When a Fayetteville small business owner advertises on a local radio station, the first words determine if consumers will pay attention. The article "Be Heard: The #1 Job of Commercials on Fayetteville Radio" discusses this topic in-depth.
When it comes time to buy, however, getting in the final word can be equally important. Advertising on Fayetteville radio is often the last voice a customer hears before making a purchase in-store or online.
Being the last voice serves as a potent reminder to consumers that a business or product exists. Especially since our brains make things very easy to forget. Science says it's so.
Hermann Ebbinghaus was a German psychologist who, during the 19th century, who pioneered the experimental study of memory. He is most famous for the discovery of the "Forgetting Curve". This curve demonstrates how rapidly the ability to recall information erodes over time.
The Ebbinghaus Curve indicates that unless people make a concerted effort to remember, the ability to recall information drops by 40% after just 20 minutes. At the end of one day, recall drops to only about 25%. Quickly after that, recall diminishes into oblivion.
What all this science suggests is that to be remembered by potential customers, it is critical that Fayetteville business owners advertise consistently. According to many local marketers, advertising on Fayetteville radio allows small businesses to do that affordably and effectively.
Cars put most consumers in proximity to Fayetteville retailers. A study by Edison Research reveals that 82% of people in cars prefer listening to the radio. This is significantly greater than all other available audio sources.
A study by USA Touchpoints, a cross-platform measurement company, studied the time lapse between audio media use and time of purchase. Radio was, by far, used most often within one half-hour of purchase. Based on the Ebbinghaus Curve, this 30 minutes provides small business owners with the greatest likelihood of being remembered.
Radio's ability to drive traffic is not just limited to Fayetteville small business owners brick-and-mortar locations. Radio has proven to generate website visits as well. This is crucial because 90% of consumers depend on the internet for some portion of their buying decisions.
According to research by Sequent Partners, radio advertising created a 29% increase in online search activity for the product categories and brands that were involved in the study.
The study measured the website visitation increases generated by 2100 local radio ads across six different product categories. The results were definitive. Radio drove listeners to the web for more information.
The study first looked at the typical number of Google searches that typically occur for the subject product category and brands. This information creates a baseline of pre-radio expectations.
Next, search activity was measured for the times when radio advertising occurred for the subject categories and brands. The results were overlaid on the baseline.
The green bars above, indicate the days and time radio advertising aired. The green peaks highlight the incremental search that is attributable to radio advertising.
Most importantly, radio proved to be successful for every brand involved in the study.
- Automotive Brand: +7%
- E-Commerce Brand: +9%
- Wireless Communication: +18%
- Auto Aftermarket Retailer: +65%
- Insurance: +73%
- Jewelry: +370%
Consumers Buy From Companies Advertising On Fayetteville Radio
Hundreds of Fayetteville small business owners depend on local radio's ability to reach consumers when they are ready to buy.
Joe Quigg owns all five Ed's Tire & Auto Service locations in the Fayetteville area. He has been advertising consistently on the radio since 2009.
To optimize his investment in radio advertising, he focuses his commercial schedules around the 1st and 15th of every month.
“Fayetteville is a military and payday town and those are the days the military gets their checks,” Mr. Quigg says. “We make sure people hear about us when they have money in their pockets. Radio really helps us do that.”
Budget Rooter, a local plumbing company, has been advertising on Fayetteville radio since 2007. Carolyn Barbour, who co-owns the company with her husband Tommy, has seen the effect of having their brand remembered when it comes time to buy.
“There was a local nursing home who lost their heat late one evening,” recounts Ms. Barbour. “The night staff had no idea who to call. They could not remember our name. But they could recall our ‘don’t flush’ slogan from the radio commercial. So, they typed the slogan into Google and there we were.”
At a recent Plumbing convention, an industry consultant suggested to the Barbours that radio advertising might not be the most effective way to advertise. “No, no, no,” Ms. Barbour told him. “For us, radio is tried and true. When people in Fayetteville have an urgent plumbing problem, because of our radio advertising, we are the only name they know.”
More Advertising Advice For Fayetteville Small Business Owners
