Radio Advertising Continued…

Another factor that contributes to radio advertising's success is the psychological factor. By simply hearing a voice associated with a product, people are more likely to feel as if they know and trust the product. A simple fact of advertising is that people are prone to buy products from people they know and trust. Hearing a voice makes people feel as though they can trust the product. It makes them more comfortable with the product. If possible to obtain, a psychological advantage is always a plus in the marketing of a product or service. Using the radio will definitely provide this.

Two other factors that make radio advertising a good medium include speed and loyalty. When compared to television, Internet, and print advertising mediums, radio spots can be prepared and running in very little time. If getting an ad produced quickly is imperative to your advertising needs, radio spots are great. The other positive factor to consider when using radio advertising is customer loyalty. When people listen to the radio, they listen to music or shows that they enjoy. If an advertiser knows the potential market, choosing a station this market listens to is an excellent way to reach your customers. Radio advertising can accomplish this easily and effectively.

Potential Concerns for using Radio Advertising

No advertising medium is perfect. There are drawbacks to using all forms of advertising. Radio advertising is no different. Of concern to a potential radio advertiser should be that there is extremely little staying power with radio ads. One of the biggest drawbacks with radio ads is that because they contain no visual associations, they fail to “stick” in the heads of potential customers. This is where television and print will always maintain an advantage over radio.

Along these lines, it is absolutely impossible to track the effectiveness of radio advertising because one can never know how many people are tuning in at a given time. Finally, because radios are normally turned on in the background (at home, in the car), potential target markets will need to be exposed more times to your ad for it to become effective. With this in mind, when using radio advertising always try to repeat your business name or product many times and never use phone numbers (people will not remember them!).

By Jamie Ward