Fayetteville, North Carolina area business owners are expected to invest $65-million during 2021 to advertise to consumers connected to the internet. This forecast was produced by Borrell Associates, a company that tracks business advertising expenditures across the country.

These online marketing dollars will be spent on banner advertising, search engine marketing, email, as well as audio and video advertising. This is all to capture the attention of shoppers and buyers as they go about their connected days.

According to Nielsen, 94% of adult consumers in the Fayetteville area have access to the internet. They connect, primarily, with desktop and laptop computers; smartphones; or tablets.

Ninety-four percent of Fayetteville adults spend at least one hour per week online, with most spending at least 10 hours connected.

Facebook usage has swelled since the onset of the Covid-19. 

According to Nielsen, before the current chaos, 62% of Fayetteville area adults used Facebook each month. This was significantly fewer than were reached by local radio or television each week.

According to the New York Times, however, since the start of the Coronavirus, daily Facebook traffic has increased by 27%. This compares to 33% growth in the amount of time consumers spend listening to local radio during a similar period.

Based on the surge in Facebook consumption, North Carolina small business owners might be tempted to purchase advertising on the social media platform to augment their regular, free postings. Here are are few facts these businesses should consider before investing.

The chaos created in Fayetteville by the onset of Coronavirus has been a disruptive force among consumers. 

Work routines, buying habits, family life, and media consumption have all been palpably affected. These are all factors that need to be considered by small business owners who continue to advertise their goods and services during the crisis.

Before the current chaos, advertising on Fayetteville, by any metric, was the best way a local small business could advertise.

For instance, pre-Coronavirus, 2.1 million adult consumers tuned-in to a Fayetteville radio station every week. This is significantly more than watched local TV, read a newspaper, accessed social media, or streamed audio from sites like Pandora and Spotify.

New research released from Nielsen indicates that amidst the current crisis, listening to local radio remains little changed. This is great news for those North Carolina small business owners who are depending on advertising for their long-term survival.

Retailers in the Fayetteville area rang-up $8,527,802,000 in retail sales last year, according to Nielsen. But wait. It's about to get better.

The National Retail Federation forecasts that in 2020, sales will increase by as much as 4.1%. This will create another $349 million for local small business owners.  

“The economy is growing at a more modest pace, but the underlying economic fundamentals remain in place and are positive,” stated NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz. “Consumers remain upbeat and have the confidence to spend, and the steady wage growth that has come with the strong job market is fueling their spending. The state of the consumer is very healthy.

To claim a fair share of this enlarged pool of spending will require Fayetteville small business owners to advertise.

“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.”  

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.

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.

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.