Radio thoughts

Although digital advertising solutions are plentiful, from time to time, my small business owners ask me if radio is a good place to advertise. My answer is never definitive. Ponder these thoughts.

• Radio is an easy way to reach a broad audience (if that audience matches up with who you’re targeting) making it a good and inexpensive way to get your message across. However, if you’re after a very specific audience, it may not be.

• Through behaviour tracking and data collection methods, digital advertising gives you the advantage of targeting select groups based on their interests, personality traits, lifestyle choices, etc. So, if you’re targeting artists, digital ad providers know exactly how to find them!

• Radio personalities love to work with their customers to create clever ads and because it’s a relatively inexpensive way to advertise, you can maximize the number of times your ad is broadcasted. For example, if you want to reach your audience when you know they’re in their car, you might want to advertise regularly during the 5 p.m. drive home.

• When do you listen to your radio? Radio stations can reach a broad audience, but I sometimes wonder how much attention listeners give to the advertising? Your audience may be distracted by other things. Personally, I love to play the radio loud when I’m cleaning the house; it’s what makes the whole experience less boring and seems to get the job done faster!

• Remember the rule of seven? It’s a marketing idea that states a message must be heard at least seven times before it sticks with a person. So, the more often you advertise, the better the chances are that your message will be heard and retained.

• Radio lacks visual appeal. It’s cheaper to produce because it’s audio only, but at the same time, you lack the emotional connection that a visual reference can create.

Keep in mind, a good marketing plan will include a variety of tactics to deliver the message. Radio may just be one of them.

What are your thoughts on radio and when do you think it’s a good idea?