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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Is Advertising On The Radio Expensive?

How much does it cost? What will it take to be effective? Is advertising on the radio effective? These are all valid questions when it comes to talking about advertising on the radio.

The cost to air a radio commercial will change quite a bit from station to station.

The price per airing is based on a few things:

  • Ratings of the station you advertise on
  • Amount of listeners to that station in relation to the population
  • Time of day your commercials air
  • Length of radio commercial
  • Total size of campaign

As you would guess, higher price goes with the territory of bigger city and higher ratings. The total cost of a radio campaign will be determined by the amount of airings in the plan and the price associated with each airing.

To get to this figure, we negotiate a plan direct with the individual radio station(s) that would reach the target customers for our clients. We then craft a plan that gets our clients the biggest “bang for their buck”. Or the most consistent exposure with a target audience for that clients budget. Total cost for radio campaign can be as low as 1k for starter plans in smaller and medium-sized cities, all the way up to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for national or major campaigns in large cities.

Before we start a campaign we need to determine a few things:

  1. Who is your target customer
  2. Where is your target customer and what do they listen to
  3. How often do you want your message to be broadcast
  4. When do you want your message broadcast

Once we have these facts laid out, we can determine exactly what a radio advertising campaign would cost and how expensive it would be to advertise on the radio.

If you would like us to explore the cost of radio advertising with you, please give us a call direct or send us a private and secure message through the form below.







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Does Radio Advertising Still Work?

Radio is a medium that has been around for nearly 100 years. With something so old, its only natural to wonder: Does radio advertising still work?

The concept of a commercial “radio station” was developed to be just that: commercial. One giant commercial to be exact.

In many cities, the first radio stations were owned by large local businesses such as car dealerships or banks that would play music or air shows to please the masses, while promoting their products or services between the “entertainment” content.

This is a formula that still works great to this day.

Even though consumers are presented with more options than ever to get information or be entertained, studies show that radio audiences have actually been rising over the last 5 years.

Radio advertising is a medium that can not be “skimmed over” such as cable TV and keeps a captive audience for hours (especially in the car or workplace). Because of its “non-invasive” nature, it is a medium that often times sparks “word-of-mouth” viral information to flow from one person to another.

For example: A new seafood restaurant comes to town. They want to get people excited and into seats for the grand opening. They place a series of radio ads announcing the opening and FREE crab cakes for everyone who comes in. Judy hears this in her office and tells the woman in the office next to hers about the free crab cakes (as she knows, this co-worker loves sea food). Judy is excited about the opening and makes plans to go there, and her co-worker does to. The co-worker, then posts on Facebook how much she is looking forward to the “free crab cakes at the restaurant”, in turn her 1,300 friends hear about this offer and more than 20 of them plan on going to the restaurant. So do many of them… and so on.. and so on…  All this… from the viral spark that started with a radio ad.

This is just one example of the power of radio how radio advertising works.

If you would like to discuss how to use the power of radio to promote your business, fill out the form below or call us direct (231)468-9972.







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Radio Commercials That Don’t Suck

Bad radio commercials are a dime a dozen. Good radio commercials on the other hand… are not so easy to come by. Why is this? Because most radio commercials have been written by unqualified “writers” (often times a sales person or intern) and are produced and voiced by the same voices that are lining almost every other commercial that was produced for “free” by a discount production house or radio station. How can you make your commercial stand out? How can you have radio commercials that don’t suck air for your business?

Invest in professionals.

I’m not talking about throwing thousands of dollars at a celebrity voice or taking out a second mortgage so you can put a Beatles song in your commercial. I’m talking about simply hiring a professional radio commercial production company to create your radio ad. The average cost would be around three hundred dollars per commercial (less if you order 3 or more), which would likely pay off big time in the results that ad produces for you.

We help business owners take the sound of their radio commercials from just another “message” to a “compelling story and offer” that makes consumers take action.

Why will your radio commercial stand out and not suck?

