Category: Radio Commercial

It’s easy to conclude that modern marketing is all about social media and guerilla marketing. Actually, this couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Radio marketing might have been around for almost 100 years, but that doesn’t mean its days are over. There are several reasons why any marketer should definitely include radio as part of their marketing strategy.

Let’s take a closer look at why it’s relevant, and how to crush it in this field.

The Massive Reach of Radio

According to the latest research by the Pew Research Center, 83% of Americans over 12 listen to radio on a given week. Online radio is also big, with 62% of adults surveyed listening in the last week.

Why Radio Reaches People

Terrestrial radio, broadcast to a local area using an AM or FM signal, still reaches people for several reasons.

The first is the daily commute. Millions of Americans spend time going to and from work listening to the radio each day. Many have it on when picking the kids up from school and running errands. 

There are also people who have the radio on the whole day while working. All this means that potentially millions of people hear the ad, and they don’t just hear it once. The longer they listen, the more times they hear it, and the greater the impact.

Many stations also broadcast over the internet, allowing them to reach wider audiences on the go. Listeners can download podcasts that include advertising content.

Radio Ads Reach the Target Audience

Radio is a highly segmented market. For example, in Cincinnati alone, people can access well over 50 different radio stations. 

These cover interests as wide-ranging as hip-hop, classic country, and adult contemporary. This might seem overwhelming, but it actually gives marketers an opportunity.

No marketer targets everyone with their product or message. This pre-segmented marketplace gives the marketer an advantage.

It allows the team to create custom radio advertising to reach the target audience. They can also target the ads at different times of the day to reach different people.

Reach All Sectors of Society

Radio listeners are made up of a nearly 50/50 split between men and women. Teens also tune in, with contemporary hit radio their most popular choice.

Radio remains popular across different ethnic groups. 98% of Black and Hispanic people listen to the radio each month.

This data goes to show that whatever demographic marketers are trying to reach, there’s a radio station out there serving them.

Reach Those Not Online

We may think everyone and his dog is online these days. But actually, 7% of Americans do not use the internet. This is pretty evenly balanced across men and women, and different ethnic groups.

The fact is, if a company’s advertising is online-only, they’re not reaching those people. They’re keeping up to date somehow, and many of them are probably accessing that info through radio.

Radio Ads Reach People Naturally

Everyone knows that radio includes advertisements. We’re used to them, and they blend naturally with the content. The fact that they sit naturally within the context of the medium gives marketers an opportunity.

A visual ad online is just begging to be fast-forwarded. Most people’s fingers are hovering over the skip ads button. Unless it’s amazing, they count every second until they can click ‘skip ad’.

With radio advertising, marketers have the upper hand. Spots are typically very brief, and the listener can’t fast forward them. They also sit naturally within the broadcast and are accepted.

They also sit alongside content that the audience enjoys. That might be the talk radio style of a particular DJ. For most listeners, it’s their preferred type of music, with Country music stations the most popular across the US.

This relaxed audience is perfect for marketers. They have a good idea of the demographic that is listening. Get the spot right and people will call or look up the website as soon as it ends.

Leverage DJ Relationship with Audience

Before the term influencer was a thing, there were radio DJs. Now marketers understand the power of a recommendation from a ‘trusted friend’ such as a celebrity. A popular radio DJ could be a powerful ally in a marketing campaign. 

They frequently drive conversation and are able to bring people around to their way of thinking. If they come on board as a celebrity endorser, they can give the brand a shot in the arm.

This is because word of mouth remains the most successful form of advertising out there. Although they may really be strangers to their audience, successful jocks make them feel they are their close friends. The messages they communicate have a real influence on their listeners.

Reaches the Online Market

The online radio segment gives marketers an opportunity. Listeners access online radio while actively engaging with a device. Whether this is a tablet, phone, or computer, they have a way of immediately responding by visiting a website or social media account.

Internet radio can also provide insights into the audience that traditional radio cannot.

Radio Works Alongside Other Media

Radio gives marketers an opportunity to consolidate the message they’re putting out on other platforms.

The company may have invested heavily in a TV or social media ad campaign. Could they complement this with a radio ad? Brands that harness this power of radio find a higher level of brand awareness.

Radio Marketing Offers Value for Money

Bang for buck matters to marketers. Radio advertising may not be the most expensive form, but it’s also not cheap. There are production costs to consider, and additionally the cost of airing the spot time and time again. 

Nielsen research again highlights the value for money radio provides. Store visits increased by 20% in those who heard radio ads and visits to the retailer’s website also shot up by 75%. 

This highlights the power of radio in bringing business to both traditional and online businesses. 

Return on Ad Spend

Return on ad spend shows how hard those marketing dollars are working for businesses. 

Here, the power of radio really shines through.

For fast food retailers, the return on ad spend was $3 for every $1. For department stores, it was £17 for every $1 spent, and for the home improvement sector, it was $9 for every $1 spent.

How to Make a Radio Ad

The expression ‘theatre of the mind’ is often used in connection with radio advertising. This represents the radio advertiser’s goal. To put together an advert that is so successful, the listener’s mind is fully engaged.

The mind is so entranced that the listener creates an imaginary scene in their mind. This then connects with their emotions and makes them much more likely to follow through. 

Script is King

In a radio ad, the marketer has between 30 and 60 seconds to connect with your audience. To make the impact they want, not a word of the script can be wasted. To make it stand out from the crowd, they need to deliver something memorable.

