Why Radio is Better
Than TV or Newspaper for Advertisers

For a lot of reasons‚ business owners who advertise should be seriously considering radio right now. The spot pricing has never been better‚ because times have not been this tough for radio revenue for 50+ years.

Mary Beth Garber‚ who is the president of the Southern California Broadcasters Association‚ had these words of wisdom for business owners trying to decide if radio is the right advertising medium for them:

If you need to reach a lot of people to sell them something soon‚ you need to rethink how you use broadcast media. Both radio and tv reach more than 9 out of 10 people every week. Realize that virtually all listening to radio is done live. 45% of TV viewing each day is to DVR’d shows‚ where playback can happen days‚ weeks later‚ and 90% of commercials are skipped. If you want to control who hears your message‚ how often they hear it‚ and that they hear it during a period of time that matters to you‚ you are far more likely to succeed if you count on radio to deliver that message.

Did you know that myspace.com considers radio the media role equivalent of a social network? They label radio usage as “passion‚” along with myspace.com and other social networks. They label TV as “passive.” They call newspaper “practical.” If you want your message delivered with an emotional connection, use radio.

Ever considered “The Privacy Factor?” If you are selling something intensely personal (plastic surgery, medical conditions, job opportunities, financial solutions), radio listeners can respond in the privacy of their cars to your ads. This lets you combine the personal connection of human voice with a message that requires a private reaction.

Mary Beth makes a lot of sense. Even when the air talent isn’t live‚the listeners are. Radio isn’t something that is typically taped and enjoyed later‚ like many TV shows. And technology to skip through radio commercials isn’t in common usage in households across America like it is for TV commercials.

When it's at its best‚ radio inspires passionate bonding from its core listeners. Usually it’s because of a strong line-up of real‚ relatable on-air personalities‚ but that passionate bond can come because of a strong commitment to local community and a long history of consistency and reliability. Television shows can inspire passionate bonding‚ but rarely does a channel or network connect with viewers. And newspapers leave ink on your hands…bonding, yes…passionate‚ no. More like annoying.

The privacy issue is key‚ and it’s part of the passionate bonding if it’s used properly. Most of radio’s magic lies between the ears of the listener. Imagination and deep connection are key to a good on-air delivery‚ and the best stations in each market have that magic. It behooves advertisers to seek out not just the lowest-priced stations but to look for the stations with a very loyal‚ very connected listener base. How to spot those? They're typically the ones who’ve been doing what they do for a long time‚ are active in the community and can demonstrate via an opt-in database of listeners just how connected they are.

Now is a great time to look at radio‚ if you’re a business owner. If I can offer any clarity on any of these points for you‚ please contact me.