Because we know what we’re doing. Plus, think of this: When your radio ad is surrounded by bad radio ads – you will stand out more than ever! Use the fact that “90% of the commercials on the radio suck” to your advantage!

The fact is, most businesses don’t take the time or make the small investment to have their radio ad professionally written and produced. They try to save a dime and go with “the cheapest” route possible.

Often times, this costs them more than it saves them, as ineffective ads do not produce results. If you’re going to purchase air time, its best to air a message that is crafted correctly and will give you the best shot a seeing results!

If we can help you create a radio commercial that doesn’t suck, drop us a private message through the form below!







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Does Radio Advertising Attract Customers?

If you’re searching for an effective way to advertise your business, it’s understandable to be scratching your head. With so many forms of media and advertising out there, it’s likely hard to know what would be the most effective option for you. You’ll find success stories and horror stories for almost every form of media available. From radio to TV to print to online, what works? Let’s take a look at radio advertising and answer the big question: Does radio advertising attract customers?

The answer to that question is a resounding “Yes”!

However, just putting a message on the air in the form of radio commercial does not necessarily equate success. If you want radio advertising to attract customers to your business you need to have a commercial carefully crafted in a way that is appealing to your target customer. If the message in your commercial is off target, you will likely have a horror story to share with your colleagues. If your message is on target, you will have success stories to share with not only a colleagues but also, new customers who come to your door.

How do you craft an effective radio commercial?

Having an outside opinion helps. An opinion that comes from someone who has loads of experience in the field of writing radio commercials helps even more.

An outside opinion or evaluation of your business and the offers you want to make to your customers can help you hone in on what may be appealing to a new customer. Sometimes we are simply too close to our own product or service, that we lose sight of what a new customer is looking for. Even if we know what this is, understanding how to communicate your offer in an appealing way is easier said than done.

If  you could use some help crafting a message that would attract new customers to your business, please contact on the form below for a free consultation.







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How Expensive Is Radio Advertising?

The first thing to understand about radio advertising is that no two radio advertising campaigns are alike. That being said, no two campaigns will cost the same amount either. So, how expensive is radio advertising? That all depends on the scope and size of your campaign – as well as the cost of air-time in your city. The larger the city, the more it will cost every time your commercial airs.

dollarsignsLets look at two identical businesses in a case study. Both have the same budget, but both are in very different size cities. Because of this the expense of airing a commercial will be quite different in each station. Both campaigns can be effected, however the times and layout of the campaigns will be quite different.

Business Type: Dental Office
Target Customer: Adults 25-54 (more female than male) with mid to high levels of income.
Total Budget to Spend on Radio Each Month: 4K

Let’s see how this would play out in city “A”. 
City A has a population of 200,000 people. The most popular station with this dental office’s target demo is an Adult Contemporary station.

The radio station is high in the ratings and will get their message in front of nearly 6,000 potential customers each time a radio commercial airs in prime time and around 2,000 outside of prime time.

The cost to air a commercial on that station in prime time is $75, the cost to air it outside of prime time (nights 7p-11p and weekends) is $35.

Based on these facts, a mix of prime time airings and non-prime time airings would get this client the best exposure for their budget of 4k.

I would put together a plan that gives them 25 airings in prime time and 60 out of prime-time airings. This will get them constant exposure with their target audience at all hours of the day.

The plan would reach 270,000 gross impressions. This is a very healthy campaign.

 

Now, let’s see how this would play out in city “B”. 
City A has a population of 1,000,000 people. The most popular station with this dental office’s target demo is an Adult Contemporary station.

It is high in the ratings and will get their message in front of nearly 30,000 potential customers each time a radio commercial airs in prime time and around 8,000 outside of prime time.

The cost to air that commercial on that station in prime time is $275, the cost to air it outside of prime time (nights and weekends) is $100.

Based on these facts, a campaign that only focuses on non-prime time airings would get this client the best exposure for their budget of 4k.

