Advertising on the Radio - Keep it Simple

By M. Bruce Abbott

Let's say you spent good money on a brochure. Several pages filled with features, benefits, facts, figures, call to action, contact info...oh yeah, paragraphs about who you are, what you do....the different services you provide, your product offerings...and the list goes on and on. Everything you believe a potential client would need or want to know about your business. Now you are interested in advertising on the radio.

Here's a great radio advertising tip -

Don't let your radio commercials end up like your brochure.

Advertising on the radio works best when it is simple and effective.

First...a given. If you are going to advertise on the radio. Make sure you have a product that has demand. In another article we discuss the topic of Direct Response Radio Advertising Mistakes: A Product No One Wants. With that said, lets move on to advertising on the radio assuming there is demand for your product or service.

Simplicity is the key to effective direct response radio advertising. Face it, when you are buying fifteen, thirty, even sixty seconds worth of radio advertising, you don't have the time to create an audio brochure. Radio advertising is a powerful advertising medium, but can it work for you?

Yes it can. You just need to make sure your direct response radio advertising campaign is just that...DIRECT. When advertising on the radio, get right to the point. What is the problem your potential customers face? What is the solution? (Hopefully this is where you have inserted your company name). What benefit does your company provide that solves the problem? And most important of all...what would make me choose your company? Here is where the irresistible offer comes in. Direct response radio advertising is rooted in a foundation of "what's in it for me". Give me reason to call. A free offer...free sample...free estimate...deep discount...money back guarantee...whatever your feel is important to your potential customer. This offer helps "grease the skids" and provides a strong incentive to call or click.

And speaking of calls and clicks - If you are advertising on the radio, you must make your call to action clear, concise and memorable. In other words, if you are driving to a toll free number, make sure you are not advertising some random ten digits that are difficult to remember. Use vanity phone numbers. Vanity phone numbers provide sticking power in the listeners mind. What will you remember more - 1-800-I-ATE-A-BUG or 1-800-428-3228 (plus the extra useless digit)? You can use a combination of vanity numbers or words and number for tracking purposes. If you are directing your radio advertising campaign to a URL. Make sure it's a simple domain name. No long URL's with dashes and slashes and long strings of weird variables. Simple works better. And again, you can use a variety of simple domains for tracking. And make sure you mention your number or URL at least a couple of times throughout the radio commercial.

So what have you learned here?

When advertising on the radio, keep it simple. Get directly to the problem, the solution, the benefit, the irresistible offer, and the clear call to action. Keep this simple structure in mind, and your chances of success when advertising on the radio dramatically increase.

Until next time...

~B

M. Bruce Abbott is Creative Director/Partner of Radio Lounge, a direct response radio advertising agency at http://www.radioloungeusa.com If you are thinking about advertising on the radio, let the experienced direct response radio advertising professionals at Radio Lounge make your campaign a success. Call us for a free consultation. No pressure, just friendly people who love to help companies succeed with their advertising on the radio. Call toll free, 1-866-4-AUDIO-9. That's 1-866-428-3469...but we would never say it like that on the radio :) OR visit http://www.radioloungeusa.com Remember...Direct Response Radio Advertising Works - when done right, it can achieve powerful results.