equivalent of asking “What does food cost to the grocery store?”.radio advertising costs

There is no absolute answer to that question.

Before random ballpark figures are simply thrown out there, we really need to identify where and when you’re wanting to advertise. Also take a look at the goals of the radio campaign.

Solid radio campaigns can be built on any realistic budget.

Small campaigns may be in the $2000 – $5000 area in total, while large more expansive campaigns can run in excess of $10,000 depending on the details of where the campaign is running and on what stations.

Does this mean that the campaigns in lower price ranges are ineffective?

No, not at all.

It simply means that it would reach fewer people than a larger more expansive campaign.

In smaller markets lower figures as described above could support a major and expansive campaign. In larger markets, it would not go as far.

If the audience is targeted and qualified, reaching a smaller group of people can still be incredibly effective. I can help you identify ways of doing this.

In order to get an idea of what radio advertising would cost in your individual situation, we need to discuss key details of the market you’re looking to reach, how frequently you may need to reach them, and what the cost of airtime on the stations in your area are going for.

Only then can we develop a strategy and get you an accurate idea on total price for radio advertising.

I would be happy to help you do this. Simply pick up the phone and give me a call (231)468-9972 or fill out the contact form below.

I will make the time to learn about your situation and provide you with a detailed analysis and options estimate sheet to answer the question of “What radio advertising costs” for your specific situation – Free of Charge!

CALLDIRECT

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4 Keys to A Successful Radio Ad Campaign

What does it take to execute a successful radio advertising campaign?

Precision.

There are four key elements that need to align in order for a campaign to be as successful as it can be. Often times, one or more of these key elements are overlooked or cut back to “save money”… resulting in less than desirable outcomes. These are the key questions that we always ask ourselves when building a radio campaign for our clients.

It the radio ad going to air on the right stations?

Simply put, does the majority of the audience that listens to this radio station match the audience is likely to use the product or service being advertised? If not, we need to find the right one!

Will the radio commercial play at the right times?

This is a tricky one. You would be inclined to think that the commercial MUST air in prime time order to be effective. While prime time is the perfect place for most commercials, it needs to get a certain level of airplay in order to be successful (see step 3 below). If a budget supports a prime time airplay strategy, we take it. If not, off-prime can be very effective in many situations as most radio stations still hold large audiences in these hours. Depending on the budget, prime time or off-peak times can both be very effective.

Will the radio advertisement air enough?

People need to hear commercial frequently in order to take action. I don’t care what you’re selling or how “direct response” you think your commercial is. Frequency is key. Get your commercial in front of the right audience frequently enough with a compelling message and you will be gold. How much airing of a radio ad is considered “enough”? It all depends what kind of response rate you’re going for. If you’re wanting the phones to ring every hour of every day, you will need to air the commercial that frequently. If you’re going for general awareness and to attract people to a website or physical location, several times a day can be sufficient.

Is your message on target?

This is often the most overlooked step, and one of the most important. This is not the area you want to try to save a buck on. Having a commercial created professionally can make or break your radio campaign. The message needs to be compelling, on target and sound good. Most radio stations offer “free” production (often seen by an unsuspecting business owner as a great way to save a buck). Nothing could be further than the truth. When production is “free”, what you often times get is a commercial written by an intern and voiced by what ever “disc jockey” happens to be available at the time. They are slapped together without much thought or effort. Not exactly a recipe for success. This is why we only use professional writers and voice over talent when creating the commercials our clients request. Spending a couple hundred dollars on professional production could be the difference between thousands of dollars in profit or loss on your marketing campaign.

CALLDIRECT

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Does Radio Advertising Work?

If you’ve never advertised on the radio before, it can be a bit intimidating. The first question most people ask is “does radio advertising work?”.

My answer is commonly “when used as directed, yes”.

Anything can be used incorrectly and produce unintended results. However, in most cases when direction is followed the results can be stunning.

does radio advertising workMany of my clients look at me as the “Doctor” of their advertising dilemmas. They come to me and describe a symptom or problem, and I help them create a solution to these ailments.

The equation to a successful radio campaign is quite simple. Air frequently to the same group of people and offer up a message that resonates with their needs and desires.

Let’s examine that for a moment.

“The same group of people”

This doesn’t always necessarily need to be massive group. The bigger… the better… IF you can reach that “bigger” group frequently enough. However “biggest” it is not a requirement to have a successful campaign. We need to identify what group or station you can afford to advertise on frequently and what time windows. If you are advertising to a medium or even small group of people on a frequent basis and your message resonates with them it can be incredibly profitable.

“Offer up a message that resonates with their needs and desires”.

