Did you know that heavy radio listeners generate about five billion brand conversations WEEKLY? That’s more than heavy users of TV, social media, magazines, and newspapers generate, according to research from RAB. Yet, you mainly hear advertisers talk about their upcoming digital campaigns.

How can you show your client the influence of a radio commercial? Here’s what you need to know.

Is Your Client’s Radio Commercial Boosting Brand Buzz?

Radio’s Industry Reach

Your client may think that a radio commercial doesn’t work well for their industry, but these ads’ influence is far reaching. According to RAB, “Radio ranks #1 in brand conversations across all 15 industries and sectors.” Those industries include:

Food and Dining: Radio ads generate 552 million brand conversations weekly for this industry
Media and Entertainment: 533 million
Beverages: 474 million
Shopping, Retail and Apparel: 425 million
Sports: 345 million
Technology: 324 million
Automotive: 279 million
Beauty and Personal Care: 266 million
Household Products: 242 million
Health Care: 235 million
Financial: 223 million
Telecom: 222 million
The Home: 211 million
Travel Services: 180 million
Children’s Products: 140 million

There is a very slim chance your client doesn’t belong in one of those industries. Some of those millions of conversations could be about their products or services. Don’t let the competition dominate the conversation.

Forget Influencers, You Have Heavy Radio Listeners

The point of brands partnering with influencers is to get people talking about a brand’s product or services, right? Or at least to have the product or service shown in a more relatable light by a consumer like themselves? That’s what brand conversations are, and heavy radio listeners have those for free!

According to RAB, about 10% of the U.S. consumer population are everyday influencers. They’re the people who are sought out for their advice, and their recommendations are heeded more often than not. They talk about the brands they like or have been impressed by with people.

They also keep up with what’s new and spread the word about those products and/or services. And a lot of those conversations are about the advertising of those products and services.

And yes, heavy radio listeners are more likely to be everyday influencers than other types of heavy media consumers. Specifically, they’re:

25% more likely than the average person to be an everyday influencer
23% more likely than heavy TV viewers
4% more likely than heavy social media users

People will listen to your client’s radio commercial and they will talk about it. That means your client’s message goes further for free.

Conversations = Sales

Sure, conversations about ads don’t always lead to sales, but they do more often than not when a heavy radio listener is involved. RAB says that “51% of brand conversations among heavy radio listeners culminate in an intent to purchase, surpassing the national average.” If your client’s radio commercial can spark a conversation, it’s likely to result in purchase intent.

What to Talk About

People like to talk about things that concern them. The leading issues discussed among heavy radio listeners, according to RAB, are:

Shopping: 35%
Nutrition/Healthy Eating: 30%
Personal Financial Concerns: 28%
Vacation/Travel: 28%
Energy/Gas Costs: 27%
Schools/Education: 24%

If possible, tie your client’s radio commercial messages to these topics. Another strategy is to promote their support for causes that relate to these topics. Doing so will light a fire under everyday influencers.

To learn more about heavy radio listeners, trend setters or your client’s target audience check out their profiles on AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel. AdMall will reveal the level of influence radio has on their purchase habits. You can also learn what they intend to spend money on within the next year, causes they care about and their lifestyles.

With that information, it will be easy to craft a radio commercial that will get them talking.

Photo by Will Francis