More and more people tend to listen to the radio through online platforms. The amount of people that listens to online radio, is rising every year. One of the biggest reasons that listeners have moved to online radio, is because they want to have more control. You can easily switch between different stations or go to a specific theme station. This way, you can always listen to the genres you like most.
Online radio advertising
We can divide online radio in three different categories: online FM-radio, online theme stations and streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Of these three categories, most Dutch people listen to online FM-radio (37%). This category is followed by the streaming services (29%) and lastly there are the theme stations (28%).
The growth of online radio offers opportunities for online marketing. The people who listen to online radio are often young and highly educated. Also, people listen more intensively to online radio stations. The breaks on online radio are often shorter than on the regular FM-stations, which causes a higher awareness amongst the listeners.
Different studies have shown us that online radio plays a big role in the effectivity of a campaign. Advertisers who use online radio as well as regular FM-station, tend to have six percent more top of mind brand awareness. There are even more benefits to advertising on online radio platforms. Just to name a few: Target a specific audience, better insight in the impact of your campaign, possibilities for retargeting.
Retargeting
Now I would like to tell you a little bit more about that last benefit: retargeting. This is an existing form of targeting where you invite your target audience to visit your website again. A lot of marketeers use display advertisements for remarketing.
Let’s work with an example: you have been comparing prices of a certain pair of shoes online, and suddenly, everywhere you look you see advertisements for those shoes. This is a very effective way to persuade potential customers who are still in doubt. You can also use this kind of targeting through online radio.
Online radio offers so much more than the regular FM-radio. For example: you can target a specific audience to reach a very specific goal. You can filter on age and location, but also on playlists. The trick is to target in such a way, that everyone who hears your commercial feels addressed. This might mean that you have got to come up with different commercials to target different people.
Do you want your target audience to do something specific after hearing your commercial? Than it is important to include a call to action at the end of you commercial. For example: you can ask your target audience to visit your website or to fill in a certain form.
Should I use online radio advertising?
Advertising on online radio platforms should definitely in your marketing mix. If you are not sure about how you can involve this in your strategy, you can always look for help at an online marketing agency, like Economy. You should include this strategy in your marketing mix, because it is a great way to get to a lot of people at once, and radio is still a popular medium.
If you find that your campaign isn’t working, you can use real-time data to optimize your campaign. This way, your campaigns will probably do better. Also, keep in mind that it is very important to reach out to the people who have visited your website in the past. Use retargeting campaigns to get their attention back and eventually achieve your goals.