How quickly the millennials have grown up.

According to Nielsen, 71% of all Fayetteville area parents with children under the age of 18 are millennials.  

From the time their kids are born until they reach they are 17, these young parents will, spend, on average, $233,000 per child. This does not include the cost of college.

Currently, there are 114,779 children under the age of 18 living in the Fayetteville metro area. That means the local parenting economy is worth upwards of $26 billion. These dollars are being spent, among other things, on diapers, daycare, transportation, toys, education, electronics, clothing, and health care.

For local small business owners interested in competing for a substantial portion of this multi-billion dollar pool of parental cash, they must advertise to millennial moms and dads. By almost any measurement, advertising on Fayetteville radio is the best way to reach this audience.

March is the biggest single month for used car sales in Fayetteville. During these 31 days alone, local pre-owned vehicle dealers are expected to bring in $16 million in sales. This will represent 10% of their annual revenue.

By the end of May, these dealers owners will sell more than $45.6 million worth of pre-owned cars and trucks. This, undoubtedly, makes March-May 'used car season' in the Fayetteville area.

Although most Fayetteville used car dealers are small business owners, they do really big business. In all, over the next 12 months, more than 56,000 pre-owned vehicles will be driven off their lots.

To capture a larger share of the area's $164 million used car market requires pre-owned vehicle dealers to advertise. By any measure, the best way for these business owners to advertise is on Fayetteville radio.

As Valentine's Day sales begin to dwindle, that's when Fayetteville small business owners start thinking about Mom.

Mother's Day, which happens on the second Sunday of May, is second only to Christmas in terms of holiday spending. Last year, Fayetteville consumers spent more than $34-million celebrating the women in their lives. That number is expected to grow again in 2020.

To claim a significant share of this Mother's Day cash, local retailers and restaurants will need to advertise.  By almost every key metric, advertising on Fayetteville radio is the best choice.

Over 80,000 consumers in the Fayetteville area now own a smart speaker. Ownership of these devices, including Amazon Echo and Google Home, has grown five-fold since the beginning of 2017.

According to Adobe Analytics, significantly  more consumers are asking Siri and Alexa to play music than any other activity.

Many local small business owners depend on Fayetteville radio to advertise their goods and service. So, how does the use of smart speakers as an audio device affect their radio advertising's ability to reach local consumers? The answer is: none at all.

If you were one of the 288,946 consumers who tuned-in to a Fayetteville radio station last week, then chances are you heard at least one commercial from GEICO, Progressive, or Liberty Mutual. That's because insurance is big business in Fayetteville.

Each year, Fayetteville consumers spend $560-million to insure their homes and cars. That's almost $1500 for every area adult.

There is good news and bad news for the 724 local insurance agents who are competing to earn a substantial share of the home and auto premiums consumers are paying.

According to Nielsen, 27,000 policyholders in Fayetteville are planning to switch insurance providers during the next 12 months.

In 1939, WFNC became the first radio station to serve Fayetteville. Today, 288,946 adult consumers tune-in to local radio stations every week. This is significantly more than watch local TV or read newspapers. 

North Carolina small business owners, however, also want to know how local radio compares to streaming audio platforms like Pandora and Spotify, especially as it relates to advertising. The answer could surprise many of them.

Pandora was created to provide a personalized radio station catering to the musical preferences of each user.  The playlists were determined by a proprietary algorithm and then streamed directly to each listeners' computer. Over the next few years, the service became available on iPads and smartphones.

Low unemployment, a boom in housing starts, and confident consumers are propelling robust sales for Fayetteville furniture stores.

In 2019, local consumers in the Fayetteville area spent $173 million on furniture and home furnishing. This number is expected to grow.

Based on estimates developed by Furniture Today’s Strategic Insights team and Easy Analytic Software Inc. (EASI), the total furniture and bedding market is projected to expand by more than 22% by 2024.

If a Fayetteville small business owner who sells furniture, furnishings, or home decor would like to grab a larger share of this expanding market, then advertising is necessary.  By almost every key metric, advertising on local radio is a sound marketing investment.

Small business owners have been advertising on Fayetteville radio since the first station, WBT, went on the air in 1922.  By almost every metric, the medium remains the best way to successfully market goods and services to local consumers.

Before  Fayetteville businesses finalize their marketing plans for this year, here are five facts they should know about radio advertising.

