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What Factors Affect Radio Advertising Sales?

Osmand Vitez
Osmand Vitez

Radio advertising sales represent the sale of airtime on local radio organizations, typically to local businesses and nonprofit organizations. This type of advertising is one of the oldest forms of business advertising. Different factors can affect radio advertising sales made to businesses, and many of these factors depend on the local market and radio station. These factors include time of advertisements, competition with other stations, types of advertisements available and cost of advertisements. Other economic factors might result in times of greater or lesser sales, just like with any other business.

Advertisements made on radio stations often fit a specific format. The most common lengths of radio advertisements are 30- or 60-second spots. Companies usually can select which length they desire, with 30-second spots often cheaper. Selling 30-second spots requires more sales for stations to fill their advertising slots.

Radio stations sell airtime to advertisers.
Radio stations sell airtime to advertisers.

Competition represents another factor that affects radio advertising sales. Many radio stations fit certain genres or styles of music. In other cases, radio stations might rely more on infomercials or talk shows as their main form of entertainment. The number of radio stations and types of formats or music styles are often a big factor, along with transmission on amplitude modulation (AM) or frequency modulation (FM) bands. Companies must often select which station and/or stations to use when choosing radio advertisement slots.

Whether or not the radio talent reads the advertisement can impact the cost of radio advertising.
Whether or not the radio talent reads the advertisement can impact the cost of radio advertising.

The types of radio advertisements often depends on the time of day that a company advertises. Radio advertising sales prices will often depend on the popularity of a station’s shows or music hours. For example, radio stations typically have morning, lunch-hour and drive-time advertisements available. The availability of slots during each of these specific times is often a major factor in radio advertising sales. A radio station with unpopular shows during any one of these times will often struggle to sell these advertising spots.

Radio advertisements often rely on jingles or catch phrases to grab audience attention.
Radio advertisements often rely on jingles or catch phrases to grab audience attention.

Cost is yet another — and often important — factor that alters radio advertising sales. A radio station must set prices for its advertising spots carefully to be competitive with other stations. Cost factors often depend on the time of day, the radio program during which the advertisement will play and the radio talent reading the advertisement. If a radio station has expensive radio advertisements, it might offer free spots to companies in order to induce sales. Free advertisements might include extra mentions on the radio or sponsorships to companies for paying the advertisement costs.

Discussion Comments

orangey03

If I owned a business and wanted to advertise, I would rather go with a radio ad than a newspaper ad. You could potentially reach a much larger audience with the radio, since people in surrounding towns could pick up the station.

Even though the cost of radio advertising might be higher, I think it would be a good investment. I can pick up radio stations from 50 miles away, but I would never buy a paper from a town that far from home. I think that many people feel the same way.

I would think that the cost to run an ad on the radio would fall somewhere between the cost to advertise with a newspaper and a television station. Am I right? Does anyone know if TV stations charge more than radio stations for time slots?

wavy58

My brother works in radio advertising sales, and he tells me that the 30-second spots are much more popular than the ones that run for a full minute. Of course, he would rather sell a 60-second spot, since he would get more commission off of it, but many customers don't want to take the risk.

A couple of his clients have said that they fear a 60-second ad would bore listeners and might actually turn away business. He would never tell them this, but he agrees with them. Even he rarely listens to long radio ads.

Most often, the customers who do purchase the longer spots are the ones who are holding special events. They need to relay lots of information, such as time, place, what will be available for sale, and what activities will be offered. It can be hard to fit all that information into a short spot.

cloudel

@Perdido – It could also be that the businesses who advertise during offbeat hours are actually doing so to reach their target market. I have heard a lot of advertisements directed toward stay-at-home moms and housewives aired at a time when many folks are at work.

I am lucky, because I get to listen to the radio at work. My boss loves music, so she doesn't mind at all.

I have heard early afternoon ads for stores that sell baby clothes, home décor stores, and toy stores during this time. I have also heard ads directed at retired people.

In the same vein, rush hour and lunchtime slots feature lots of restaurant ads. I imagine that is quite an effective technique, since many people have not yet decided where to eat at that time, and they are very hungry.

Perdido

On the surface, advertising on the radio during random hours of the afternoon might not seem like a good idea. However, if you have little money to spend on advertising, this is a good option.

Many stations don't charge nearly as much for an ad that runs between 2:00 and 4:00 as one that runs during rush hour or lunch. It is important to keep in mind that not everyone works an 8 to 5 job. Many people work nights or part-time, and you would be likely to reach these people with a mid-afternoon radio advertisement.

I work part-time, so I am off by 3:30 p.m. I listen to the radio for the next hour or so, and I hear a lot of ads for smaller businesses during this time that I don't hear during the more popular hours to listen to the radio. This tells me that these businesses are operating on a small budget.

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    • Radio stations sell airtime to advertisers.
      By: dmitrimaruta
      Radio stations sell airtime to advertisers.
    • Whether or not the radio talent reads the advertisement can impact the cost of radio advertising.
      By: morchella
      Whether or not the radio talent reads the advertisement can impact the cost of radio advertising.
    • Radio advertisements often rely on jingles or catch phrases to grab audience attention.
      By: dan talson
      Radio advertisements often rely on jingles or catch phrases to grab audience attention.
    • Radio shows that are hosted by popular hosts, such as Ryan Seacrest, can command higher advertising rates.
      Radio shows that are hosted by popular hosts, such as Ryan Seacrest, can command higher advertising rates.