Making Waves in Radio Advertising by Angel Fitzpatrick
Making Waves in Radio Advertising by Angel Fitzpatrick
A pharmacy owner contacted me to review an advertising package he had received from a local radio station. His pharmacy has a strong online presence, and they also advertise in print media, but he was interested in finding new sources to market and promote the store, while also being fiscally responsible. The radio station announced a $ 200-per-month deal that included the following:
• a couple of 30-second commercials to air throughout the week
• a banner ad on the station’ s website
• a promotional sponsor mention on their“ highest-rated weekend show.”
His rationale for the consideration was that“ If it didn’ t work, so what? I’ d only be out $ 200 for the month.” I suggested that if he were looking to blow $ 200, I would be more than willing to be the recipient of said sum and definitely could have more fun spending his hard earned cash than he would for what he would – or, in this case, would not – be getting from that radio advertising package.
I have worked in radio for 13 years and I know the game. It is easy for small business owners to get lured into the myriad of“ packages” radio stations have to offer. Rome, and your business, weren’ t built in a day, or a month. It takes time to build a successful business and when it comes to advertising and marketing, it takes a lot of time and consistency.
Find the station that best fits your customer demographics and use your marketing dollars to sponsor traffic reports. These short( 10-20 second) spots are read live prior to or just after the traffic report. Plus they are usually less expensive to buy than traditional radio spots. Additionally, your business’ message is not lost in the middle of a commercial segment.
The more traffic sponsorships you can buy, the better. Don’ t expect to buy a handful of sponsorships and immediately see an increase in sales. Buy several traffic sponsorships each day, week, and month. You can typically negotiate a discounted rate when you sign a sixmonth or one year contract.
Create, create, and create. Consider creating a promotion for the radio station. With the holidays approaching, I suggested he create a partnership with one of his client med spas and create a promotion that would include a rejuvenating treatment complete with custom compounded medications from the pharmacy. A package like this creates a win-win scenario for the radio station, his pharmacy and the business of his client.
The keys to a successful radio campaign are finding avenues that let your business stand out from the rest, creating consistency, being creative, and creating value.
Radio Facts:
Video may have killed the radio star, but the average American listens to roughly 15 hours of radio each week.
Of those adult listeners, 95 % fall within the $ 75K + household income bracket with daily tune-in times of over 2 1 / 2 hours.
Radio is a viable medium year round. Some media choices peak and dip throughout the year, but radio experiences a level of consistent listeners across all four quarters of the year.
Source: RADAR ®