As you know, we live in a fast paced world. Companies have to fight for our attention and reaching a target audience is becoming much more difficult. But what if I told you there is a methodical one-two punch strategy that can save the day? Well, there is — radio and digital. When combining these two strategies, businesses have seen incredible results. So, buckle up, because this 'miracle' strategy is here, and I'm going to tell you all about it!
Why Radio + Digital?
Don’t be fooled, radio is far from dead. In fact, radio is an extremely powerful marketing tool. People often listen while driving in the car and they internalize the message at a much higher rate because it's the only thing (besides driving) competing for their attention.
I will let you in on a little not-so-secret secret, radio reaches about 93% of the population effectively every week, according to Nielsen.
The very disruption in the radio industry that has led many to believe it's dying, actually strengthened the radio industry. Now, we have opportunities such as in-app listening, and technology like Alexa, which has welcomed radio back into the home. Radio is alive and well, and still a super effective way to reach your target audience.
Now, as you already know, digital strategy is also great; it's modern and relevant and absolutely everywhere in 2019. It allows for more authentic B2C and B2B connection. Tailoring your online content to increase the rate at which you’re found, including keywords to improve search-ability, placing ads on sites with high traffic, and using social media to get found and become liked are all incredibly valuable strategies. Similarly to radio, without them, your business is likely doomed in this hustling and bustling 21st century.
A killer Combo
But hear me out; what if you combined radio and digital strategy? If you combine the 29% increase in search due to radio with the powerful increase in presence due to digital strategy, you have a nearly infallible marketing strategy.
Combining radio with digital efforts has proven to drive a much higher ROI and improve two-way communication with audiences. At Leighton Media, we have found the greatest success comes when our clients take advantage of both of these avenues. When a potential client knows your name, can sing your jingle, and sees you near the top of the search results, that’s powerful.
What to Do
Digital efforts are crucial to company success. To be clear, 81% of consumers conduct online research before buying a product or service. Combining radio with digital advertising efforts has proven to drive a much higher ROI and improve two-way communication with audiences.
Collaboration between radio and digital allows for your message to be reinforced across multiple platforms, strengthening both the message and creating a more cohesive strategy. You may be wondering, what does this look like?
Who is Your Target Market?
Similar to if we were doing a radio-only strategy, we will help you identify your ideal customer using data on age, background, consumer habits, etc. This will allow us to place your ad on the right radio format based on listenership. There is generally a big difference in the listeners of classic hits stations compared to those listening to the Top 40. Once we have your ideal customer nailed down, we will create an ad that accurately conveys your message and reflects your brand.
Along with this radio spot, we will develop a digital strategy. This will include carefully placing visual ads in places your ideal consumer will visit. Due to the nature of radio, our site has a lot of traffic. It's the way our consumers enter contests and engage with the radio station. This makes it a powerful place to execute digital strategy in order to improve consumers' connection with you and your brand.
Enter Leighton Engage
Beyond the enormous reach of our station websites, we can work with Leighton Engage, our digital marketing division, to place display banners on websites outside of our owned properties. The messaging of the digital banners should mimic your on-air radio ads to create consistency and maximize potential ROI.
How To Use Radio & Digital Together
So, how do you get the most for your money? We hear that. A lot.
Other questions include:
- What does this process even look like?
- How do you capitalize on this idea of reaching people on-air and online?
All advertising decisions with our company starts with a conversation where our clients do most of the talking and we listen. We want you to answer what, when, and where. In order to generate this holistic marketing strategy, we will need to identify what your company needs. Do you want more engagement? Do you want to improve the overall perception of your company brand? Getting clear on this will eliminate the risk of throwing your marketing dollars at a plan that doesn’t drive results in the way you need. This is the Discovery part of our process.
After we identify what you need, my team will use our combined experience and expertise to assess your needs. This grants us the critical energy needed to think about how both the digital and radio space can be the most helpful in your unique situation. This part is so crucial because there is no perfect balance between radio and digital. The "perfect" strategy is one tailored to drive results for your company based on your what, when, and where.
For example, if people know who you are, and you already have that connection but struggle to make conversions, we will shift more of our focus to creating a digital strategy that amplifies your brand and increases your ability to be found online.
After we analyze your needs, we will come back to you with advertising recommendations. You can then begin to execute this carefully-crafted dynamic duo of a strategy.
Radio & Digital: The Dynamic Duo
Combining radio with digital is a surefire way to increase ROI. It can be overwhelming but our team has ample experience in both radio and digital adverting which allows for an overall understanding of how the two best work together. From banner ads to memorable radio jingles, you will be in good hands.
In the fast paced world we’re in (and the same world your potential customers are in), it only makes sense that you take advantage of every avenue you can. Getting found can be hard, and being remembered can be even harder. Radio and digital are the dynamic duo that take care of both of those universal marketing woes.
Questions? Talk a radio rep.
