The right format to reach your target
By Patrysha Korchinski
It's important to realize that you can't just call your favorite radio station and see about getting on the air. It's wonderful when it does work out that way, because you're much more likely to catch your own commercials and enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with hearing your name broadcast. It doesn't make good business sense though, unless your target market is just like you. Chances are, they aren't. Which means you have a little work to do before you start making phone calls.
If you run a brick and mortar business that's already open, your best bet is doing an informal survey of your current customers. It doesn't have to be formal or obvious. Simply saying "We were talking about favorite radio stations earlier, what's yours?". It really can be that simple. Just make a checklist of the top answers and call the three radio stations that top the list to continue your research. You can narrow your choices down from there based on price, the feel you get from the advertising rep at each station, and the quality of the commercials it plays.
Of course, it's a bit more complicated if you run an online business where your current customers may be from all over the place. And it can be tricky if you're in the planning stages of a brick and mortar business and haven't opened yet. In the first case, you can run a survey based on the type of station they listen to rather than a specific station. In the second, consider doing a survey near your intended location over a couple of days. You can do this yourself or hire others to do so for you. You'll need to gather basic demographic information along with station preferences in order to do so.
Now you could rely strictly on the station's media kit. These generally include demographic information on listeners and supply ratings points from the most recent measurement period. The problem with doing so lies in the fact that these are by their very nature, written specifically to put the station in the best light. There's nothing wrong with that per se, but the information will certainly not geared to your specific target market which is much narrower than that of any specific radio station. If you don't have time to do your own market research, your only option may be to rely on station sponsored information, but it's not advised especially if you have a limited budget for radio.
After you've completed your own research, then it's time to call the top stations on your short-list.
As I alluded to before, while cost is a factor what is more important is your comfort level with the account representative you will be dealing with and the quality of the commercials the station produces. It's vital that you can communicate with your sales rep effectively. They are your point of contact and you have to know that they are committed to making your campaign the best it can be. The quality of the commercials is important because the strength of your sales message will ultimately based on how effective the commercial is in getting your target market to react.
If you have questions about this, or any part of your audio advertising campaign, click here to email me for more resources or a personal consultation.