Radio has 93% penetration among Americans informs Nielsen study, this is more than TV watching Americans or Internet browsing Americans, going to prove that radio is part and parcel of American culture and is an excellent source of advertising for small businesses. Though, online advertising is catching up because it is cheaper when compared to radio advertising. But before you engage in radio advertising there are some challenges to encounter.
Radio advertising and its benefits
Radio advertising offers a wider reach with over 90% tuning into radio weekly. Businesses can reach to their target customers through the radio. Radio is geography specific and it is easy to penetrate the locality quickly especially if your business is locally based. Apart from hitting on geography, the radio targets different age groups. While the younger generation tunes in for music and fashion trends, the older generation focuses on classical music and talk shows. Listeners of the weekly radio audience are full-time listeners and prefer tuning into the radio while listening.
In comparison to print advertising, television advertising, billboards, internet marketing; radio has a focused reach as they get to hear about the business plenty of times and get familiar with the company. Therefore there is no doubt that it is the best way to get to spread the message loud and clear.
The challenges confronted by radio advertising are also crucial in promoting a business. Those who are listening are probably multi-tasking; therefore it may not be easy to capture the attention of the listeners easily unless they want to put their mind into the content. Audience tends to tune to other stations when a commercial comes and therefore you cannot be sure they are listening to your promotion. Moreover, people do not spend much time on radio, as they tune in different intervals, unlike television where they watch a show from start to end.