Why only non-prime? Because the total budget would be eaten up far too quickly if we focused on prime time airings. Granted more people would hear it each time in prime, but they wouldn’t hear it frequently enough for it to be effective or to see consumers take action. Our best bet is to reach the night and weekend listeners with the radio commercial on a frequent basis.

I would put together a plan that gives them 40 airings in non-prime hours. This will get them constant exposure with their target audience.

The plan would reach approx 320,000 gross impressions. A very different radio advertising campaign when compared to A, yet still a very healthy one.

The lesson of all of this – No radio plan is created equal.

Plan B airs less frequently, costs more per airing and never airs in prime-time.  Yet, it reaches more people due to the size of the city and audience. Sure we could have bought ‘prime time only’, but it would not reach the audience enough to be effective. This is a move I often see take place with in-experienced business owners or media buyer, and they regret every penny spent.

Plan A has a balance of prime and non prime airings. It gives them balanced exposure all day long and optimizes their budget for exposure. Putting all the funds into prime-time alone would not give them the depth of exposure that mixing in off-prime does.

Do you need to worry about any of this?

No, that’s why I’m here! This is what my agency does, and we don’t charge you a penny for our knowledge and expertise. We help you determine the best ways to buy radio advertising and answer the age-old question of “how expensive is radio advertising?”. A question with many different answers based on where the radio commercial is going to air. Call me direct if you could use some help 231-468-9972.

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National Radio Advertising Rates

If you find yourself researching the costs of advertising on the radio nationally, you may end up with a massive headache and more questions than answers. The internet is loaded with various opinions and incorrect information on the topic of national radio commercials. What is the real story on national radio advertising rates?

national radio advertisingThere is an option out there for almost any realistic budget.

You just have to understand what your options are.

When people think “national radio advertising”, they tend to assume that the main and only options are high-priced outlets like Rush Limbaugh or Glen Beck. These are solid options if your target customer is a conservative male age 35-64 with a mid to high level of income AND you can afford to spend more than ten thousand dollars per thirty-second commercial. They are not the ONLY options though. Far from it, in fact.

The price point per airing on shows like this are simply not approachable for most small, medium or even large business.

What are the other options?

Take your pick!

There are hundreds of other shows that reach national audiences on AM, FM or Satellite Radio ever single week. While they may not have quite as many listeners as the big dogs of talk radio, they still command millions or hundreds of thousands of listeners every single week. Nothing to put your nose up at. Plus they often have radio ad rates that are dramatically lower than their more popular counterparts. Rates as low as the $100 to $800 per airing range depending on the show and its reach.

With a realistic starting budget of 8k to 10k per month, you can consistently reach a national audience with your message to grow your brand. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you need millions of dollars to get a message to a national audience.

If you would like to know more about the options available for national radio advertising, give us a call or email us through the link below.

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4 Tips For Effective Radio Advertising

Believe it or not, the commercials that you hear on the radio are often times dissected, re-worked, re-arranged, re-worded and re-voiced several times before finally becoming the finished product that you hear every single day. Yes, there is a method to the madness of creating a quality radio commercial production.

ontheairBut what is it?

The method really changes from commercial to commercial, but one thing always remains the same. Relate to the person listening to the commercial. One way or another, that message and offer needs to strike a cord with the target listener if its going to be effective.

Here are some tips to make your radio advertising campaign effective.

  • Don’t over think it. People are passively listening to your message, make it clear and make it good. Putting 10 restrictions on something will lose the target quicker than you can say “call now”.
  • Keep the offer good. Don’t skimp and offer 10% off something – make something FREE when they come in or call. I’m not telling you to go broke, but the better the offer the better chance you will have for that potential new customer knocking on your door wanting to get you what you offer.
  • Advertise on a station your customers listen to, it may not be the “highest rated in the market”. It might not be your “favorite station” either. Ratings and demographics exist for a reason: to tell you who is listening to what.
  • Look for frequency. It comes in many forms: Being on the air at the exact same time every day, or having enough message spread out over a set time frame. Frequency will be the key to your success.
  • Don’t rely on bargain basement radio commercial production. If your commercial was created for “Free” or next to nothing or “thrown in”, chances are it will not be of the best quality. Spring for an outside production service to create your message. Having an effective commercial that stands out from day on will save you money in the long run and likely bring in more business.

