Radio Advertising for Small Business Owners – Part 1

Radio is a popular choice for small business owners who are looking to make a splash in their local market, or for those who are making their first big venture into the world of paid advertising.

Radio advertising is much less expensive than TV, but still gives your business that “as seen on TV” credibility that many small business owners are looking for.

As someone who has been pitched by radio sales reps more than once, I thought I would share some tips with small business owners about radio advertising.

First, an overview of the keys to success in radio ads:

Targeting is Key – like any form of advertising, you must consider your target market when choosing a station as a potential advertising partner. If you contact a station and speak to one of their sales reps, they’ll probably try to find out who you are targeting, and then they’ll make a case for why their station would be a great choice to help you reach your target market (side note – in many larger cities, media conglomerates now own multiple stations, so don’t be surprised if a rep steers you towards a different station than the one you called about)

Ads only Count During Rush Hour – Radio is broken up into “dayparts” – and the only dayparts that really matter are morning drive and evening drive. That’s when everyone is in their car, caught in a traffic snarl, listening to the radio as they grind their way home. During the day people are busy at work, and even with the radio on in the background they aren’t paying much attention. The more ads you get in the right dayparts, the better off you are.

Act locally, Think Globally – Radio is naturally a local medium (well, not satellite radio but that’s another story). It will perform best for you if you are promoting something that is particularly relevant for a local audience. That’s why local retailers are typically the biggest radio advertisers – chances are you know where their store is, and if you don’t, you will after the ad is over. If you are thinking of radio ads to promote a website on financial advice that has nothing to do with the city you are advertising in, you may want to reconsider your choice of medium.

More in tomorrow’s post about having that first conversation with your local radio advertising sales rep.