Are You Buying More Radio Stations Than You Need?
For marketers who are new to radio advertising, getting your message to the right audience may seem difficult. One of the most common challenges is choosing the right amount of stations to reach your target audience. In some cases, you may even ask, “Am I buying more radio stations that I need?”
The answer is usually, “No.” Leveraging multiple stations can yield a range of benefits for your brand. However, there are a few important steps you should take to make sure your radio advertising hits the mark.
More Stations = Better Reach
Buying more than one radio station can help you reach more of your target audience by reinforcing messages with the same listeners, while hitting new ones. Although frequency is critical, it’s equally important to understand the impact “reach” has on your marketing success. Being on more stations means that more people are hearing your message, which is important when branding through radio. A proper balance of both frequency and reach will aid in finding the right ad schedule that will work for your business and budget.
3 Steps for Buying the Right Stations
There are three main steps that every marketer should follow when buying the right stations for their advertising campaigns:
1. Understand Your Target Audience
One of the most important elements of effective advertising is understanding your target audience. What do they listen to? What are their key demographics? What is important to them? All of these factors play a role in when you advertise on the radio, the audiences you target, and what your message conveys.
2. Assess Station Listeners
Once you better understand your target audience, you must learn as much as you can about who the listeners are on every station before purchasing airtime. At Hubbard, for example, our radio stations 100.3 WSHE, 101.9 The MIX and The Drive (WDRV) all have specific audiences and demographics they serve.
WSHE features adult contemporary music and targets today’s modern woman (with women comprising 55% of the audience), while The Drive plays Classic Rock with an audience that is largely male (59%). The MIX features Current Hits ranging from Pop to Alternative. Buying all of these stations could give your business access to millions of unique listeners across the Chicago market.
3. Consult Your Media Partner
Working with a media partner is important in targeting the right listeners. Account executives are skilled to drill down into the details of who their listeners are to steer marketers in the right direction. They can also advise on when to add more stations throughout the radio campaign, as well as which stations and audiences would best compliment your ad strategy. They know how to find the right mix of frequency and reach in your campaign. Letting them guide you through the process can help you achieve optimal results, while saving you time and money.
It’s no secret that radio advertising is effective, but buying more than one station is essential to your marketing success. Partnering with a media team that knows how to utilize the right radio stations – and the right number of stations – adds value to every campaign. By diversifying the listener base to reach your target audience, you can maximize your budget and spread your message more effectively. Contact trusted marketing experts, like those at Hubbard, to reach engaged Chicago adults each week through radio.
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