Mid-Missouri Marketing Resource Blog

According to Nielsen, 92% of Americans listen to radio every week. Compare that to the number who consume television on a weekly basis; surprisingly, just 87%. Podcasts bring up the distant rear with a mere 22%.

Across all demographics, radio is the most popular form of media in America. For adults ranging in age from 18 and up, radio reaches between 90 and 94% of them all. But why is radio king? How has it enjoyed such an enduring reign? Here are some likely reasons:

Of course we’re going to say “YES” – you knew we would. You also know a simple Google search will produce a myriad of articles explaining why radio advertising works. What you probably DIDN’T already know is that radio works so well, it can actually work against you. But that is entirely within your control – and that’s what this blog is about.

The formula for determining whether radio is going to work for or against you is startlingly simple;

Are you delivering on your promise to customers? YES = radio will accelerate your businesses’ growth. NO = radio will accelerate your businesses’ downfall.

One of the most powerful marketing tools for a business is when a business owner becomes the voice of his or her company.  Think Dave from Wendy’s; when he started starring in their ads in the 80s, sales skyrocketed.  Dave seemed natural, unaffected, likeable and sincere.  He invoked trust.  On a subconscious level, viewers must have felt like, if Dave is such a good guy, eating at Wendy’s must be the right thing to do! 

This is especially true for local business.  There’s something reassuring to listeners about a local business owner who comes across as a good person, who is fully involved with the business and has a vision for how to improve his or her customer’s lives. 

Many local businesses do take advantage of this opportunity, but not all businesses do so as successfully as they could – and most often this is because they aren’t naturals at voicing their own ads. 

This is not their fault, of course.  Public speaking in all its forms is like dancing or playing a musical instrument; it comes more easily to some than to others.  But, just like dancing or playing a musical instrument, it does come with a set of ‘good form’ tips that can at least help nudge one in the right direction.  The rest is practice!

Top-40 music continues to vibe with not just the young in age, but also the young at heart. Listeners to the format are like the music they adore - active, trendy, vibrant, youthful and engaged. They also happen to have money...and a desire to spend it. These young yuppies are buying everything from food and clothes to homes and cars - a far cry from the stereotypical teenage listener trying to finish homework so he/she can play video games. If you haven't considered Top-40 as an audience worthy of your business, you're missing out.  Here's why. 

We all know that classic rock is one of the most popular and timeless music genres, but why? A simple answer could be that it makes you feel like a badass while listening. Think about the time you first heard Pink Floyd, Def Leppard and the Rolling Stones and how it made you feel… like a true badass. And while that may be a driving factor in the popularity of this genre, it also has an authenticity factor that so many people young and old resonate with. 

In fact, 12 of the top 20 best selling music artists of all time are classic rock musicians… that is pretty legendary if we do say so ourselves. Bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith and Metallica are iconic in the music industry for a reason. It was the most popular genre for the Baby Boomers and will remain that way heading into 2020 and beyond.

It’s essential to stay up-to-date in today’s information fixated society. Knowledge is, and forever will remain, a powerful tool. Therefore, talk radio that is formatted properly with commentary and debates and those that promote engaging conversations is an advantageous way to enhance your advertising campaign. Even when there are opposing opinions, debates and free thought create an engagement that is riveting to all listeners. Regardless of whether or not you follow politics, it’s been proven that talk radio ratings spike dramatically during a political season, giving credence to the notion that listeners do enjoy a challenge and benefit even from opposing viewpoints. 

When times are tough, it's easy to believe that your situation is unique...that no one has ever faced adversity in business and that the options are limited. In this series of blogs entitled "Comeback Companies," our goal is to share stories of companies that stood in the face of hard times and refused to give up. In fact, they were often berated at the time for their stubborn refusal to do what other companies where doing - cut back or give up. We hope their stories of hope and persistence inspire you to press forward in your own journey.

Marketing for small businesses is no longer focused on a divide-and-conquer strategy. Due to Google, mobile consumption, on-the-go lifestyles, social communities, and many other trends that have impacted the consumer journey, we can no longer expect our marketing messages to perform in silos. Instead, many businesses have found that most advertising works best when they are created to complement one another. By pairing two—or more—platforms together like social media and radio, you’ll be able to extend your reach and increase your overall return on investment (ROI) with a cohesive, effective strategy that engages your current and potential customers.