Their script gives them an opportunity to deliver their message in a crisp and clear way. Also, because of the highly segmented nature of radio, it also gives them a chance to target a very specific audience.

Humor can be effective, as long as it’s easy to understand and is not offensive. Whatever style they choose, make sure at the end there is no doubt what they are advertising and what they need to do next.

Consider a Jingle

This might sound corny but stay with us. 

A jingle can be highly effective because they stick in the mind. The more they’re repeated, the greater the impact. There’s a reason people still hum jingles from the nineties – because they work. 

If they get them right, they ensure that their ad is not just white noise that people filter out. Make it catchy, and people are happy to hear it.

Getting Production Right

Once the script is ready, the advertiser needs to work with a production team to nail the production. It’s about more than hiring an actor to read the script and adding a few bells and whistles.

A production team will help take the spot or jingle and set it apart from the crowd. If you skimp on this, the audience will be able to tell. 

Don’t stand out from the crowd by sounding amateurish. Stand out for the right reasons by making a spot that grabs their interest and holds it for the full time. 

Radio Marketing: It’s the Future

Radio marketing may have been around for 99 years, but it’s far from a thing of the past. Radio continues to engage consumers – from teens to seniors. Marketers ignore it at their peril – it’s a serious tool for every marketer out there.

Are you ready to make a radio ad? Make sure you’re working with the best.

Killerspots is the industry leader in radio ad production. We’ve created award-winning spots for an array of clients, and are ready and waiting to create your ad!

Click here to learn more about what we can do for your business.

After the newspaper, media began with radio. Radio shows used to be the number one form of entertainment. Families used to tune in weekly to consume media this way. 

Believe it or not, radio is still the number one form of advertisement. Tuning in to the radio in the car, at home, at work, it doesn’t go out of style. This is the reason that those radio commercials tend to sit in audience heads for days. 

What is a radio commercial? Other than a 60-second break in your music. How is a great one made? 

These are concerns good business entrepreneurs have. Lucky here is help with that. Here is all you need to know to make an effective radio commercial.

What Is a Radio Commercial  

A radio commercial is an advertisement for one service or business. They are about 30 seconds to 60 seconds in length. They also must capture the listener without visual aids. 

The very first radio commercial played on the air on August 22nd, 1922. This was a 15-minute ad for a real estate company. Advertising like this was a jump for listeners.  

Afraid to offend the masses, radio wasn’t quick to pick up advertisements. It actually took a little bit for radio commercials to catch on. Once they did, it became a means of advertising. 

Even today, radio commercials ads are a great form of advertising. Many companies bring in much of their clientele this way. There is quite a bit that does go into creating that perfect commercial. 

The following are several of the areas that go into making a radio commercial great. These are the guidelines to make your commercial a memorable one.

Production Value Matters

The thought may be that this isn’t going on camera. Why does it actually matter what the production value is?

Radio commercials aren’t as simple as hitting record and playing the commercial. You need to be able to have a great advertisement in order to bring in consumers. Production value is one of the ways to do this. 

Music and sound effects are two of the things that make the radio commercial. For a commercial to really pop. It also cannot sound like every other commercial on the radio.

By having a budget, the commercial will be unique. Be able to afford the right talent for your production. Add music and sound clips that will enhance your audio. 

Not only the sounds and talent, but editing is also important. The production is professional. It doesn’t go from the recording stage straight to the radio.

Production value can be heard in a radio commercial. It’s the difference between sounding like an amateur production and a real advertisement. 

Articulated Script

Believe it or not, radio commercial scripts can make or break the production. This dictates what the audience is going to hear and get out of the ad. When there is only have 60 seconds to get the point across, it needs to make every second count.

The radio commercial needs to have a hook that counts. Within the first few seconds, the listener needs to have something to remember. Be sure that the script begins with something that will capture the listener. 

If it can grab them at the hook it will occupy their attention. This will mean that they follow along with the rest of the ad. The hook is the most important part of the commercial.

Don’t forget to leave them with a closing statement that they will hold onto. Give the listener something to think about. This will assure that they want to revisit the ad or find out more about the provided information. 

The call to action at the end of the advertisement is just as important as the hook. Be sure that it is clear and concise. 

The entire radio commercial needs to be calculated. A great script is where the production begins. 

Simplicity Does Wonders

Believe it or not, the simpler the advertisement is, the more it will be remembered. Don’t overcomplicate the commercial. That will make it so that the listeners don’t remember anything from the ad. 

The ad needs to be a direct message. The listener doesn’t want to have to decipher the message. When there is too much going on it doesn’t stick very well. 

Remember that the audience only has a couple of seconds to grasp what is being said. Oversaturating the commercial with sounds can lead them away from the point. Be as straightforward and persuasive as possible.

Make sure that everything that needs to be said is heard loud and clear. The commercial doesn’t need an overwhelming amount of sound. It does need to be able to support the business and resonate with the listener. 

The whole goal of your advertisement is to bring in the consumer. Capture them with something simple they’ll be able to remember. 

Let It Stand Out

Not to contradict simplicity, but the commercial needs to be able to stick in the minds of the listener. It should get them to think about it even after the 60 seconds have passed. It needs to be stuck in their heads. 

A commercial shouldn’t sound like every other thing on the radio. It needs to have something distinctive that sets it apart. Aim to be able to captivate the audience and allow them to remember what has been said. 

