As the owner of 12 businesses over the last 25 years,  advertising has always been part of my marketing plans.  Early in my career I worked as a production manager at a radio station and later I owned an advertising agency.  These experiences taught me the following about advertising on the radio.

Best days/times to advertise on the radio.driver-1149997_1920

Select times when your audience is listening. If you want to capture moms, then after the kids are at school and she has time to listen. If you want to capture kids, be laser focused on placing spots right as school gets out. If you want to capture dads or working professionals, then the drive to work is the place to be.

How to save money on radio ads.

Don’t try and be all things to all people and run ads ‘run of station,’ where ads are aired at a lower price but at the discretion of the station. Focus placement on the times your audience is most likely to be there and have a ‘less is more’ approach to your spend. Less ads, more focus, a little more money for the spot, but more audience that comes with it. Also, be open to last minute buys for next-day availability. If they have space to sell, you’re in a strong position to help them fill it for less money.

Elements of a good radio ad.

  • Less than 75 words in a 30 second script. Consumers can’t take in any more ‘noise’ than that. If you rush they will miss the message.
  • DON’T repeat your phone number over and over again, I won’t remember it no matter how many times you say it, and I can’t write it down while I am driving. All you’ll do is serve to annoy me. Lead me to the website, or something easier for me to remember.
  • Write a script that ‘puts me in that picture’  using words, or a story, or an offer that makes me want to lean in to the story and find out more.

Before you launch any advertising campaign, make sure it aligns with your local area marketing planWith strong local area marketing ideas in place, work out how you can integrate them with your advertising campaign and any national campaigns. This way all of your messaging to your consumer starts to match, offering your marketing greater cumulative impact on your consumer.

About Troy Hazard: I am the founder/owner of 12 businesses over the last 25 years, current CEO of Troy Hazard International, author of the book Future-Proofing Your Business, and the former Global President of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. I have been a franchisee twice and a franchisor while consulting with over 300 brands in 6 countries. You can find me on Twitter @TroyHazard. You can book me to speak at your event by contacting us or calling 214-536-6666.