Ask an Expert: A sound idea for marketing

ByABC News
October 29, 2007, 2:21 AM

— -- Q: What should I know about my first foray into radio advertising? Mark

A: I continue to love radio as a tool for small business. Even in this 24/7 Internet age where people are flocking online to get their information and where Google has become one of the most important companies in the country, terrestrial radio (as opposed to satellite radio) remains a very valid choice for the small business looking to get new customers.

The reasons are several:

Radio listening is habitual:Radio, more than almost any other medium, is a habitual experience; people tend to tune in to the same shows again and again. Indeed, the average radio consumer listens more than 19 hours every week, according to Arbitron's 2006 report, Radio Today. That means you have a golden opportunity to get your message heard again and again.

Radio is highly targeted:Want to reach homeowners, or teens, or Baby Boomers? Advertising on the right station, and the right show, allows you to very specifically target your market.

Radio listeners listen alone:People usually listen to the radio alone, either in the car or at work. That means that you have a captive audience for 30 or 60 seconds, which is a golden opportunity.

So radio is still a very strong way to get potential new customers to hear about your business. And while it is not nearly as financially risky as television, to be successful with a radio campaign requires a lot of repetition, so it is not inexpensive either. Therefore, you want to do it right. That means:

Try to tell a story:Why are those OnStar commercial vignettes so memorable? Because you quickly get involved in a story: Will someone be able to help that poor woman in that car accident? Will OnStar be able to unlock her door so she can get her keys and soothe that crying baby? We want to find out!

Now it is true that all sorts of other effective radio ads remain memorable without telling a story ("Head On Apply directly to the forehead!"), so, while stories work, the important thing is to ...