Find something to include that reflects the brand. Hook into an area that the listener will cling to. This could be done in multiple ways. By catering to this, the audience will follow.

Maybe it’s a jingle. It could even just be a phrase that they can’t seem to stop thinking about. What sets the commercial apart from all of the others is beneficial. 

Aim for relatable content in the advertisement. Reach the audience by finding a level that strikes a chord with them. This is the best way to make them remember what is being advertised.

By doing this it calls the audience to your business. They remember why they wanted to find out more about it to begin with. 

Knowledge of Your Audience

Know who the advertisement is targeting. The commercial needs to cater to the listener. It shouldn’t fall flat and not make a difference to the directed audience. 

Consider who is going to be listening to the radio. Don’t try to pull in an audience that isn’t there. That wouldn’t be helpful to the cause. Nor would it bring any new clientele. 

Do the research prior to recording the commercial. Find out what has worked for other businesses and what to avoid. Don’t go into the recording studio without a formulated plan in mind. 

The script should reflect who is being reached out to. When writing the script, form a plan that’s going to appeal to them while keeping in mind the rules of the radio.

Knowing what is going to target the audience is important. Meet them on their level and entice them to find out more about the business. Be sure that the ad is something that resonates.

Catering to the audience will give them the chance to want to listen. They will find themselves intrigued by what is being said. This is the best way to make them want to find out more.

Listen to Feedback

Getting outside opinions will help to know if it’s going to be the right fit. Don’t be afraid to play the commercial for others before okaying the final product. This gives an indication of if it’s presented correctly. 

Ask the test audience what works for them. Find out what they think there should be anything included or cut. By doing this, there is a second opinion. 

An unbiased party is the best way to go. They are the consumers who will be getting the most from the commercial. Work with the feedback that is received from them. 

Be sure to ask deliberate questions. Find out if they believe anything in the commercial should be rewritten or changed. Follow this feedback in a way that is genuine to the ad and the company. 

A Radio Commercial Is a Great Business Tool

It allows for a wide range of audiences to engage. Keeping in mind these helpful tips will make the ad more efficient. A clean and concise script will do wonders sticking in the minds of the audience. 

The radio commercial will provide the audience with intrigue. The proper voice actors, a great script, and professional sound are beneficial. The products will sell themselves when the correct attention is paid. 

Looking to record that radio commercial? There is help in making it the type that an audience will listen to. Contact us regarding the production of your radio advertisement. 

Is there a business looking to make a great radio ad but they don’t know where to start? If so, this posts is here to give a few pointers on how to make a great radio ad that will have listeners flocking to the business or buying the product in no time. To see what is recommended for making a great radio ad keep reading below.

Make Sure the Ad Is Tailored to the Audience

The first step to making a great radio ad is to make sure that the message of the ad is tailored to your customers. The ad’s script should have the right tone, personality, and language for the target audience.

For example, if marketing to a younger generation then the ad can make it fun and use slang. If marketing the ad to an older audience a straightforward tone may speak to them better than what would be used for the younger audience.

No matter who the ad is made for, the script should connect with them and make sure not to offend them. If an ad is created that has the wrong tone or language for your audience it can end up pushing them away from your message. 

Make Sure It’s Distinctive

What makes the ad stand out? What makes the products and services offered unique and truly one of a kind? What can be offered to the clients that no one else can?

These are questions that should be answered to help make the ads distinctive from other ads on the airwaves. Establishing this distinctiveness will help listeners recognize the business’ ads and become more attracted to the brand.

Production Value and Voice Talent Matters

When it comes to direct response and brand marketing they must work together to drive sales. Listeners will expect a sense of maturity from the radio ad. This isn’t as bad as it sounds, usually, ads that are produced with sophistication will help build trust and credibility around the brand.

This will eventually lead to greater sales due to the positivity built around well-produced ads. To bring up the production value of the ads try adding some sound effects and music when appropriate.

When adding music it should be thought of it as a carefully constructed top 40 song. The music behind lyrics usually helps to enhance the song overall, this is the same thing music will be doing for your ad. Music and the message will work together to help make the message more effective. 

Show Empathy

When it comes to the majority of advertising the ads are trying to show customers the product or service and how it will address their needs or wants. The ad shouldn’t be any different.

When the radio ad strategy shows empathy towards the customers and their wants or needs it will make the potential customer feel like they are cared about. It can effectively show empathy by using certain verbiage that indicates the business understands their feelings pretty well.

This ad can also acknowledge their pain points such as things that make everyday life hard and how your product or service will help to simplify daily life. Even try to add a review or customer testimonial into the radio ad and how the product helped to address their needs.

Make Sure There’s a Strong Call to Action

The ultimate goal of the radio ad is to get the listener to do something, this is also known as a call to action. This will want to drive the listeners and new customers to do an action from purchasing from the company to giving the business a call.

Because the call to action will get listeners to make an action towards the business and to hopefully land a sale it’s safe to say this is one of the most important things the radio ad should include. To be entirely effective, the call to action should tell the customers what you want them to do and be straightforward.

This should also be easy to remember. For example, if the customer needs to call a number try placing it to music to make it more memorable so the listener isn’t easy to forget the number they should be calling. Even if the listener should go to a website make sure that the URL is simple and easy to remember also.

Make Sure The Ad Is Simple

Radio ads are usually a few seconds, so it will need to be effective in a short time. It will also need to take into account the type of listeners that will be listening to the radio, most of the time they will be busy driving or working. 