Now that you know some of the inside things to look out for and be aware of when you venture into the world of radio advertising you will be better equipped to come away from radio commercial production with positive things to say and more money in your pockets. Radio can be an incredibly effective medium when used correctly.

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How Do Radio Commercials Attract New Customers?

is advertising on the radio effective?

Do radio commercials attract new customers?

The short answer: Yes. The long answer: Yes.

There you go… article finished. You’re research is complete. Move along… nothing more to see here.

Lets be real. You are doing your due diligence into the world of radio advertising because you want to know if the medium can still produce results. While the answer is yes, there are still several factors that play into the medium of radio advertising being effective. Just so you know though… there has always been multiple factors that play into how effective a radio commercial can be. This has nothing to do with the amount of new advertising mediums that exist or surround radio.

At the time of this articles writing (2012), more than 94% of the population listen to radio on a daily basis.

Jeff Healey the President of the Radio Advertising Bureau recently said “Advertisers’ expanding use of Digital and Off-Air platforms to complement their sustaining broadcast commitment strengthens Radio’s current and long term viability,”. He also said that “The live and local environment that Radio offers provides an ideal platform for a diverse group of advertisers to zero in on their target audiences,” because of this “The positive growth we’ve seen over the twenty-one month period is unprecedented since the late 1990?s. Once again, this underscores Radio’s strength during these unusual economic times,”.

The growth in radio revenue is a clear indicator of the power that radio advertising brings to the table for small and medium-sized businesses in troubled economic times.

While it is true that some radio stations are not as “interactive” with their community as they once were, there are still several stations that play a major role in community events and charity work. These are the stations that are trusted by their listeners and often times deliver the best results to their advertisers.

Sometimes opportunities exist to co-sponsor community events with radio stations. This helps cover the costs the radio station incurs for helping with the community events and helps grow the brand and good name of the businesses involved.

It is clear that a focused message airing on a targeted and well listened to radio station can produce results for almost any small, medium or large business. As more and more people ditch the cd and find the process of creating a tedious “playlist” just that, tedious – the influence of radio advertising will continue to grow into the future.

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How Many People Listen To The Radio?

You’re thinking about more ways to advertise your business and the idea of “radio” has popped into your head! Good for you, you are certainly on the right path when it comes to getting your name and message out in front of the masses.

radios005While radio does reach more people than almost any other medium each time a message airs, you need to be sure that your message is optimized to its fullest potential so you have the best chances of seeing results. Making your radio advertising count is what this article is all about.

If your business has a storefront sign, chances are it was made by a professional. Sure you could have just ran down to the hardware store and picked up a can of spray paint and “did it your self” or went with a super cheap sign guy who could inhale the paint fumes instead of you… but chances are you knew enough to have the sign put together by someone who knew what they were doing.

When it comes to creating your radio commercial for your radio advertising campaign, be sure you follow the same logic. While you could of course go the “do it yourself route” or “cheap” route, the end results would be that of spray paint vs. professional. While this may be obvious to some, it is not to others. If you take a moment to take in some radio commercials on your local station you will very quickly be able to find those who went the cheap route and those who invested in a professionally created radio commercial.

When a commercial is created by professionals: it just sounds better… There is no simpler way of putting it. The message stands out, it conveys a sense of professionalism which in turns builds trust in the minds your potential customers. If a commercials is created on the cheap by the same voices that are on every other commercial on the air, or read by someone who clearly has no conviction behind what they are talking about, your business also comes off as unprofessional and with out even saying it “untrustworthy”. Is that the type of message you want to convey?

Creating a professional radio commercial for your radio advertising campaign is not a very expensive proposition and can be done in a very short period of time. The results more times than not will pay for themselves with your first sale.

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