Do you use radio to advertise your small business? If so, how do you structure your ads?
I can’t deny that small business radio ads stick with me when I hear them, especially if I am interested in the service that’s being offered. But I often notice that small businesses who use radio ads use it to promote the wrong thing.
What’s the wrong thing to promote on radio? Your phone number.
Think about it. Where are most people when they hear radio ads?
Yep, you got it. Most people are in their cars.
If you are driving at 70 mph in heavy traffic are you going to reach for a pen to write down a phone number? I sure hope not! So why assume that your prospects will?
I hope you’re not reaching for your cell phone in the hopes of storing the number either. That’s just as bad as texting and driving!
And people are not just going to remember a string of numbers no matter how many times you repeat those numbers. They are distracted. Something will catch their attention and the numbers will be wiped right out of their heads.
What is the right thing to promote on the radio? Your website URL.
You knew I was going to bring this back around to internet marketing eventually, right?
Yet I’m not saying this just because I love websites. I’m saying it because words are easier to remember than numbers are. Your web URL is likely to be a short phrase or even a single word. Say it 3 times in your ad and people will remember it long enough to visit it when they get home.
They may only remember your business name. That’s fine too.
Because what are they going to do if they only remember your business name? They’re going to Google it, so you’re in trouble if you don’t have a website but golden if you do.
You’ll still get the call, because what are you going to put on your website? Your phone number, of course.
And you won’t just list your phone number. You’ll surround it with lots of great content that will convince your prospect that you are absolutely the right person to do business with.
What, you don’t have a website yet? Time to get on it then!
