Do your radio ads work?

At one point or another we have this conversation with every client. Does radio really work? Radio advertising doesn’t often get the respect it deserves but when done correctly is an effective advertising medium.

It has the ability to capture the imagination, build a brand and more importantly,  lead to a sale. Here are some tips to better radio ads.

1.Buy more then one station (ones that target your customers, not you) Most radio stations have a media kit you can request and will tell you who their listener is. It’s important to know who you are talking to when buying any medium, especially radio. If you can only afford one station it needs to be the station that is talking directly to your client. Makes sense but we work with clients that get “talked in to” advertising on the “best station”. Find out if the station is rated and request an Arbitron to see where they rank among the other stations in the market.

2.Try to buy at least 24 or more ads per week on one and 24 ads the following week on the other, alternate for four weeks, take four weeks off and do it again. Another strategy that has worked for our clients  is buying 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. We are charged with stretching the marketing dollars and this is one way to do it.

3.Rotate at least 2-3 commercials all with the same overall message.  A trick of the trade to change up the message is using the same opening and closing lines but changing the middle. This works for business that have sales or events they want to promote without reinventing the wheel and keeping a uniform message.

The ad must answer the question: what’s in it for me? How will it impact my life in a way that I think it will make my life better, happier, or easier? If you use your 30 or 60 seconds in any other way,your not getting through.

Pick a plan and stick with it.

Always keep growing,

Corie