When businesses want to make money and to expand their sales reach, they have to be involved in marketing and advertising. It could be anything from a local leaflet drop to commercials on national television. 

Despite the advent of the internet and mobile phones, radio commercials have remained a consistently used option. We will now discuss six reasons why this could be a viable tool for your business.

• Expert Help Is Available

As with most things, the internet can provide helpful guidance and information. This can be anything from specialised websites to Youtube tutorials. When it comes to radio advertising, people want to learn about the different stations available, so they can choose the most suitable ones. Folk also seek free online guides on how to plan successful media campaigns. They want to harness the high penetration levels and repetitive power that radio commercials possess. 

• People Are Listening

One survey concluded that if you are over 12 and living in America, 93% of you will be listening to the radio at least once a week. Over a half of the USA streams online radio at least once a month. In 2017 alone, there were 268 billion connections made to on demand audio streams. 

Instead of replacing the radio, modern technology has come alongside it and enhanced it. One example would be people using Spotify or Pandora from their smartphones. 

• It Is Accessible

Someone who can’t connect to the television may use the radio instead. They may be going for a daily run, or sitting on a bus or train. Some radio stations broadcast live from their websites simultaneously. This can make such stations more accessible, nationally or internationally. 

The advertising is accessible, too. A television commercial would involve actors, a film crew, a location and so on. This could consume a lot of time and money. In contrast, a radio advert will use sound only, and be easier and quicker to complete. The costs would also be more accessible than some advertising. They may range from hundreds of dollars a week for a local station to around £2.5k a week for national stations. Some radio stations will build in the costs of your advert production into their overall package. 

• It’s Great For Niche Marketing

Each radio station will attract different types of people, be they lovers of rock, pop, classical music or the news. Anyone who has a target audience in mind should study a radio station’s statistics and demographics. Specific time slots may be advisable. For example, there’s no point advertising to children after 9pm. 

People can push their advertising campaigns for a specific amount of time, and review their success. They don’t have to grow their traffic on the radio station – the commercials will be heard by everyone listening. 

• It’s A Unique Way To Push Your Brand

Think about catchy radio jingles. They stick in your head, right? When people only listen to voices and music they involve their imaginations. They literally visualise your products or services. It may be that a famous voice or specific tune becomes part of the recognisable brand. 

Radio commercials offer a brief window for a company to express its mission statement or strapline. As with all marketing, it involves getting into the mind of the audience. What do they need? What ‘problem’ do they have? What do you offer, and how are you presenting a solution? These are the key questions. 

• It’s An Opportunity To Present A Strong CTA

Companies need to create highly memorable advertisements with a strong CTA (Call To Action). Humour can be a great tool for memorability, but listeners need to remember the product more than the joke! Some people need to read something repeatedly before they remember it. When they hear it constantly on the radio, it can be more effective. 

An advert may be pushing an event on local radio. Company sponsorships may have been incorporated into this to give it more traction. A business may have a unique hashtag, in which case this would help direct potential customers to social media sites. In turn traffic could be redirected to sales websites. 

As we have seen, advertising on the radio can be an effective and influential tool. When it is connected to social media and other channels, it can form part of an overall armoury that is greater still. The radio is not going to disappear any time soon, and companies would be foolish not to consider its use. 

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