Effective advertising is a must to encourage sales growth. Traditional advertising mediums have been decreasing as Internet advertising increases. However, some traditional mediums have found new niches and reached more consumers than ever. While print media audiences shrink, radio is doing better than ever. Consumers that have canceled their newspaper subscriptions in favor of online news still turn on the radio during the morning commute. Plus, many radio stations now broadcast online as well, bringing their broadcasts into the workplace. The audience increases make radio a solid option for marketing. The price may be the only thing preventing a business from embarking on aggressive radio advertising campaigns. Radio advertising rates vary tremendously depending on several factors.

What Determines The Price Of Advertising Slots?

For radio, the three most basic factors that determine the slot price are the size of the audience, time slot, and number of spots. The basic laws of supply and demand apply to radio pricing. The more demand for the slot, the higher the price. The larger the number of purchases, the lower the price.

  1. Size of Audience – The more people who listen to a given radio station, the more desirable the advertising. After all, when a business can reach hundreds of thousands of people through a single advertising medium it is much more effective. The specific demographic of listeners can also affect the price. Stations that broadcast to higher-income listeners are more sought after than those that focus on a younger audience earner.
  2. Time Slot – When an advertisement runs impacts radio advertising rates even more than the total audience size. The total size of the radio audience determines basic rates, but very popular shows are priced even higher. If a business wishes to advertise solely during the most prime time slots, it will pay premium prices. The two most listened-to slots are during the morning commute from 7 am to 9 am and the evening commute from 4 pm to 6 pm.
  3. Number of Spots – As with any large purchase, the more spots are contracted, the less each spot costs. A business purchasing a single spot will pay much more on a per-item basis than a business launching an entire campaign. To ensure broad exposure, a business must purchase many slots running over a while.

Building An Affordable Radio Advertising Campaign

For some businesses, local radio seems to be the best bet. Not only are the prices lower, most consumers will not travel more than twenty miles to make a purchase. By limiting advertisements to local stations, business owners get the highest return on investment. Local consumers hear the advertisements, and businesses can afford more slots given the limited audience. Larger corporations often use national radio shows, but few small and medium size businesses can afford the expense. Another thing to keep in mind is the total advertising budget. Certain times of year are the most lucrative, but spaces also sell out quickly. For a business to purchase Christmas slots, it might be best to finalize contracts as early as August.

The bottom line for getting the best radio advertising rates is to work with a professional radio advertising agency to help you. They can help develop your marketing strategy and make recommendations such as the best times to book, buying in quantity, or perhaps being flexible on time slots. Buying a few prime time slots along with many off-prime spots may allow a business to maximize a marketing budget. After all, even during slower radio times, there are still thousands of listeners. Radio advertising agencies can create great package deals within your budget.

Radio advertising has long been one of the best methods for reaching your target audience, as radio stations frequently collect demographic information. This information allows advertisers to target specific industries and people that they are interested in marketing to. If you have never committed yourself to radio advertising, then you probably have no idea how must advertising costs. Several factors go into determining radio costs, from the radio commercial production itself to the radio station that the ad is running on.

Radio Commercial Production

You can’t run a radio ad without making the ad first. Compared to advertising, production is usually a nominal cost. A simple, single-voice ad may start around $1,000, which would include copywriters, a voice actor, and a creative strategy. However, the price can easily increase for larger, more extensive radio campaigns. For example, additional voice actors and endorsements from popular radio personalities can alter the radio commercial production cost.

Running The Radio Ad

There are several micro-factors within running the advertisement that affects the price. But one can expect to spend anywhere from $100-$1,000 each time the ad is running. You can also buy bundle deals, which most radio stations offer, to decrease the overall ad cost. This means you agree to pay to have the ad run a certain number of times, and you might get a bulk discount.

The Radio Station

One of the biggest factors in determining the cost of radio advertising is the station that the ad is placed on. A popular station may cost much more than a station with only a moderate audience. At the same time, since a popular station exposes more people to your ad, it could be worth the extra cost.

Time Of Day The Radio Ad Is Played

Along with the station, the time of the year and the time of the day that the radio advertisement runs are important for factoring in radio advertising costs. Much like with stations, some times in the year and within a single day are more popular than others. Choosing the right time is a little harder because different people listen to the radio at different times. For example, if the station plays music in the afternoon, it may attract a younger demographic, whereas if the station hosts talk radio shows then it might attract an older or professional group.

Running Time Of The Radio Ad

The average radio advertisement is typically 30 seconds long, and most radio stations will give you a basic price based on this. However, a longer radio may easily double the price. Some radio stations offer a basic package that allows a 10-second advertisement at about half the normal price. Although significantly shorter, a powerful ad that engages listeners can still be just as effective as the 30-second spot.

Conclusion

To start your advertisement, you may need to have a budget of at least $5,000. Some experts even suggest starting with $10,000-$20,000. However, some very reputable radio advertising companies can work with you to develop an effective radio marketing campaign that works within your budget. Contact a radio advertising company for a radio marketing strategy that delivers trackable and verifiable results.