Effectiveness of Direct Response Radio Advertising

Radio stations have been able to keep up with the times by streaming their content onto the internet and reaching an audience that is less apt to listening to traditional radio, and with this advent there is still plenty of room for traditional radio to stay current and help support additional advertising media. 

People expect each media medium to be able to adapt to technology and change, but radio hasn’t changed much over time, and as a result, it has been challenging for radio to stay ‘fresh’ and find a balance that keeps listeners numbers high through traditional means – on the internet or portable audio players. 

“…radio continues to churn consistent profits despite competition from competitors beaming signals from outer space and online listening services designed to pull listeners away from traditional radio.” (via: Globe and Mail)

A direct response radio campaign works particularly well when used in conjunction with other media. There’s a lot of consistency with radio because it’s not as fragmented as TV, the internet or even direct mail. 

You can target certain specific audiences with radio despite the fact that it is a traditional advertising medium.

Radio was once looked at as a direct response medium that couldn’t keep up with the times, but since has proven its longevity in an environment where new, high-tech advertising options come out on a regular basis. 

More and more advertisers are interested in radio, and still it recognize as necessity in the media world.

Radio can be especially useful for direct response advertisers that need an inexpensive testing stage for DRTV campaigns, or that are looking to give campaigns one last try and some marketers are taking commercials of TV and going to radio before putting a hold on their campaign. 

Advertisers also try radio campaigns again after they didn’t pan out the first time and giving them another try.

Getting marketers to talk about direct response radio used to be incredibly difficult.
Why?

Because the environment on the media-landscape has changed – with large stations now concerned about competition like the internet – radio stations becoming more appreciative of direct response dollars. 

Radio stations no longer treat direct response as the second-rate advertising medium, in fact, stations recognize that direct response advertisers have stayed over the years and that radio spots often sway listeners to make their purchase decisions.

Belive it or not, direct response radio has continued to provide a viable sales channel to complement other media! 

Radio and Web Advertising Compliments One Another

The greatest ally of radio can be found in the online world, which effectively provides a “visual counterpart” for the audio-oriented radio.

The original mass medium, radio today reaches more than 90 percent of everyone in the U.S. on a weekly basis.

[Nielson]

How effective is radio advertising?

For an online campaign, radio can create longevity through streaming audio, visual online content and additional interactive online media – in-fact numerous studies have shown that listeners often go online to learn more about something they heard on the radio. 

Gain more accountability and monitor web sales alongside radio advertising to making the synergistic relationship that much more valuable for the marketer. Advertisers can use technology to capture that data and use it to monitor response and campaign performance as radio tends to work for marketers attempting to generate awareness, drive a message out to an audience on a consistent basis and create synergies with other media. 

• The direct response agency that picks the right stations and time slots can create a targeted campaign that’s less expensive than TV.
• Finding available direct response inventory on the radio waves can also create a stumbling block, especially when your looking to grow your business with the help of direct response advertising.  

Use radio as the auditory medium to drive web sales, they compliment each other well.

How effective are direct response radio ads?

Direct response radio isn’t applicable for every product:

• Radio doesn’t work well for selling $9.99 products.
• Great for products and services that can be reinforced by a website or number and other media to drive leads.

Big brands tend to book popular time slots and leaving left-over time slots for smaller firms to fight over. Marketers find out quickly that many direct response campaigns are no longer going to have opportunities because the big brands have come in, and if direct response advertisers don’t lock that space up early, it may become unavailable.