This is another area of confusion and worry for most clients who have never done radio. What’s going to stick in their minds? What kind of offer is needed to get the audience to take action? Through some simple question and answers, we can help you identify the solutions to these issues. Then we can help you craft a commercial that has a very good chance of doing what it’s intended to do: bring in business.

If you need help creating an effective radio campaign or commercial to air in that radio campaign please contact me to the form below. I would be honored to help.

 

CALLDIRECT

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What Will Radio Advertising Cost?

The most common question asked of me “What does radio advertising cost?”.

In order to accurately answer the question of “how expensive is radio advertising?” We need to take a look at the factors around the campaign in question.

There are three major factors that will determine average pricing of the radio campaign.

  1. The size of the market(s) you want to advertise in.
  2. The ratings of the station(s) your radio commercial airs on.
  3. The time of day your radio ads are allowed to play.

Solid radio campaigns can be built on any realistic budget.

They key being “realistic”.

Small campaigns typically start in the $2000 – $5000 area in total in a smaller market, while large more expansive campaigns can easily run in excess of $10,000 in a large market on highly rated stations.

Q: What is the difference between these campaigns?
A: The amount of people you will be reaching.

The key to any successful campaign is reaching an individual frequently. You can have an incredibly successful campaign with an audience of 5000 people when the commercial is aired frequently. On the same note, you can have an incredibly unsuccessful campaign to an audience of 1 million people if the ad is aired infrequently.

Success of the radio campaign does not always equates to audience size, it equates to the frequency in which a set audience hears your ad.

What we do is identify what size audience can you afford to advertise to frequently.

If your budget supports airing to a massive audience on a frequent basis, we would explore options in that area. However if the budget does not support airing to a massive audience, yet supports advertising to a solid medium or even small audience on a frequent basis, we can build your campaign with these target audiences, and in time help you leverage the business that comes in from that starting point to eventually reach a larger audience (when it is financially attainable)

 

The details of a radio campaign that my fit you best will be determined by the market you’re looking to reach, how frequently you may need to reach them, and what the cost of airtime on the stations tend to be.

I would be happy to help you do this. Simply pick up the phone and give me a call (231)468-9972 or fill out the contact form below.

I will make the time to learn about your situation and provide you with a detailed analysis and options estimate sheet to answer the question of “What radio advertising costs” for your specific situation – Free of Charge!

CALLDIRECT

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Radio Advertising Tips

Running a successful radio advertising campaign doesn’t have to be rocket science.

While it is advisable to have an ad agency such as BestRadioAds.com by your side helping you plan and execute a radio advertising campaign, following some simple principles can also be tremendously helpful.

Radio Advertising Tip 1: Understand that “Cheapest” isn’t always better.

There are plenty of “cheap” radio stations out there. Just like there are plenty of dangerous cheap toys loaded with lead paint and other dangers available for children. Just because they are “cheap” as compared to their “fair price” counterparts, doesn’t mean you’d let your children play with them.

When buying radio time, you should be more concerned about finding a “fair” price on airtime versus simply “the cheapest”.

The cheapest will often times translate into “least desirable” time slots on sparsely listened to stations. Is this really where you want to spend your money? We can help you decipher the difference between a fair price on airtime and “cheap”.

 

Radio Advertising Tip 2: Make sure your message is on target.

This means having a commercial crafted for you that is designed to intrigue and resonate with your target customer. Writing a successful radio commercial is not the work of an amateur. If you have no experience in writing a radio commercial, you should not attempt it.

Even though it may appear to be an “easy job”, think about it… You wouldn’t let any random person off the street come in and run your business because it “looks easy”.

There is a rhyme and reason to successful commercials.

If you need help with the creation of a radio commercial for help in finding the right stations and airtime, let me know! I would love to help.

CALLDIRECT

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Making A Radio Commercial

Every day I am challenged with creating fresh and innovative marketing ideas for sometimes stagnant and stale brands.

Often times these companies will come to me asking for fresh ideas to “increase sales” after years of pounding the same redundant message in the consumer’s ear. Sometimes the brand in question is nearing the territory of the “walking dead”. Is there hope for these companies?

Yes.

With some retooling and fresh ideas, you would be amazed at how consumer perceptions can be changed.

Here are some of the key things I think about when working on new radio commercials for brands that need “massive reconstructive surgery”.

Radio Ads With A Strong Start

If the brand has been suffering from stale radio commercials, the consumer is going to tune out the moment they feel they are being pitched “the same damn thing” again. The beginning of the message needs to be reevaluated, rethought out and reinvented. If we are able to create an entry point that is enticing to the listener, it is the first step to re-engaging their attention. This is often done in the first 5 to 10 seconds of any radio commercial.

