Radio remains one of the most engaging forms of media in the world. It reaches every demographic and location. While there are many ways to consume content these days, the undeniable impact of radio remains clear. That’s meaningful for you and your advertisers, and radio advertising delivers results across the sales funnel, from awareness to consideration to decision.
For your radio advertisers considering cutting back, you should share this information to give them a new perspective on how radio ads can drive revenue.
Radio Is More Than an Awareness Tactic
In many conversations about the goals and expectations of radio advertising, brand awareness is the lead. Because these ads are audio, the way people respond to them is different, and they can be more memorable than other forms of advertising. In our 2023 Audio Trends infographic, we compiled data on how people feel about audio, and 55% of consumers listen to audio commercials more than any other medium.
Spots also run continuously, creating familiarity and recall. These actions have mostly aligned with the top of the sales funnel. It’s getting the company name into someone’s head but not necessarily prompting them to act. These ads can potentially influence consumers during the consideration and decision stage.
Research Confirms Radio Ads Move People Down the Funnel
Research shows that AM/FM radio listeners have high purchase intent, which describes the probability that someone will purchase a product or service. Understanding that many listen to the radio and are ready to buy creates opportunity. RAB indicated that radio ads drove 22% incremental store traffic for automotive, jewelry stores, retailers, physicians and life insurance agents. This demonstrates how powerful radio advertising is in moving people down the funnel.
Another study on home improvement also indicated that radio spots drove high engagement and boosted sales. These ads generated three times more sales lift than TV and delivered an ROI of $28.82 for every $1 spent!
Nudging listeners to take the next step requires a different message than evergreen brand awareness spots. Here’s what to consider when talking to clients about copy.
Bottom-Funnel Radio Ads Need a Clear Call to Action
Getting a listener to act requires shifting them from being a passive listener. Much of this has to do with the words they are hearing. Here are some concepts to share with local businesses.
- Create urgency around sales and promotions: Ads should lead with the offer, convey urgency within a short timeframe and direct people on how to claim it.
- Drive traffic to a website landing page with a conversion point: Copy should mention the specific website to visit and highlight the conversion offer.
- Language should be simple: There’s no time for jargon or fluff. The content should be straightforward to eliminate confusion on what action someone should take.
- Inclusion of social proof can drive more response: Customer or employee testimonials can be highly engaging and can make the listener see the brand as credible.
- Highlighting exclusivity can get people to respond fast: If the deal is only for a certain number of people, it creates more urgency.
- Ads that focus on benefits rather than features bring the listener into the scenario: If the content addresses their issue, they may be more eager to buy the product sooner.
- Host-endorsed ads can create more trust: If personalities are part of the spot, this can give it a boost with devoted listeners.
Final Thoughts on Radio Advertising Across the Sales Funnel
Delivering these ideas and data expands how your clients think about radio spots in the sales funnel. It puts them on par with digital tactics, and when a campaign has an omnichannel strategy, the results can deliver the performance they expect. It keeps audio in their media plans and budgets and rights the misconceptions about the impact of radio. Get more insights on radio by reading our post, Study Reveals AM/FM Radio Advertising Helps Brands Create and Convert Demand.
