“My Customers Aren’t Listening” (Radio Advertising Misconception #2)

This is the second installment in our series on common misconceptions about radio advertising. In our first post, we discussed why asking your customers how they heard about you isn’t enough data to understand the role your radio advertising played in getting them to your door, online or in person.

This week we turn our attention to a new radio advertising misconception: “My customers aren’t listening to the radio.”

Facts About Radio’s Reach

Many Americans listen to radio, and often. Here’s a small selection of stats to demonstrate radio’s powerful reach:

• Nearly 250 million Americans aged 12 or over listen to radio every week, including 93% of Hispanics.
• Radio consistently reaches listeners throughout the day, and AM/FM still dominates in-car listening.
• The average time spent listening is 13 hours per week.

So you know people are spending time with radio. But what about your customers and prospects? How can you make sure your message is being heard by the right people?

5 Ways to Ensure Your Customers Hear Your Radio Ads

1. Know Your Target Audience

Before developing your radio advertising, it’s critical to do the market research necessary to truly understand who your target audience is, what problems you can solve for them, their preferences and values, and more. Your target audience should be at the heart of your marketing strategy, rather than people who hopefully hear your ads. They should drive how your radio spots are written and produced, what stations you choose, when you run your campaign, and so on. With diverse formats and niche programming, radio provides advertisers with the ability to zero in on their specific audience.

2. Speak Their Language

It isn’t enough to advertise at the right times on the right stations. You need to capture your target audience’s attention, pique their interest, and get them to feel or do something (ideally both). Rely on market research to understand your audience and the best way to talk to them through your radio spots, building stories about the way your brand provides value and inspiring action with a strong closing message (your CTA). Ensure your script aligns with your overall brand tone while leveraging opportunities to write for the senses and tap into the theater of the mind that only radio can create.

3. Have a Plan in Place to Track ROI

Determining how you’ll measure the returns of your advertising investment should be something you think about before you begin. For one thing, it ensures you won’t be scrambling to gather results once your campaign begins. For another, you won’t be unsure if your marketing is achieving the results that you want or need to see. Your specific goals will affect what you track. Do you want to improve brand awareness, change brand perception by repositioning yourself in the market, increase leads over a specific period of time, or something else entirely? With that in mind, how will you track sales, website traffic, inquiry calls, or other KPIs during your radio campaign?

4. Combine Radio with Digital

When it comes to marketing ROI, integrated campaigns are proven to drive better results. For example, radio is proven to drive search, which makes it a prime candidate to pair with your PPC and SEO strategy. Combining radio and digital can also provide additional opportunities to track analytics and better understand the efficacy of your radio campaign.

5. Turn to the Experts in Chicago Radio

From your creative development to your schedule, building your radio advertising campaign comes with steps and decisions. Making the best possible choices to see the best return is easier with Chicago radio professionals on your side. Check out what makes us different at Hubbard Chicago!

Advertising is more effective when you use the best tools for the job. Radio provides significant reach, plus the ability to refine that reach to the customers you’re interested in. Follow the tips above to get the most out of your radio strategy, and remember—your customers are listening.