Make waves with radio advertising

The right approach to radio can make a difference for your business. Learn Secci's 10 tips for effective radio marketing.

It started with a radio ad that ran on a Cape Cod station four times daily for one week. Friends and acquaintances stopped me on the street. "Heard your ad," they said. When I repeated the successful ad for a five-week cycle two months later on three stations, people greeted me with a sigh. "You’re everywhere," they said.

For about $13,000 worth of radio time, I was noticed. But did the radio campaign generate business? 

Yes, but the response varied.

From the first campaign, there were numerous telephone calls from prospects and a few calls from lonely folks who wanted to debate life’s issues. The second, much longer campaign yielded some prospects, but many more callers who misinterpreted the ad. They asked questions that had no bearing on my message and my conversations were not a direct path to improving my bottom line.

Whenever I wade into radio advertising waters on Cape Cod, I’m reminded to tend to the basics. Marianne Martin, senior marketing consultant at Qantum Cape Cod, believes simplicity of message is key. "Tell one story at a time, even if you run a complex business with many products and services."

Simple radio messages work because they evoke a powerful emotional response in listeners that has a long shelf life. "While some listeners may respond to your call to action immediately, others store the information in memory and are able to tap into it only when the need arises," said Martin. For example, consumers filter automobile commercials until they’re ready to make a purchase. Then, they’ll recollect the name of a local dealer from a radio ad they heard several weeks or months earlier.

Communication research tells us emotional response is reinforced by repeated messages. A common media planning error is to scatter ads rather than concentrate them.

One Cape business placed an ad on 11 stations and ran them daily for an entire year. If you’re having trouble following the logic of this placement strategy, so did I. Finally, I realized that the business owner’s decision-making was based on economics. His run-of-station ad placement, where the station determines when ads are broadcast, kept per-ad costs extremely low. But what good are ads that air when your potential customers are asleep?

Recently, due to end-of-year budget constraints, I cut back the advertising schedule for one of my academic campaigns and ran one ad, three times daily, for a two-week period. The result – not one call. It wasn’t the message, because that hadn’t changed. Where did I err? Martin advised me to increase the frequency per day, cut the number of days per week, and place the ads in drive time, the commuting hours. It worked and the phone began to ring. It was a reminder that, in radio, frequency and placement are key.

I advertise frequently on Cape Cod radio, and I’m not alone. During prime weeks in spring, summer and holiday seasons, leading stations sell out space even as ad rates climb. I try to plan ahead and take advantage of "specials" given to volume advertisers.

You know those sales reps you hide from when they call? They actually have goodies to dole out. They include reduced rates for unexpected slack time, inclusion in station-sponsored nonprofit events and additional spots at no extra charge. I depend on my reps on Cape Cod and value their advice and audience data. Call your radio marketing reps and find how you can make more waves, more often.

10 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE RADIO ADVERTISING

  1. Conduct market research. Collect data and consult with experts to ensure the right match between your target audience, message and choice of media. Evaluation data from past campaigns, Arbitron audience data, station data and expert marketing advice are the basis for any campaign.

  2. Tell one story. Create a simple, memorable message that will evoke an emotional reaction from listeners. Focus on one business goal when you write the script. Create a simple, memorable message that will evoke an emotional reaction from listeners. Focus on one business goal when you write the script.

  3. Create for your audience. While you want to get noticed, be sure your format – announcer-read script or pre-recorded monologue or dialogue – is in sync with your audience demographics and psychographics. Maintain credibility about your products and services. While you want to get noticed, be sure your format – announcer-read script or pre-recorded monologue or dialogue – is in sync with your audience demographics and psychographics. Maintain credibility about your products and services.

  4. Follow script-writing rules. A typical 30-second spot has 65 words, while a 60-second spot has about 125. Leave room for important pauses or a slowing of pace to emphasize an important part of the pitch and your contact information. A typical 30-second spot has 65 words, while a 60-second spot has about 125. Leave room for important pauses or a slowing of pace to emphasize an important part of the pitch and your contact information.  

  5. Include a call to action. Know in advance how you want listeners to respond. Include a contact telephone number or e-mail address that you repeat at least twice during the spot. Know in advance how you want listeners to respond. Include a contact telephone number or e-mail address that you repeat at least twice during the spot.

  6. Use humor carefully. What seems funny in the creative process doesn’t always work when it’s a message for the masses. Too much humor masks your pitch; the right amount of humor for the target audience makes the spot stand out. What seems funny in the creative process doesn’t always work when it’s a message for the masses. Too much humor masks your pitch; the right amount of humor for the target audience makes the spot stand out.

  7. Be clever with music and sound effects. Sounds evoke emotions – so use them carefully. Background music and sound effects help the audience visualize the desired scenario about your product or service. Sounds evoke emotions – so use them carefully. Background music and sound effects help the audience visualize the desired scenario about your product or service.

  8. Construct a media plan. Based on your market research, target audience, message and resources, choose the best stations, program placements, timing, frequency and duration of spots. Based on your market research, target audience, message and resources, choose the best stations, program placements, timing, frequency and duration of spots.

  9. Use professional talent. Trained radio voices enhance message delivery. It doesn’t pay to stint on the talent – they can make or break the ad’s appeal. Trained radio voices enhance message delivery. It doesn’t pay to stint on the talent – they can make or break the ad’s appeal.

  10. Perform ongoing evaluation. Monitor as you go. Radio is somewhat flexible. If you stray off course, you usually can change the message and alter ad placement. Track data from each of your campaigns – the information will improve your return-on-investment. Monitor as you go. Radio is somewhat flexible. If you stray off course, you usually can change the message and alter ad placement. Track data from each of your campaigns – the information will improve your return-on-investment.

Create a simple, memorable message that will evoke an emotional reaction from listeners. Focus on one business goal when you write the script. While you want to get noticed, be sure your format – announcer-read script or pre-recorded monologue or dialogue – is in sync with your audience demographics and psychographics. Maintain credibility about your products and services. A typical 30-second spot has 65 words, while a 60-second spot has about 125. Leave room for important pauses or a slowing of pace to emphasize an important part of the pitch and your contact information. Know in advance how you want listeners to respond. Include a contact telephone number or e-mail address that you repeat at least twice during the spot. What seems funny in the creative process doesn’t always work when it’s a message for the masses. Too much humor masks your pitch; the right amount of humor for the target audience makes the spot stand out. Sounds evoke emotions – so use them carefully. Background music and sound effects help the audience visualize the desired scenario about your product or service. Based on your market research, target audience, message and resources, choose the best stations, program placements, timing, frequency and duration of spots. Trained radio voices enhance message delivery. It doesn’t pay to stint on the talent – they can make or break the ad’s appeal. Monitor as you go. Radio is somewhat flexible. If you stray off course, you usually can change the message and alter ad placement. Track data from each of your campaigns – the information will improve your return-on-investment.

Dr. Jane Secci directs Suffolk University’s public relations and marketing program at Cape Cod Community College. She can be reached at jsecci@suffolk.edu.

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