The Unfair Advantage Radio Has Over Digital

At first glance, digital platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google seem so superior to local radio advertising that the comparison almost seems laughable.

I mean, if you were a business owner, why would you consider local radio when online advertising is:

• Affordable
• Highly targeted
• Highly trackable
• Easy to get started with
• Adaptable on the Fly

Kind of seems like a no-brainer, right?

Radio’s Secret Weapon

But, not so fast!

What if I told you that local radio has one huge — some might even call it “unfair” — advantage over the digital world?

An advantage so powerful that when properly leveraged, it can bring advertisers back to your station in droves with results they could only dream of online.

So, what’s that advantage?

Local celebrity.

The Power of Local Celebrity

As radio consultant Andy Meadows said at the recent TAB conference in Austin, “In radio, we often forget just how exciting it is for the listener when the DJ picks up the phone on the request line and talks to them.”

At that same panel, on-air talent Erin Wilde shared a story about a “handshake” promotion where listeners could meet her and other DJ’s from the station at a local ice cream shop for a free cone.

People started lining up hours before the event just to meet them!

Think about that for a second…

When’s the last time you saw someone in your hometown wait for two hours in the heat to shake hands with a Facebook employee?

Never.

In life, celebrity = influence.

Your listeners already know, like, and trust your on-air talent. They’ve invited them into their homes, cars, and businesses every day for years and they act on their recommendations when making buying decisions.

Leverage Your Stars for Sales

But have you ever thought about your advertisers?

Did you know that web pages with videos on them see 80% – 86% higher conversions than ones with no video?

So, why not do that with your Advertise with Us page?

If you were to put your station’s biggest personality in a welcome video on your Advertise with Us Sales Page, you’d be leveraging something Facebook, Google, and Instagram can only dream of – the power of local celebrity.

And when that personality looks into that camera and talks to your prospects about partnering with them to grow their businesses, your potential advertisers don’t just hear a sales pitch, they hear it from someone they already trust.

You’ve used your celebrity for years to sell your clients’ products and services.  Now use it to sell your station, too!

Your Unfair Advantage

That’s your unfair advantage as a radio station. Use it in social media posts, on-air spots, and digital ads to make the case for local businesses to advertise with you.

Leverage it for all it’s worth and entice those advertisers back onto your airwaves – where they belong!