Considering Radio Advertising? .... Some Helpful Hints

Radio Works, but......... not for all businesses....... It has to be done in the right way to avoid spending an awful lot of money for little return on investment.

The first thing to realise is that there is a difference between 'Call To Action' (enticing a listener to utilize your product or service) and 'Brand Awareness' (Familiarising people to your company in a way that will enhance future sales).

Often for a new radio user, if they are using radio as a single medium your first few weeks serves as a Brand Awareness tool, setting the foundations for a Call To Action message later on. So many people I have met have created a brand awareness, but hoped for a call to action; and because there was relatively few sales they assume that they have not had a significant enough return on investment and therefore stop...... this is the time often where all they need is a change of creative and a specific call to action message.

It is not very often I will advise a company to use radio as a single medium, rather compliment it with complimentary media such as press, leaflet, or outdoor advertising, this has to be very focused and targeted, its not something I'll not go into great detail on here because it is very bespoke to the business in question and the services / products being offered (not only that, it is far more cost effective often to cross media advertise).

Often business owners will try to evaluate what works for them and what does not, simply by asking their customers how they came to call upon that company, and they may say things like ' i saw a leaflet' or ' i heard it on the radio' or simply 'On the Internet somewhere'

This method however industrious is flawed and a basic understanding of psychology and cross media advertising can help greatly in these circumstances.....

for instance..... your average leaflet drop has an effectiveness of 0.79 of 1%, which isn't that great, as soon as you add radio into the mix, the chances are, as well as increasing brand awareness and radio working in its own right, it is hugely influential in promoting the effectiveness of the leaflet itself.....

....meaning when a customer is asked 'how did you hear about us?' the client answers 'Oh, i responded to a leaflet that came through my door' ..... this in all probability if only a half truth, what actually happened is they have heard the radio ad on a number of occasions, and as long as the creative was up to scratch that person who.. in all probability would have binned the leaflet has decided instead to at least read the leaflet and call the business in question.

Post me with any questions and I'll do my best to answer them or log onto www.matrixadvertisinggroup.co.uk

Thanks, Paul