Knowing that the listener may be busy is key to making the ad memorable to them. The business doesn’t want to pack too much in so they can’t remember, instead make it simple and straight to the point so the busy listener can easily remember the products and services. Remember that a single good point made in your ad is enough to stick with the listener, especially if they can relate to it easily.

Articulation

What’s written on the script isn’t what the radio ad is going to sound like in articulation. With this said, when producing an ad even a small change in the script or adding a small sound effect can change the entire radio ad in a big way.

Making small changes to the ad during production will happen again and again until the best ad is created for the audience. Even when it comes to having voiceovers in the ad the way the actor says something or pronounces it can have a big effect on the ad also.

This is why articulation matters. The more direct the ad is the better. Using statements or voice-overs that are statements, monotone, and cliches don’t work. The ad should be using specific language and the voiceover should be showing emotion to make it stick to the listener.

Add an Incentive

To make the radio ad as strong as possible it should add an incentive. This radio ad incentive can be things such as giving the listener a special discount or offer for listening to the ad. This can be done by giving them a special code or saying through the ad that they can enter online or tell a representative so they can receive their incentive after giving their business to the company.

Incentives will help to motivate the listeners to take action as soon as possible. This will help them to remember the radio ad too because they won’t want to forget that special code or saying so they can save or get a gift. 

Have an Attention Grabber in the Begining

We’ve discussed that having a call to action at the end of the ad is really important when it comes to getting customers to take action, but what about the beginning of the ad? When it comes to the start of the radio ad it’ll want to grab the attention of your audience with an attention grabber.

There is one chance to grab the listener. When it comes to radio advertising this is also known as the hook. This hook is what helps to sell the ad which is important because it’ll have to sell your ad to sell your product.

This may sound easy but in truth, it’s one of the hardest parts about creating the radio ad. It can be effective in creating a great hook by starting your ad with a question or statistic. It’ll want to pique the listener’s curiosity and make them want to listen to the rest of the ad.

Remember That Comedy Can Win Audiences

Comedy is something that everyone loves, and because of this including comedy in the ad can help to win over audiences. Comedy can be added to the ad by throwing in some jokes or having a funny voice over. 

A funny ad will create a memorable listening experience for the audience and make it really easy for them to remember long after your ad has stopped playing. Just remember that if there’s a long campaign to tweak the jokes, listeners don’t want the same joke playing 30 times in a row.

Now People Know How to Make a Great Radio Ad

It’s now know how to make a great radio ad. From creating a great hook and call to action to adding music to the ad to make it more appealing to the listener, readers will be making the best radio ads in no time. For more advertising information and tips be sure to check out the rest of the website here.

More than 90 percent of American adults still listen to the radio on a weekly basis. That’s a lot of ears for a business to be missing out on.

As the numbers show, radio is a powerful tool for reaching listeners. Whether a business wants to reach listeners countrywide or prefers a more local approach, radio could be the right tool.

That said, some business owners have discounted radio as an effective advertising tool for their organizations. That could be because they’ve made some radio ad mistakes with previous campaigns.

To be successful, advertisers should watch out for these eight common pitfalls. This guide can help the savvy advertiser not only avoid them but build a better campaign too.

1. Talking in Cliches

One of the most common radio ad mistakes is using clichés in the ad copy. Almost nothing gets listeners to tune out faster than turns of phrase they’ve heard dozens of times.

Why are so clichés so ineffective? They’re common phrases that many other radio advertisers are drawing on too. When all used car lots are advertising themselves as “the #1 choice to get a car!”, the words stop having meaning. If everyone is the top pick, how are listeners supposed to choose?

The same is true of many other common phrases:

• “We won’t be undersold”
• “#1 in Customer Service!”
• “Storewide savings”

The best bet here is to avoid these phrases altogether. Is there another, better way to say that customers can get great service?

Avoiding clichés helps a business stand out. Listeners perk up when they hear something different. The uniqueness of the phrasing is more likely to stick with them.

As an added bonus, the advertiser now sounds different than their competitors. They stand out, which makes them more memorable. The next time a customer is looking for a service or product, they’re likely to look up this business.

2. Too Much or Complex Information

Another very common misstep with radio advertising is trying to cram in every minor detail. A 30-second spot may seem like a lot of time, but trying to list every single product that’s on sale is probably a poor tactic.

Complex information is also a problem. Keep in mind that people are listening to the radio, which means they have to retain information in their heads. They may not have a pen and paper handy to jot something down.

What’s a radio advertiser to do? Focus on the highlights. What are the best deals in the store right now?

Highlight a couple of products or deals, then entice the listener to get in touch or pop into the shop to check out more great savings.

If there are complex details, like legal copy, it might help to consider a line like “see store for details” or “visit us online for full contest rules.” That offloads the work the ad has to do, and it makes it easier for potential customers to remember.

What about details like contact information or driving directions? Again, simplifying is the best bet. Try to think of the easiest way to describe directions to the business location.

If that can’t be done, directing listeners to another resource, like a website, could be a good option. This may be especially helpful if the business has several locations. It allows people to find the location nearest to them.

3. Radio Ad Mistakes with Airtime

Many radio advertising campaigns also make mistakes with airtime. There are a few different factors to consider in this arena.