Dumping The Cliché

So many commercials are overrun with cliché terms that mean little to nothing to the average consumer. We need to strike these from the vocabulary of our clients sales pitches and replace them with statements that actually mean something to the consumer. Sometimes this is one of the most difficult things for a business owner to let go of.

I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve talked to a business owner who had a “death grip” on terms like “best customer service”, “variety”, “selection” or any other bullshit term that while “may be true”, does nothing to make their image stronger or stand out.

Professional Radio Production

Cutting a corner on your radio production to save a few dollars could end up in the loss of thousands due to wasted airtime with a poor message.  You will have to pay good radio production, if you want it done right.

Period.

I know, I know… “But the radio station will produce it for free”.

The reality of “free” in-house radio production these days consists of commercials written by a salesperson or intern, and then read by whatever “DJ was available”. This same DJ is likely on every other commercial including your competitors. Radio station talent resources are thin, and the advertiser who relies on in-house radio production suffers. I’ve seen it all, and it is RARELY good.

At Best Radio Ads we only use professional voices, writers and producers. Professional production will run you $300 to $400 for a great sounding commercial that will truly make an impact. If you’re going to invest in radio airtime, don’t you want to be sure your message is on target? That’s what professional radio production does. Feel free to contact me direct for a quote here, Or simply fill out the form below.

CALLDIRECT

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How To Advertise On The Radio

Whether you’ve advertised on the radio in the past or are new to the idea, knowing how to advertise on the radio and what to expect from your radio advertising is what this post is all about.

The Question:

Dear Advertising Dr.
I own a small cleaning business in up-state NY, the population of our area is around 700k. I’ve currently doing radio on the local “Top 40 station” (also the highest rated station in my area) with limited success. I’ve been running 15 second ads as weather and traffic sponsorships a few days a week. I’m not sure if its really working though. My business is not increasing, and my sales rep at the station doesn’t seem to have any other suggestions (I’m now on my 3rd rep in 9 months). My budget is around 3k per month. What do I do to make this work, or should I just give up on radio advertising?

The Advertising Doctor’s Response:

Thanks for writing in! You can find my complete response to this issue by pressing play on video box below.

Some of the points I will cover to help you get back on track include:
  • Know your audience (This is likely not the best station for you to be on, even if it is the highest rated)
  • Understand what your potential customers need to hear in order to take action and WANT to use your services.
  • Drop your local rep and use an agency for your media buying (You will likely save money and the expertiece is going to be much greater than the never ending door or radio reps)
  • Understand how frequently you need to be on the air in order to be “Top of mind” with your customer base through radio advertising.

Too often business people pick the stations they want to advertise on based on all the wrong reasons! Some of these reasons include price, music they like, pushy sales person, friend who works there, what a customer told them they like, what another biz did, the list goes on and on…

Pick the station based on ONE THING –  The station that holds the most potential qualified customers that you can afford to advertise on frequently. Base your decision on this and this alone. Notice I said – “That you can afford to advertise on frequently”.

There may be more than one station in the market that holds a your potential customer base. If you can afford to bombard the airwaves of the higher rated more expensive station frequently – THEN DO IT! If it’s out of your budget, you can still make an impact on the #2 or #3 station in the market!  Frequency is king, no matter what you are selling. This leads me to my next point.

Understand that people need to hear your ad often. The same people.

In order for this to happen, you need to advertise where and when these people have a chance to hear you… frequently. Determine what station and time of day you can afford to advertise on, and hit that area frequently. Don’t advertise in an area or station that will deplete your budget too quickly. You won’t see results, even if there is a large audience there.

Your better off reaching a small audience frequently vs reaching a larger audience infrequently. The bigger station is not always better, unless you can afford it.

Keep your message on target.

Don’t try to sell the consumer every little point of your biz. Get to the point, one or two main points per ad – and use that point to get them to contact you.

Expand on the point once you have them in the store, on the phone or on your website. The ad is designed as a hook, bring them in with the right bait. Mixing in “a little of this and a little of that”  to cover EVERYTHING when you advertise on the radio is a recipe for failure.

If you’re out fishing and simply dump all the bait in the water with no hooks, you’re not going to catch any fish. You may attract many fish with passive interest, but that passive interest never went beyond the bait floating to the bottom. Put the best, most juicy and delicious worm on that hook and cast it out there trying to attract the best fish you can get. Do this time and time again, and you will have a bucket full of fresh catches.
CALLDIRECT

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Who Creates Highly Effective Radio Commercials?

