Are you hoping to develop some new leads for your fencing business? One medium you may be overlooking
is radio. Yes, radio.
Despite what you may think, radio advertising is still relevant. While today’s listeners may turn to their favorite streaming service for their music, they often tune in to radio for local news and weather and “talk radio” programming. They listen to the radio in their cars, at the gym, at their workplaces, and in the offices and businesses they visit.
According to a report by Nielsen, “How America Listens: The American Audio Landscape,” AM/FM radio stations reach 93% of the 18-and-over population each week. Here’s the demographic breakdown:
Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964). An average of 41.2 million—98% of the group---—listen to radio programming each month.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1979).
An average of 80.5 million—or 97% of the age group— tune in each month.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).
An average of 71.6 million—95% of that population— listen each month.
Another Nielsen study points out that Americans rank radio high in terms of truth in advertising. According to the 2020 Nielsen Total Audience Report, 60% of people age 35 to 49 consider radio commercials “very trustworthy” or “somewhat trustworthy.” For comparative purposes, this figure is just a notch over TV’s trustworthiness, which came in at 59%.
Now that you know that there is a radio audience out there, here are four other reasons radio advertising may be right for your fencing company.
1. Radio spots are cost-effective.
The cost of radio advertising depends on your location and the size of the station’s listening audience. As you might expect, the larger the audience, the more expensive airing your ad will be.
According to fitsmallbusiness.com, a 30-second radio spot in New York City can cost $1,405, while in Topeka, Kansas, the same 30-second ad might be only $25. In addition to buying the air time, there are production costs to consider.
On a weekly basis, radio ad time can range from $200 to $5,000, and initial production costs vary from $1,000 to $2,500 depending on the music, voice actors, and editing that the ad requires. Many radio stations offer their own production teams to save costs.
Since repetition is a big part of radio advertising, the production costs for each ad go down each time the ad airs.
2. You can target your audience.
Radio stations tailor their content to their specific audience. So, you can use your ad to reach who you want to reach when you want to reach them.
According to the Nielsen report, news/talk radio is the number-one radio format in the U.S. Next in popularity are pop contemporary, adult contemporary, and country formats. Classic rock and classic hits are also popular formats in many markets.
You also can hone in on the best time to reach your target customer with radio ads. For example, you can choose between a “morning drive” audience or a “late-night” audience. Radio stations will share with you their listener profiles to help you decide which specific shows, on-air personalities, and times of day work best for your ad.
3. Radio helps build your brand.
Since most radio programming is live, your ad can connect you with local shoppers in a way that impersonal ads cannot. Radio listeners will get to know your voice, jingle, or slogan in a personal, memorable way.
Also, if someone is listening to the radio while they work or shop, they can’t change the station, so they are a captive audience to your message. Even when someone is doing something else when your commercial comes on, a radio jingle or slogan can have a subliminal effect on a potential customer.
4. You can track the results of a radio ad.
Just like you do with your online or print ads, you can measure how your radio ad is working. For example, you can ask listeners to mention that radio station when they order their fence in order to receive a special discount. Or, you can ask them to plug in the station’s call letters (or another easy-to-remember code) when they visit your website.
Radio spots usually run in 15-, 30-, or 60-second increments. Even the shortest ads can be effective, especially if you run them in the same time slot every day.5. Use numbers.
You may have already noticed that a couple of the examples we have used have numbers. Readers gravitate to articles with numbers in their headlines. Why? Numbers give us an idea of how long the article will take to read and how much information it offers. They help us feel that reading the piece will be a good use of our time.
TIPS
How often should you run your radio ad? According to research cited by the Small Business Administration, it typically takes at least three exposures to a radio ad before someone notices your message, and then at least one more exposure for them to act on it.
Experts say that results from radio ads can take time. In some cases, it may take three to six months before you see results. If you do not get your desired results after six months, you might consider a change in the ad’s format, air time, or frequency.
Your goal is to create an ad that will stick in the radio listener’s mind. You can do that by repeating a slogan, a website address or phone number, or your discount offer. Be sure to create a clear call to action, such as “call today to schedule your fencing appointment,” and repeat that message too.
Radio advertising should not replace your other forms of marketing. However, if you are looking for ways to tap into some new leads for your fencing company, it may be time to give this old-school medium a fresh look.