Should I be using radio ads in my digital marketing mix in 2023? Real ROI figures

The benefits of radio advertising

Radio Advertising adds huge Reach

The number one benefit of radio is that it is an incredibly cost-effective way to reach large swathes of the population. On average it seems to be about four times cheaper than national newspaper advertising and potentially allows a much larger audience – 89% of the Uk population listen to radio each week. Ad avoidance is lowest of all on radio.

Build Brand awareness

Radio is a great way to build brand awareness – and it can go further because good creative on radio can really trigger an emotional response which is far more powerful than logic or offers of money off etc.

Radio can deliver quick sales

With radio you can monitor response and optimise your campaigns accordingly. If you need to get an offer or new product out to market quickly then radio can be produced quickly and aired with speed.

Build your remarketing campaigns quickly

Remarketing campaigns, especially for a new product, can be hard to get going – building that initial audience of interested people takes time if only online methods are used. Radio can dramatically accelerate this process.

Grow your email list almost overnight

Our client is in the BtoC space selling a healthy snack item. Their most profitable sales channel (and yours too, I expect) is their email list – a fortnightly email delivers over £4k in sales each time. Of course, getting email subscribers isn’t easy but once you have them they are a vital channel. Radio is a great way to build the list.

The ROI figures on radio ads and others:

Radio – 2.05
TV – 1.31
Google Ads 3.13
Amazon 4.16
Newsletter – the best!

Amazon is clearly a winner in one regard but as a note of caution: With Amazon they have no ability to market to the buyers again so if you view the other channels as ways to build the newsletter channel then their numbers come up against Amazon.

We see radio as being a key part of the launch success ( 18 months later) of this new brand. It has driven huge awareness, made the brand credible in consumers’ eyes and filled both the remarketing campaigns and the email list.

How to create great radio ads

Know your spot length

Trying to cram more words into a short time will result in an ad that fails to communicate at all.

One idea, one takeaway

Try to catch a tennis ball – quite easy. Now try to catch 5 at once – not so much. The same is true with ideas in ads – one idea, simply communicated is far more effective than a load of ideas thrown at people.

Think about your voice

Think careful about how your brand speaks. Don’t just blindly copy the same old tone that you hear on the radio – the cliches are boring and ineffective. Choose your words carefully and consider how they are delivered and by whom.

Avoid cliche ideas
Write the radio ad that would entertain and intrigue you. The tired cliche of a presenter asking ridiculous questions of another voice is one that needs to be retired. And there are others – avoid them all and make your own creative.