A good radio commercial is often the spark that ignites intense success for virtually any business. That radio commercial better be effective though! Considering that if the radio ad is not good enough, the explosion of success will never come about. Who creates highly effective radio commercials?

We do: The team at Best Radio Ads!

Why not merely have the radio station construct one “for free or super cheap”? So your message stands apart!

Radio stations are limited to the four or five DJ’s voices which have been use on 90% of the other commercials not to mention in many cases make use of sales people as “writers” (who are not qualified to formulate a quality radio commercial).

By using the services of an outside organization like Best Radio Ads to write, develop and record your radio commercial you will end up developing a piece of audio that really makes an impact! Carefully written, appropriately produced and skillfully voiced. To put it in perspective, it is the distinction between lousy junk food and a superb gourmet feast. Each are food – just one will be remembered and spoke of for several weeks and many months to come.

Our team of experienced radio commercial writers, producers and voices really know what gets results in relation to developing a quality radio commercial! Your message will not only get noticed, it would in all likelihood push more consumers to your business as a result of its powerful design and audio. Employ our working experience to your advantage!

Having Best Radio Ads produce an incredible sounding radio advertisement is extremely economical! An effective radio advertisement will be as low as $225 while picked up as a part of a production package deal!

These are premium quality adverts that are designed to blow your competitors away and bring more customers to you!

Have a listen to the caliber of our examples on our web site, then give us a telephone call and learn how easy it can be to improve the sound of your radio marketing campaign and pull in more customers!

Contact us direct at (231)468-9972 Now!
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Who Produces Effective Radio Ads?

A quality radio advertisement might be the spark that ignites intense success for any business. That radio commercial better be great though! Seeing as if the radio ad is not good enough, the explosion of growth will never come about.

Who produces effective radio ads?

Best Radio Ads does – of course!

Why not merely have the radio station build one “for nothing”? So your message sticks out!

Radio stations are restricted to the two or three DJ’s voices which are currently on 80% of the other ads; not to mention they often time use sales people as “writers” (who not qualified to craft a strong radio advertisement).

By making use of an outside business like Best Radio Ads to write, develop and record your radio commercial you are going to be ordering a piece of audio that truly makes an impact! Professionally written, appropriately produced as well as professionally voiced. To place it in context, it’s the difference between horrible junk food and an exquisite gourmet meal. Both are food – only one will likely to be appreciated and talked about for weeks and months to come.

Our staff of premier radio commercial writers, producers and voices know what is successful in relation to building a powerful radio commercial!

Your message will not simply stick out, it will likely steer a lot more customers to your organization because of its effective design and audio. Employ our working experience to your own advantage!

Having Best Radio Ads formulate a powerful sounding radio commercial is absolutely economical! An effective radio commercial could be as inexpensive as $225 once paid for as a part of a production bundle!

These are top of the line adverts that are designed to blow your competitors away and bring additional consumers to you!

Take a listen to the caliber of our free samples on our website, then give us a call and learn how effortless it will be to update the audio of your radio ad campaign and generate more customers!

Contact us direct at (231)468-9972 Today!
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Who Can Make Successful Radio Commercials?

A top notch radio advertisement can become the spark that lights enormous growth for just about any company. That radio commercial better be very good though! Due to the fact that if the radio ad is not good enough, the explosion of production will never occur. Who can make successful radio commercials? We can!!!

Why not just have the radio station help make one “for free”? So your message sticks out!

Radio stations are restricted to the four or five DJ’s voices which are probably on 90% of the other commercials; not to mention oftentimes utilize sales representatives as “writers” (who are not qualified to write a good quality radio advertisement).

By hiring an outside supplier such as Best Radio Ads to write, help produce and record your radio commercial you will end up ordering a piece of audio that really makes an impact! Skillfully written, appropriately produced and also professionally voiced.

To place it in perspective, its the difference between poor junk food and a superb gourmet meal. Each are food – just one is going to be remembered and spoke of for weeks and many months to come.

Our crew of premier radio commercial writers, producers and voices really know what works well with regards to building an effective radio commercial! Your message will not merely be noticed, it will in all likelihood push a lot more customers to your organization due to its superior design and audio. Utilize our working experience to your advantage!

Having Best Radio Ads formulate a great sounding radio advertisement is incredibly affordable! An effective radio advertisement will be as minimal as $225 while paid for as part of a production package!

They are high quality adverts that are designed to blow your competition away not to mention bring in additional shoppers to you!

Have a listen to the quality of our examples on our page, and then give us a telephone call and learn how easy it can be to upgrade the audio of your radio advertising campaign and pull in more customers!

Call us direct at (231)468-9972 Today!
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