Many advertisers think they need to get their ads on during what’s known as “drive time.” This window usually includes the morning and afternoon commutes, when people are most likely to be in their cars. They’re typically listening to the radio.

The problem is that radio stations will usually charge a premium for what’s considered “prime time” in the industry. Advertisers will pay more to get one of these slots.

Research indicates this may not always be the right choice. Running an ad at an off-peak time could be just as effective, if not more effective. Many people who are listening during drive time also listen at other times of day.

Some groups may not listen during drive time at all. Retired people may not have a commute, so they may be listening at off-peak hours in the morning or early afternoon.

Office workers may actually listen to the radio all day, and many stores and professional offices have the radio on to entertain clients.

Another common issue is ad frequency. Even if an advertiser chooses an effective slot, they may decide only to run their ad at one time in the morning. They might also not run the ad campaign long enough.

The end result is that the listener doesn’t hear the ad often enough to take action. As a general rule of thumb, a listener needs to hear an ad at least a few times per day over a couple days. If a business only runs their campaign for one week with one slot per day, even listeners who tune in every day may not hear the ad enough to act.

4. Using the Wrong Budget

Budget is a big concern when it comes to radio advertising. Using the wrong budget can cause problems for a campaign. Too small a budget may mean an advertiser runs a shorter campaign, which can lead to ineffectiveness.

There’s also a question of how to spend the budget. Many advertisers make the mistake of overspending on drive-time ads, as mentioned. Effective ad spend, though, might mean choosing slots outside the premium times.

In turn, the budget can go farther. That may mean advertisers can keep the campaign running longer, while also optimizing ad spend and improving returns.

5. Not Knowing the Audience

Another very common stumbling block with radio advertising is not knowing the audience. This can factor into choosing the wrong time slots, but it can also mean making mistakes like choosing the wrong stations altogether.

Advertisers should always consider their customer personas. Who actually buys this product or this service? Who is this ad trying to reach?

If a dentist’s office is trying to advertise a deal on dentures, choosing the local pop station playing all the latest hits may not be the right choice. Just as the audience might be older people listening outside “drive time,” they might also be listening to a different channel altogether.

6. Overwhelming Listeners with Numbers

Advertisers often have lots of numbers they want to include in their radio spots. Think price lists, phone numbers, or discounts.

Yet including too many numbers can make the ad overwhelming for listeners.

Why? Remember that most people are listening and don’t have a handy place to take down information. They might be driving or away from their desks.

That means they need to keep all the information they hear in the ad in their short-term memory. If they hear too many numbers, they may mix them up or get confused. When they try to call the business later, they find they have the wrong number.

Stick to fewer numbers whenever possible. Instead of advertising every individual price, include a range or “starting at.” Repeat the same numbers to help listeners remember them.

7. Falling Short of Amusing

Many advertisers wonder what types of ads are most engaging for radio listeners. Lots of people assume humorous ads get the best results.

It’s true that an amusing ad is likely to bring a smile to a listener’s face, and they’re likely to remember it. Many advertisers try too hard to be funny or quirky, though. The result often falls flat.

Trying too hard to be amusing can be more annoying than anything. It may have listeners reaching for the dial and switching stations.

It can also work against delivering important information in a clear way that’s easy to remember. If the ad isn’t amusing in a naturalistic way, it might be better to try a different angle. In fact, ads that pull off “funny” or “amusing” are few and far between, but plenty of radio spots are successful anyway.

8. Not Working with the Professionals

Perhaps the biggest mistake in any radio ad strategy is not working with the professionals. Many business owners decide to go it alone for a number of reasons.

One may be that they think it will cost too much to hire a script writer, head to a recording studio, or hire a voice-over artist.

The result may be an ad that doesn’t sound natural. The script might be clunky or fail to deliver key information.

Even deciding not to work with an agency to get the right placements or develop campaign strategy can be a big misstep. It leads to misspent budgets, ineffective placements, and ads that don’t perform.

Instead, look to get the professionals on the ad team. With their help, better ads and improved performance are guaranteed.

Radio Can Work for Any Business

Radio ad mistakes like these can really trip up a business strategy. By working to avoid them, advertisers can create more successful campaigns.

Radio is a tool that can work for businesses of every size, all across America. Get in touch with an expert team now and discover the difference a great radio ad campaign can make.

This holiday season, making sure their business is ready to drive more traffic to their online or brick-and-mortar store to help people check off their gift lists, take planning and preparation. As with most businesses across the country, they’ve probably been planning for months on what to stock their shelves (real or metaphorical) with to ensure the greatest shopping experience possible! How are they planning on telling the world what they have available this holiday season? With consumer behavior regularly changing and entertainment options fluctuating just as often, what is the best way to reach the most people possible? Radio is still the most used platform on the market in the United States, and radio commercial ads are generating more revenue than ever!

That means they get more bang for each advertisement they place during the holiday season! But don’t go into the process without a proper understanding of what makes a great holiday radio ad! This comprehensive radio ad review will ensure they know how to create a great ad and how to sell their business this holiday season and any other day. Read on to learn more!

Is Radio Still Relevant?

In short, yes, radio is still incredibly relevant! On average, radio reaches more Americans every week than any other platform available. Radio isn’t generally age-specific, and it’s something that most people utilize anytime they’re in their vehicles.

It doesn’t matter what type of music the user prefers; there are generally a few radio stations in their area that they can program for regular use. Then, as they move from one broadcasting area to another, they can scan to discover new options! 

