With quarantine coming to an end and many Americans returning to life as we once lived it, it is important to make sure that your business is at the top of your customers’ minds. What’s an easy way to do so? Radio Marketing! A recent study by iHeartRadio shows that 63% of consumers are anticipating going back to “normal” within the next month, and of those people who say they are ready to go, 26% are more likely to be heavy radio listeners. With the expectation that heavy radio listeners will be among the first to start to reopen the economy, now is a great time to learn about radio and ways to optimize your radio marketing strategy.
Despite changes in music streaming and XM radio, AM/FM radio still ranks as one of the most cost-effective advertising mediums. Radio advertisements can serve as an inexpensive way to reach current clients or prospects alike. Consumers are getting back to their daily routines and are ready to support local businesses. Optimizing radio marketing could be a great way to add to your marketing plan for the rest of the year. With Q3 starting in just a little over a month, now is the time to plan your radio advertising and ensure you are optimizing your radio reach, ad frequency, and brand consistency.
Radio Reach
As far as broad reach goes, radio reach is MASSIVE. 92% of Americans listen to radio, which is higher than the number of television viewers as well as smartphone, PC, and tablet users. In fact, more than 200 million Americans listen to radio every month, with top formats being country, news/talk, and adult contemporary.
Finding the right reach on radio can be tricky since there are many factors that can affect the audience you are reaching. Time of day plays a huge part in listener demographics, along with the genre of music that a station plays. If you are looking to reach a younger demographic, it wouldn’t be wise to target a 70’s classic rock channel. Rather, a CHR/pop or “Top Hits” station would be more likely to cater to a younger audience. Morning time listener numbers are significantly higher than afternoon listeners as well, but morning spots are often more expensive than afternoon spots. All of these are factors to consider when planning your strategy.
Ad Frequency
When we are talking about ad frequency, we aren’t talking about sound wave frequency. We are talking about the optimal number of times for your message to play to get you the best results. Oftentimes, securing multiple spots per station and day-part is a great way to reach a larger audience. Many people find that securing too many ads quickly drains their budget and doesn’t have a massive effect on reach. Additionally, securing different times throughout the day is a great way to increase your audience reach and not limit your advertisements.
Frequency isn’t a simple number, like 10 ads a day and you’ll see great results. Instead, it should be based on times, demographics, budget, station, and more. The frequency of your advertisements should accommodate your marketing goal and more importantly stick with your marketing budget.
Brand Consistency
It may be tempting to focus only on the frequency with which your radio advertisements are being heard. However, consistency in your radio ads can also help drive successful radio campaigns. Branding consistency is a great way to stay in the minds of consumers and get your message stuck in their heads, even if the advertisements differ slightly. A consistent message and branding initiative can make your individual advertisements into more of a package and plan.
How Media Venue Can Help
Media Venue wants to help you with your radio marketing plan (and your entire advertising strategy). We look at the big picture and your long-term strategy to put together a recommendation. We have the experience, resources, and creativity to help you optimize the return on your marketing investment.
Contact Jaclyn Grieshaber at 502-855-4780 or jaclyn@mediavenue.com, to learn more about Media Venue’s resources, process and how we build long-term client partnerships.
