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Reading Room Articles
Almost everyone in this country listens to radio. Granted, it's not the kind of "activity" that we tend to devote a great deal of energy or attention into - but it has become an important part of daily life. As undeniably passive as it is, there is little doubt that radio listening has a mighty impact on society. Radio speaks with words and images. Powerful, moving, and persuasive, the creative opportunities we have in radio are fantastic. As a communications tool, radio is unsurpassed. Who Listens Radio reaches 94.8 percent of people 12 years and older every week. If your targeted resident profile is men 18 and older, you'll be interested to know that radio reaches 95.5 percent of them every day. It also reaches 93.1 percent of women 18 and older daily. Radio is everywhere. It goes places that print media cannot. They listen in their cars, offices, and homes. In fact, 58 percent of households have a radio in the bedroom; 50 percent have one in the kitchen; 67 percent in the living room; 22 percent in a study or den; and 9 percent of us have one in our dining room. They're also in (or within earshot of) bathrooms, garages, patios, and pool areas. Portable radios make bus and subway commutes almost bearable, and they're as essential to a well-stocked gym bag as a clean pair of socks. The Advantages of Radio 1. Radio time has a lower cost-per-thousand than newspapers, direct mail, and television. 2. Radio offers a wide variety of program formats, each targeting a specific segment of the population. 3. Radio reaches nearly 99 percent of the consumer market. 4. Radio can reach future residents just about everywhere. 5. Radio messages can be changed quickly and easily. 6. Radio enables us to talk to future residents during the time of day and in an environment that is most likely to elicit a response. 7. Radio advertising can influence future resident's way of thinking, or pique their curiosity, even if they're not actively looking for an apartment (i.e. "Why not take a look? Maybe it's better then what I have now.") 8. Radio advertising can reach virtually any resident profile, including people who don't frequently read newspapers or who don't read direct mail. It's also flexible enough to pinpoint your target residents by demographics, psychographics, and geography. Tips For Writing Great Radio Ads 1. Capture the listener's imagination. Voices and sounds create pictures in the listener's mind. Take your listeners somewhere they've never been before - or better yet, somewhere they're dying to go. 2. Tune in to your selected station for a while and listen for the most memorable sounds or voices. Listen for voices, jingles, sounds, or other solutions that will make your ad stand out, and incorporate the best technique(s) into your ad. 3. Present one concept. Be direct and clear or you will lose your listener's attention. 4. Grab the attention of your resident profile fast. We all station surf, so the goal is to grab your target listener's attention before they have a chance to change stations! 5. Repeat the Community name at least six times in a one-minute commercial to increase memorability. 6. Make a call for action. Ask listeners to call, and visit your web site and /or your community. 7. Use the strength of radio personalities. They have steady listeners. 8. Radio is a high-frequency medium. Keep the listeners attention by adding variety to your message. 9. Don't evaluate radio copy by reading typed radio scrip. The spoken word is different than the printed word. In a newspaper ad, the future resident can always go back and re-read if he misses part of your ad. In radio, if your future resident misses part of the message, he can't go back and hear it again. Have a demo made to approximate the finished commercial. Judge your radio commercials in context. Just as you would ask to see your print ad as it would appear in an apartment magazine or newspaper, ask to hear your radio spot, including the segments that will be played before and after it. 10. Get help if you need it. You can write the spots yourself; but, if you aren't an expert in radio advertising, get help from an experienced professional. Many radio stations will provide expert copywriting assistance free of charge, but it might be wise to obtain an objective, outside opinion on your demo before you approve the spots. Many professional copywriters also have radio writing experience, but be certain to choose one who has a strong radio background. Selecting the Right Station This is the most difficult choice of all. You can't even begin to select the right station or stations until you know exactly who your residents and future residents are. When you know their demographics, then it's time to find out which station(s) they listen to and at what times. There are all kinds of stations out there, and each reaches out to a fragmented audience with very specific tastes. The general format categories include: • Adult contemporary • Middle of the road • Beautiful music • News • Talk • Rock • Country-western • Jazz • Classical • Easy listening • Ethnic • Variety • Educational • Religious But these break down even further - for instance, Rock alone includes formats devoted to Classic, Alternative, Progressive, Top 40, or only the music of particular decades (50's Oldies; 60's Classics; 70's Funk, Soul, and Disco; and 80's Pop). Whew! Then, you have to choose between AM and FM. FM has the largest number of listeners, and consists largely of music formats in most cities, where you'll find that the AM dial in most cities is now largely devoted to talk and news. In the end, select the radio station or stations that best reach your targeted profile. To find out specifics about each station, call and request a media kit. Stick with the demographics -- age, sex, income, education, employment, and residence -- so you can target your next residents. Buying Your Spots When it comes to selecting time spots, it's important to make an educated decision - don't guess! You have to know when your residents and future residents will be listening. Begin by applying a little common sense to your demographic research. You'll know, for example, if they commute to and from work, are housewives or working mothers, are teenagers or older students, etc. If your residents or future residents drive to and from work, then drive times are the best buy. Drivers are a relatively attentive audience. In fact, research proves that drivers recall commercial messages better than home listeners. If your customers listen to radio at home or in the office, midday spots are good buys. Many radio stations have audience participation promotions during working hours to promote active listening throughout the day. Radio spots are categorized by the time of day in which they air. The premium times are 6 am to 10 am ("morning drive", and usually the most expensive), 10 am to 3 pm ("midday", and second most expensive), 3 pm to 6 pm ("evening drive"), 6 pm to midnight, and midnight to 6 am (the least expensive, and for good reason). Of the two drive times (morning or evening) morning is the best. For the most part, radio listenership is greatest between 6 am and 6 pm, after which listening drops off substantially. Monday through Thursday is the best days to advertise on radio. Research shows that Tuesdays are usually the best days, followed by Wednesday and Thursday, then Monday. Fridays are the least effective, but do tend to gather some listener ship if a local event is scheduled for that day or during the coming weekend. Expect to pay special (and almost always higher) weekend rates in most areas. Getting The Best Buy The standard radio media buy is ROS (run of schedule), which means that the station will guarantee your spot to be aired between certain hours, but not at a specific time. There are also different rates for different spot lengths. Every rate is based on the 60-second spot. 30-second spots are sometimes available at a lower rate, but avoid them. 60-second spots are virtually always the best buy. If you are serious about using radio to increase your occupancy and / or traffic; one spot per time slot won't do it, and neither will two. You will need to run at least three spots per time slot to have an effect during a short-run campaign. Five per slot borders on too much. Four per slot is about right for really pushing up your traffic numbers. Finally, get a deal! Account executives won't admit this unless you ask, but radio time is negotiable. Push for the best rate. Measuring Results Measuring radio results is different than measuring other types of advertising. A lot of people will say it can't be done for any number of reasons. The keys are to make your ads memorable, and to apply a little creativity to the tracking process. Radio vs. Print Compared to print advertising, radio is "dirt-cheap". Just compare the cost of using radio to your vacancy loss or the concessions everyone is begging to give, and the numbers speak for themselves. Perhaps you live in a city of 700,000. The city's biggest newspaper has a paid circulation of 200,000 with additional street and newsstand sales of 60,000 per day. You want your ad to reach as many members of your target market as possible in the quickest and most efficient way possible, right? Almost everybody has a radio. RESOURCE: For more information on radio advertising, contact the Radio Advertising Bureau, 304 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010, phone (212) 254-4800. 
As Chief Imagination Officer of The Sales & Marketing Magic Companies, Tami Siewruk shares more than 20 years of experience in multifamily housing, encompassing leasing, marketing, management, training, authoring, consulting, developing, and Brainstorming! For more information on Tami's newsletter, Sales & Marketing Magic for Apartment Managers; the latest Tools & Forms Catalogue; The Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming Sessions™; or to receive Tami's top ideas, FREE, via e-mail, please call 727-784-9469 or visit www.SMMOnline.com. |
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