Radio is highly regulated and monitored in the UK, providing specific information on audiences nationally, regionally and locally.
Unlike other advertising mediums, radio has an official measurement system called RAJAR that provides quarterly data on the specifics of a station’s audience across the UK. This is how stations can tell you how many listeners they have each week, who they are (age, gender, earnings etc…) and when they’re listening.
Larger stations cost more, in the same way that larger print publications do. Shop around. Match station audience figures against your target audience. If you know your target buyer is young, don’t just invest in an AM station targeting an older market, even if it is cheaper on the surface.
Think about whether your target audience can or will travel. You wouldn’t travel 60 miles for a free pint of milk, but probably would for a free car. Make sure you’re advertising to people who can actually access your product or service, given the right incentive.
How does radio advertising work?
It’s all about repetition. Unlike print advertising where repetition has a diminishing effect, radio advertising has the opposite effect with response rates building over time.
There are two distinct components to your campaign.
- The creative – your ad. The message you broadcast to listeners about your product or service.
- The airtime – when and how often your ad is played. This is the duration of your ad (e.g. 30 seconds spots) multiplied by the number of times it is played.
To get results, both parts have to do their job.