The four most common benefits of radio are:

1. Radio is a portable medium that people can utilize almost anytime and almost anyplace
2. Radio is a FREE, advertiser-funded, media service where people can listen to music, stay up-to-date with current events, and learn about their local area
3. Radio continues to adapt to changes in technology and user trends
4. Radio is inclusive of age, gender, race, and any other demographic to provide numerous options for individuals across the country

The Elements of Great Holiday Radio Commercial Ads

Creating holiday radio ads for business requires strategy, professional production services, and an engaging but creative message. To create the right type of story for radio, take some time to understand what they’re trying to advertise and then consider their target audience would want to know about their product or service. Whether their goal is to drive more traffic to their website or in their store, they can achieve them with expertly crafted holiday commercials!

Finding the right way to send our message is a process of creative teamwork, testing different approaches, and analyzing the data. But when it comes to improved performance for the holidays specifically, they need to bump up the whole process to stand out amongst their competition! Check out these ten tips for creating a killer radio ads campaign this holiday season!

Tip 1: Don’t Skimp on Production Value and Voiceover Talent

One of the first places many businesses want to cut costs is professional production quality and voiceover talents. However, it’s important to remember that a sophisticated radio ad will build credibility with new potential customers. From subtly placed music and sound effects to accurately annunciated business names and offerings, these are the professionals in their industry for a reason!

Tip 2: Highlight What Makes Them Special

A holiday radio ad isn’t the place to play things humble or subtle. Take some time to shine the light on what makes their business different from the others and find a way to tell a story that will connect with the audience. The holiday season is a great time to focus on sentimentality, so don’t shy away from going for a heart-to-heart reaction,

Tip 3: Walk the Line Between Emotion and Logic

While it’s essential to create an emotional reaction, they also need to appeal to the logical audiences to ensure they cover all of their bases. Few people make a purchase based solely on an emotional response, but it is an excellent way to catch their attention! Highlight why they need their product or service specifically, and marry their logic and emotion seamlessly.

Tip 4: The Value of Articulation

Next time they listen to the radio, take a moment to focus on the commercial voice actors’ delivery of their message. The more articulate and well-timed their delivery is, the more appealing the messaging will be to listeners. Ensure their ad is clear, concise, and precise because they only get a set time to deliver their message.

Tip 5: Keep it Simple

They only have 60-seconds or less to make a connection, advertise their business, and keep their listeners attention. If they stuff too much in, the listener will be overwhelmed, but if they don’t give them enough information, they will be confused! Focus on making one good point in their ad and then build the dialogue around that point.

Tip 6: Use Music to Enhance the Message

While visual mediums can use emotionally moving pictures or videos to connect with their viewer, radio requires a different technique. The listener must build a visual in their mind while they listen to their ad, so make things easier by setting the tone with carefully selected audio. A catchy jingle or sound specific to their business is a great way to connect all of their holiday radio ad campaigns.

Tip 7: Understand Their Audience

They need to understand their customer to connect with them in a truly authentic way. Too often, people cast a wide net in an attempt to catch as many people as possible, but with broad advertisements, they’re less likely to grab anyone! Authentic, personalized messaging is the best way to create the best promotions.

Tip 8: Mention Their Offer

Whatever their call to action, or purpose, for their ad is, make sure they mention it in their ad! A simple, compelling call to action that tells the listener what they want them to do is the best course of action. Don’t use confusing language, and ensure the offer they make is backed up when it matters most.

Tip 9: Grab the Listeners Attention

They only get one chance to grab their listeners’ attention, so they need to create a hook that sells the ad, and ultimately their business! Their audience is bombarded with advertisements during every commercial break, so they need to immediately grab their attention and provoke their interest, curiosity, or imagination. The first 5-seconds of their ad are the most important so use them wisely!

Tip 10: Answer the Right Questions

An expert advertiser’s tool is always to make sure the ad answers the listener’s question in the simplest way possible. It’s vital to always advertise to the broadest audience possible while still focusing on their targeted group to increase conversions. 

An expert ad will answer the following questions:

• What’s in it for them?
• How will it make their life better, happier, or easier?
• Why should they buy from them instead of their competition?

Why Should They Advertise on the Radio

In a world where digital marketing and social media are seemingly everywhere, many businesses are missing out on the importance of radio commercial ads. This holiday season, radio advertising is an affordable, quick, and targeted way to reach the masses.

With people utilizing radio more than ever, it’s an easy way to remind past customers that they’re still around and introduce themselves to new ones! Identify the best times to play their ads and focus on when their audience is most likely to hear what they have to offer, leaving the other time slots to other advertisements.

Where to Start

Are they ready to create a killer ad for this holiday season? Start by identifying which specific item or service they want to promote, then build the ads around that. Create a hook that will grab the listener’s attention and remember to find a way to include the holiday for an emotional connection. 

Don’t forget about the accurate annunciation, the inclusion of rightly-timed music or sound effects, and keeping things simple. They only have 60-seconds or less to get their message across, so they should keep things simple and focus on delivering the message to someone who isn’t an expert in their field.

If they need additional guidance or are curious about obtaining expert assistance in creating their ad, have them contact us for more information! For more details on advertising their business and how these different marketing approaches can help, check out our blog for more insightful articles.

Radio advertising has been around for a long time, but it has not lost its potency. If anything, radio ads have become more helpful to businesses in recent years due to the advent of online radio advertising.