Fayetteville consumers cannot get enough pizza.

In 2012, there were just 135 local pizza restaurants. Today, however, that number has grown to 146. In 2019, these establishments racked up $68,640,726 in total sales.

Fifty-nine percent of pizza sales in the Fayetteville area are rung-up by one of the top-50 chains like Domino's or Pizza Hut. The remaining 41% of revenue is controlled by independent, small business owners.

To compete for a larger share of the pizza pie in Fayetteville requires local restaurant owners to bring in new customers. A proven way to accomplish this is with advertising.

The US Small Business Administration recommends that every Fayetteville area small business advertise consistently.  

Consumers in Fayetteville spent a record $503-million on home improvements in 2019. This level of spending is projected to drop modestly next year, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

“Declining home sales and home-building activity coupled with slower gains in permitting for improvement projects will put the brakes on remodeling growth,” says Chris Herbert, the center’s managing director.

“However, if falling mortgage interest rates continue to incentivize home sales, refinancing, and ultimately remodeling activity, the slowdown may soften some.”

If Fayetteville small businesses that sell home improvement products and services would like to continue to grow despite the softening market, then advertising will be required.

Fayetteville area small business owners need employees...desperately.

According to a report from the National Federation of Independent Business, 26% of small business owners say finding qualified workers is their number one problem. 

The report goes on to say that 88% of small business owners looking to hire new employees are finding there are no qualified candidates.

The historically low unemployment figures in Fayetteville appears to be the root cause of local hiring woes. The metro area's jobless rate stands at 4.8%. There are just not enough qualified workers to go around.

Most small business owners have exhausted the traditional methods of recruitment. These include online job board posts, newspaper ads, referral bonuses, and help wanted signs. All to no avail.

To successfully attract the qualified applicants they yearn for, local small business owners need to command the attention of 'passive' job seekers. The number one source for these candidates is Fayetteville radio.

For Fayetteville small business owners who depend on Valentine's Day to spike first-quarter sales, this year could prove to be a battle as the decline in celebrants is expected to continue.

Based on estimates from the National Retail Federation, 197,000 Fayetteville consumers will be participating in the holiday this year. This is 20% fewer than ten years ago.

There is good news, however, for local  business owners. Although there are will be fewer customers, local Valentine's Day spending is expected to grow to $32.1-million. This is 28% higher than a decade ago.

So, how does a Fayetteville retailer or restaurant win the battle for the hearts and wallets of romantic consumers?  Advertising is a necessary weapon to win this war.

No weapon is as potent as advertising on Fayetteville radio.

When Fayetteville consumers make their New Year's resolutions, many will have money on their minds.

A new study by Fidelity Investments finds that 67% of adults are considering a financial resolution for 2020. This is 10% more than last year.

The top financial resolution, among those considering one is, 'saving more'. The study found that, when asked to choose, a vast majority of consumers would rather save $5000 than lose five pounds.

This fervor for finance is excellent news for Fayetteville small business owners who cater to savers and investors. This includes financial advisors, insurance agents, bankers, accountants, and mortgage brokers.

To compete for a fair share of these resolution dollars requires business owners to advertise. By any metric, the best way to reach potential savers and investors is on Fayetteville radio.

The buying power of Black consumers in the Fayetteville area is now $3.7 billion. Over the past 19 years, according to Nielsen, the pace of spending by African Americans has grown 28% faster than by White consumers.

If a local small business owner would like to earn a larger share of this spending, the best place to start is with advertising.

"For African American consumers, advertising of all types is an important touchpoint in their shopping journey," says a recent study by Nielsen. "African American consumers are more likely than the total population to agree that advertising provides them with meaningful information about the product use of other consumers."

"African Americans are avid media consumers, across multiple media channels, which gives advertisers ample opportunities to connect with them."

The best advertising medium, though, for small business owners to reach local African American consumers is on Fayetteville radio.

Small business owners in the Fayetteville area must advertise to claim a fair share of the $8.5 billion retail economy.

“Think you have a great product?” asks the U.S. Small Business Administration. “Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.”  The SBA goes on to say, “Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your sales, and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your business."

During 2019, many Fayetteville small business owners sought advertising guidance on the advice pages of www.AdvertiseInFayetteville.com. Below are the top ten most-read articles from the past 12 months.