Radio is the perfect medium for SMEs that are looking to grow. With over 36 million adult listeners every week, commercial radio is helping business reach out to new customers to not only build awareness but to boost response to websites and increase sales.

We have created a short guide on how effective radio advertising can be and how you can get the most out of the medium.

How it Works

Most businesses use radio advertising to drive short term results. According to Radiocentre, here are the core strengths of the medium:

Radio delivers £7.70 revenue return on investment on average for every pound spent

Radio offers short lead-times and relatively low-cost production, making it ideal for promoting tactical advertising messages at short notice

It is a highly cost-efficient medium – you buy more audience impressions for your money than with any other medium (see chart below)

It can be efficiently targeted by station-type; age, social grade, and gender; and geographical regions, as well as by time of day and day of week

Radio delivers a larger audience than other media throughout the morning and is used by people to accompany tasks and activities across the day, making it easier for brands to reach people at relevant times and in relevant places.

If used correctly, radio can also play a large role in helping to build brands in the longer term through brand building.

To be effective, brand building campaigns need to reach a wide audience, spark an emotional response, and create fame for the advertised business. With high levels of listening (two-thirds of adults tune in to commercial radio every week) radio is effective at delivering high reach for advertisers, and its main content – music – is inherently emotional. Industry research shows that campaigns that use radio are on average generate 60% more likely to make brands famous.

What results can you expect?

Getting a return on your investment

According to recent research by Radiocentre, the medium can pay back £7.70 in increased revenue for ever £1 spent. This is second only to TV overall.

Increasing response online

Radio can boost online browsing by 52% with almost immediate results.

Boosting awareness and consideration

Listeners are, 48% more aware of companies that have been advertised on the radio and 12% more likely to consider them when buying.

Building relevance and trust

Overall, brands that are advertised on radio feel more relevant and are much more trusted by radio listeners.

Planning and Booking a Campaign

Using airtime spots advertise to is one of the most adaptable radio formats. It can be bought across different stations, day parts and days of the week to match up with your business’s needs. But where do you start? This section will help you think about your own radio advertising campaign.

Deciding where to Advertise

With a range of national, regional and local stations covering most parts of the UK, radio is highly flexible geographically – providing opportunities for all types of advertisers to precisely target important locations efficiently.

Setting Campaign Weight

The standard length for most individual campaigns is around four weeks. However, what is right for your campaign will depend on the objectives. Is this about maintaining a constant level of awareness for an existing brand? In which case consider running over as long a period of time as budget will allow. Or is it about achieving maximum awareness as quickly as possible for a new brand launch or tactical offer? In which case, consider a shorter heavier burst of activity.

Booking your Campaign

The radio station or media agency will help you choose to advertise with will advise on the best approach based on your specific goals and budget.