92% of Americans listen to the radio each week. And 25% of listeners become more interested in a brand after hearing an advertisement for it. This can make a huge difference for your brand.

Radio ads can be critically helpful to the success of your business. But some of the ways radio advertising can help you might surprise you. If you have not considered radio advertising for your business, you might be missing out on the ways it can benefit your brand.

Keep reading to find out the five surprising ways that radio advertising can help your business.

1. It Helps You Reach Your Target Audience

Radio advertising is one of the most effective ways of reaching your target audience. You already know who your potential customers are. Radio lets you reach them directly. 

Not all radio stations are created equal. Every station will have a target demographic of listeners. You can discern what that target demographic is by the type of radio program the station produces. By choosing which radio station to advertise on, you are targeting your potential customers directly.

Additionally, radio stations have a local focus. On-air radio will target a specific city or region. This is truer for radio than it is for television.

If your brand has a local focus, you stand to benefit substantially from radio advertising. This is because your ad will be geographically relevant to every listener you reach.

If your brand has locally based locations or events, on-air advertising is very effective for publicizing them. You know that the listeners live in the vicinity of your brand, and can attend your events.

At the same time, radio has a wider reach than some other modes of targeted ads. Radio ads can reach anyone in the region with interests related to your brand.

In summary, radio advertising can be incredibly beneficial to your business because of its wide reach with a targeted focus.

2. It Induces Cognitive Thinking

Watching television can be a passive experience. Same with scrolling through your phone. But really listening to a radio program requires active listening.

This engages the cognitive part of your brain.

Cognitive skills help you do things like think, learn, reason, and remember. You want listeners to be engaging in these activities when listening to your ad.

Active listening means that listeners are actually engaging with your advertisement. This does a few things that can be helpful for your brand.

First, it creates better retention. Even if listeners don’t immediately seek out your brand, they remember your advertisement. When they need a product or service like yours, they are more likely to seek you out, because they have heard of you.

For more information on how to make your advertisement memorable or unique, click here.

Second, listeners are more likely to think about your service or product and whether they need it. Even if it hadn’t occurred to them to seek out that service before, they might now.

Radio has traditionally been called the “Cinderella medium.” This is because when things go right, the results can be incredible.

One of the reasons it can be so incredible is that the radio can be heard from pretty much anywhere. Think about it: most people listen to the radio when they are in their cars, traveling from place to place.

This can be beneficial in its own right. If your target customers are listening to the radio while they are out running errands, they are already in the buying headspace. If they are thinking about shopping when they hear your ad, they are more likely to seek out your product or service.

3. It Can Bolster Your Online Presence

Radio as the “Cinderella medium” has never been truer than it is now.

In addition to listening to the radio in the car, you can now stream radio programs and stations on the internet.

Some people think the radio is outdated because many people don’t have traditional radios in their homes anymore. But they are wrong.

Even though many people don’t have a traditional radio anymore outside of their car, many people have a smartphone. And if you have a smartphone, you have radio access.

This is great news for online brands. When your ad plays via online streaming, it can be paired with an advertisement banner. When listeners want to know more about your product or service when they hear your advertisement, they can click on the banner. From there, they will be led to your product site.

This can help you make a sale, or even gain social media followers if you link your banner to an Instagram or Facebook page. Before long, you will be able to advertise to your target customers from multiple platforms.

It also allows your brand to engage with listeners in multiple mediums. By listening to the audio advertisement and then seeing your graphic banner, they are engaging two of their senses with your brand. This means that they are more likely to remember you.

4. It Personalizes Your Brand

Given the choice, consumers will always opt to support a brand that they have a personal connection with. Radio advertising gives you the chance to form that personal connection.

It gives them a chance to know you, and to know your voice. This is why it is helpful to have consistency amongst your ads in terms of whose voice the consumer hears.

It might be your voice, as the business owner, or it might be a voice actor, standing in. Either way, it gives your brand a personal touch. Before long, consumers feel like they know you.

By introducing a voice to your audience, it helps you create an identity for your brand. Consider producing your advertisement with professionals who can help you craft that identity for your target customer.

This is the best thing that could possibly happen to your business. Consumers are more likely to go with brands they trust. By offering up a human side to your brand, you are inviting them to trust you. 

We know by now that advertising is more effective when it engages emotions. By triggering memories or images or by telling a story, effective advertising can speak to people on a human level.

Radio advertising will allow you to do that with the sound of your voice. Never pass on an opportunity to connect emotionally with your audience.

5. It Maximizes Your ROI

Maximizing your ROI, or Return on Investment is crucial to any advertisement. Radio advertising helps you do this in a couple of different ways.

First, radio advertising can be a decently affordable way to get your message out there. Combined with the fact that you are almost definitely reaching your target audience, you are getting the most bang for your buck.

Secondly, the effectiveness of advertisements is maximized when they are repeated. Repetition will drastically affect your ROI. The more times a listener hears and engages with your advertisement, the more they are likely to remember it and act on it.

Repetition will drive home the point that your product or service is available and preferable to other similar services. This is also why it is productive to use a repeated tagline or phrase in your advertisement.

Thirdly, if your advertisement plays over online streaming, it is ultimately easier to track and measure your ROI. That’s because you get real-time results. This can help you figure out what works about your ad and what doesn’t.

Knowing how effective your ad is ultimately does two things for you. It tells you what you should change or keep the same for next time. As a result, it increases your ROI because you won’t make the same mistakes twice.

