Despite the hit 1979 song “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles, radio has managed to stay a consistent medium throughout the years, though this has started to change. For instance, how often do you actually switch on the radio in your home, car or office?
Not only has there been a decrease in usage, there has been a decline in interest from the new, younger generations. In fact, Millennials and those among Generation Z have taken to audio streaming services like Spotify and Pandora for listening to music and podcasts. So, does this mean it’s a bad idea to place ads with radio stations?
Not necessarily, while it’s true that listenership has decreased in recent years, there are still plenty of people listening to local, regional and national radio stations. Plus, despite the advancement of new streaming platforms, radio stations have followed suit and can be streamed online or through an app as well. Radio will also still have the benefit of personable and entertaining radio personalities and giveaways that have listeners engaged with the station. The key is developing a radio ad that will follow the station’s unique presence and not bore the audience.
3 Tips for Using Radio Ads
- Grab listeners’ attention! Much like any advertisement, it’s important to be able to grab your audience’s attention and keep it throughout the entirety of the ad.
- Make use of sound. TV commercials and other visual ads have the advantage of using sight to not only grab attention, but highlight the important aspects of the ad. While radio is purely audio, you can still be unique and creative with how you utilize sound.
- Keep it short and simple. Don’t overload listeners with too much information. Present the key points in short, easy-to-understand language.
Other Audio Platforms to Consider
Spotify – Although it’s been around since 2006, Spotify has really taken off within the past several years due to its wide range of popular artists, ability to host interesting podcasts and easy-to-use smartphone app. Not only do they feature pop-up visual ads, they also have creative audio commercials every half-hour.
Pandora – Users are able to easily create stations based on music genres and artists that they enjoy, and Pandora will continuously play music that fits within the station. Much like Spotify, Pandora has the ability to have audio commercials and visual pop-up ads.
Soundcloud – One of the largest music streaming services, Soundcloud become incredibly popular due to the ease of uploading and sharing user generated music and podcasts. In fact, a number of now popular artists started out on Soundcloud.
YouTube Music – Everyone is familiar with YouTube as the world’s most popular video platform; however, Google has recently added a version of YouTube for free music streaming with ads.
Overall, if radio works with your target audience, you definitely shouldn’t rule out radio advertising. Still contradicting the song, radio isn’t dead yet. If your company needs help with developing scripts or media buying, just contact our team at BPM for assistance.
Share your favorite radio station with us on social media! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
