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Adam's Advice: Give Radio a Try

There are pros and cons to every type of advertising, but in general, it is a good idea to at least try advertising in any medium that is relevant for your audience and within the scope of your budget. Notice I said relevant. That is key. I'm not saying you should run a television ad on MTV or post online ads on YouTube. That's not the best use of your advertising dollars, because it's not targeted to your audience. But radio can be...

Radio is one of the most personal media. For many people in your target audience, particularly seniors, a favorite radio station can function as a good friend, providing companionship and entertainment. One advantage of radio over print media is the use of the human voice which evokes a personal element and better conveys emotion. Radio advertising also holds the benefit of reaching multiple target markets simultaneously and inexpensively.

Radio can be used as a publicity generator and an advertising medium. Here are a couple ideas you can use:

• Publicity - For any major news about your agency (start-up, new services added, etc.), national healthcare observances, healthcare information targeted to adult children and/or seniors etc send press releases to local stations with older listening audiences. This may elicit requests to be a guest on a talk show with the chance to talk about your agency. The best part about this publicity is that it's FREE!
• Advertising - Purchase 30 or 60-second slots with local radio stations. Test various formats to determine what type of ad works best for that station's listeners. For example, you could test one ad speaking directly "to" the listener about the benefits your agency offers, test a second ad with a satisfied customer giving a testimonial and test a third ad with a dialogue between an adult child and elderly parent discussing your services. Track response to each ad (such as by using a different 800 # for each) and continue running the ad with the best results. Be sure to always include a call to action in your ad and an easy-to-remember phone number or web address.

Next time I'll share a few tips for creating a great radio advertisement...Stay tuned!