In this case, you are looking at radio advertising as a long-term investment. Your second ad will be better than your first, and your third will be better than your second.

If your radio ads are effective, you’ll want to keep producing them. Repetition over a long period of time will turn your voice and brand into a household name.

Radio Advertising Can Bolster Your Brand

Radio advertising may be one of the oldest forms of advertising, but it is just as relevant now as ever. Perhaps it is even more effective today, since the advent of online streaming. Radio advertising can bolster your brand by inducing cognitive thinking, adding personality to your brand, reaching your target audience, maximizing your online presence, and ultimately boosting your ROI.

To start planning your radio advertisement today, click here.

The startling fact is that 92% of Americans still listen to AM/FM radio, despite the plethora of digital platforms available. That’s higher than TV viewership (87%), or the use of PCs (54%), smartphones (81%), and tablets (46%). Most people use the radio to listen to the latest music, popular talk shows, or their favorite sports broadcast. From a marketing perspective, radio is still an effective way to reach your target audience. We’ve compiled a list of nine simple ways to make the most of those radio commercials, lasting a mere 10, 15, 30, or 60 seconds. Check it out!

1. Create Attention-Grabbing Radio Commercials

With a 60-second commercial, you’ve got 15 seconds at most to grab the attention of your audience. Your ad needs to answer the following listener questions quickly:

• What’s in it for me?
• How will this product/service make my life or the life of someone I know easier, happier, or better?

Remember that most people are not interested in the detail of innovative products. They simply want to know if it is better in some way than what came before. Once they get that message, you’re half-way to winning them over as a buyer, because they will listen more attentively to the rest of the ad.

2. Good Sound Quality

Unlike television or online ads, radio has no visuals. This means that it’s critical to get the sound production right. Poor sound quality, annoying voices, and other glitches will not endear the audience to your product or service! While the wording of your advert is important, how it is heard is paramount.

The best adverts are those with a clever script that sounds good too. Employing professional sound technicians, and voice-over professionals, is well worth the investment. It could be the difference between an ad campaign bombing out or being a run-away success.

3. Invest In a Good Jingle

Jingles are one area where opinion is divided. That’s because we have all heard bad, corny jingles.

The hallmark of a good, catchy jingle is that it can easily be sung by a wide range of people. Besides that, the lyrics of the jingle need to be clearly enunciated and include the name of your brand or product. Jingles can also include useful information, such as a telephone number or web address.

It is a well-known fact that people find it easier to remember songs than plain old prose. If you want your product ad to feature a brand jingle that millions of people will remember for decades, then invest in a good jingle.

Just as with the rest of your advertising copy, your jingle should include a call to action. Both the jingle and your copy provide ample opportunity for creativity. Use it!

4. Get The Right Time Slots

Most radio stations have a scale of fees depending on the time slots you choose for the airing of your radio commercials. Don’t fall for the trap of selecting the cheapest time slots.  They are the cheapest because very few people are listening during those hours.

You need to tailor your time slot to your target audience. For example, if you manufacture breakfast cereals for children, the best time to air the radio commercial is at breakfast time, when kids will be listening. They will nag their parents to purchase the cereal in question they next time they are at the supermarket!

Similarly, advertising sportswear is best done in the commercial breaks during a sports broadcast. Advertising sportswear at breakfast time, or breakfast cereals during the live broadcast of an evening basketball match just doesn’t make sense.

As well as tailoring your time slot to the most appropriate target audience, you also need to tailor your budget to produce a full-length ad campaign.

5. Get Your Ad Frequency Right

You need to build recognition of your brand or product.  It is said that someone has to hear an ad three times before they recognize it.  Most advertising agencies will recommend that your ad is aired 21 times per week for 52 weeks in succession so that you gain optimum frequency and recognition.

Too many ads in one time period and your listeners will get sick of hearing your ad and zone out.  Too infrequent an airing and no one will even remember you advertised in the first place.

Rely on your public relations and marketing consultants to interpret your marketing data for you, and recommend the best way forward on the frequency of your radio commercials.

6. Keep Them Nibbling At Those Sound Bites

Everything is a process. Once your listening audience gets used to hearing (and liking) your radio advertisements, you need to start an ancillary or follow-up campaign.

Big-brand advertising is very careful about phasing out the old ad and introducing the new one. You don’t want to upset the listeners too much by suddenly depriving them of their favorite ad!

7. Get the Right Radio Station

Consider the location of your business and the reach of your product based on reliable target audience data. For instance, there is no point in creating a radio advertisement that’s played exclusively on East Coast radio stations when your business and most of your customers are on the West Coast. There are three things you can do to find what you need. 

Search for US radio stations by State. Alternatively, check out surveys to find out which are the most popular radio stations.

The third option, and perhaps most viable if you want to link your radio commercials to your other online platforms, is to choose to sponsor a local online radio station.

Online radio broadcasting has the advantage of being both national and global in its reach and can be a particularly good choice for those of you who have niche products or services. 

Engage Marketing Consultants

A PR company like Killer Spots Agency knows what they are doing.  We have made it our business to develop in-depth knowledge of all aspects of audio production.

As an award-winning marketing company, we invite you to listen to the countless samples of radio commercials that we have produced  Contact us via live chat or get a quick quote via virtually any page on our website.  We can certainly point you in the right direction, and soon have you coming out sounding like a symphony!