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Radio Advertising Best Practices

Radio Advertising

Radio Advertising Best Practices

Ineffective radio ads are a dime a dozen. To be successful, you need to take your radio advertising to a new level. These radio advertising best practices will help you make the most of your radio advertising budget.

Radio advertising has been a mainstay of small business advertising for many years.

The right radio spot has the ability to send customers streaming through your door while a poorly crafted radio ad campaign can turn off even your most loyal customers.

The difference between a successful radio advertising campaign and a total failure lies in the amount of preparation and planning that goes into its creation. Radio ads may seem simple, but in reality they are highly sophisticated marketing tools that require careful analysis and planning.

The last thing you need is to invest your hard-earned marketing dollars in an advertising that is doomed before it even reaches the airwaves. Increasing the likelihood of success isn't hard - it just takes a little initiative and a willingness to employ a few radio advertising best practices.

Strategy. In today's marketing environment, strategy is the name of the game. If you put all of your eggs in the basket of radio advertising you won't achieve your full marketing potential. A better approach is to strategize and coordinate your radio ads with other marketing efforts (i.e. print ads, online marketing and social media initiatives).
Testing. Any significant radio advertising campaign should be tested before it hits the airwaves. Although it's probably not practical to test market a few hundred dollars worth of ads, more expensive campaigns should be test marketed by radio advertising professionals.
Chemistry. The relationship you have with your team of creative professionals is critical to the success of your radio advertising efforts. Business owners often find themselves in disagreement with their advertising agency over ad content and strategy. If you can't trust your agency's creative direction, start looking for radio advertising pros you can rely on for advice.
Upsells. Upselling is a neglected part of radio advertising. But if you think about it, it's much easier to upsell an individual who is already interested in your products than it is to acquire a brand new customer. Consider integrating multiple purchase discounts and other upselling strategies into your radio ad campaigns.
Analysis. Some radio campaigns are successful right out of the gate. But most of the time, you will need to adjust your ads and your strategy as you go along. Make sure your creative team is equipped with adequate analytical tools and implore them to share detailed analytical insights with you on a go-forward basis.