(By Loyd Ford) Every morning in the U.S. advertisers line up and think about how they will attract more customers to their brand.
They have one choice every day: Close down and go to work for someone else or get busy attracting new customers and getting their best customers to spend more time (and money) with them, their products, and their services.
What do clients really want? They want an effective medium that will captivate audiences, deliver a powerful message, and maximize their return on investment.
Don’t kid yourself; business owners look at their options every day. They don’t want to be sold something. “Those days are over,” an advertiser recently said. “We want to discover what will really work for us.” Generally, advertisers don’t trust sellers. They trust relationships. That’s really where you’re supposed to come in.
Still, if local radio doesn’t get into the market regularly and consistently, listen to potential advertisers, and share and educate business owners about the power of local radio today, what can you expect new generations of buyers to think?
If you are a local radio salesperson, you might get caught up in all the noise about radio advertising.
People don’t listen anymore. Really? The millions and millions of dollars in research month after month don’t support that idea. This is real scientific data (and it doesn’t come from only one source).
Radio isn’t as effective as it used to be. Ask St. Jude Children’s Hospital or a wide variety of other brands that know the truth.
Major advertisers don’t spend millions and millions of dollars for something that doesn’t work. Radio is known by the best brands in the world to work today.
Who is telling the story of powerful local radio in your market?
Let’s look at 9 reasons advertisers find radio very attractive once educated about local radio.
- Wide Reach. Radio reaches millions of listeners across various demographics, making it a powerful tool to connect with diverse audiences. From young to old, radio has the ability to deliver your brand’s message to a vast and engaged market.
- Local Influence. Unlike many other mediums, radio has deep local roots. It allows you to specifically target listeners in your desired geographic area, ensuring that your brand resonates with the community it serves.
- Emotional Connection. Radio creates a unique emotional connection. The power of voice, music, and storytelling weaves a tapestry of emotions that touches the hearts of listeners. This connection helps forge lasting brand associations and customer loyalty.
- Cost-Effectiveness. When it comes to cost-effectiveness, radio had a powerful advantage. With a lower cost per thousand impressions (CPM) compared to many other mediums, it allows you to maximize your budget and achieve a higher return on investment.
- Flexibility and Frequency. Radio offers the flexibility to tailor your message to different time slots, dayparts, and programming genres. This enables you to reach your target audience at various touchpoints throughout the day, increasing the frequency of your brand exposure.
- Enhanced Targeting. With advanced data and analytics, radio allows you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. This precision targeting ensures that your message reaches the right people at the right time, maximizing the impact of your advertising efforts.
- Immediacy and Timeliness. Radio is a real-time medium. It allows you to respond swiftly to changing market conditions, emerging trends, and time-sensitive promotions. Whether it’s breaking news or a special offer, radio ensures your message reaches the masses without delay.
- Multi-Platform Integration. Radio blends seamlessly with other media platforms. By integrating radio with digital and social media campaigns, you create a cohesive brand presence across channels, reinforcing your message and amplifying your reach.
- Trust and Authenticity are other huge advantages radio has over others. Radio is a trusted companion in the lives of many. Listeners perceive radio personalities as friends, creating an environment of trust and authenticity. By choosing radio, you align your brand with this trusted source, elevating its credibility among consumers.
Local radio gives advertisers immense potential to amplify their brands, forge meaningful connections, and achieve their advertising goals. They need to hear your story, see the numbers, and understand the power of local radio right now.
Getting caught up in the noise that says something newer is better is easy. Something newer is different, but that doesn’t mean it connects like local radio is known to do.
These are just 9 reasons advertisers will find compelling about radio advertising. Now, add your local brands and your local team and what’s happening on the ground in your market. What are your reasons advertisers should use your local radio stations right now?
Loyd Ford is president and chief strategic officer at Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC). They help local radio with ratings and revenue. Reach him anytime at 864.448.4169 or [email protected]. Read Loyd’s Radio Ink archives here.
