Are you thinking about advertising on radio stations in Illinois? You should be! Targeted radio advertising reaches more people than most other channels.
A Nielsen study reported that radio has the highest weekly U.S. reach over TV, smartphone, PC, Connected-TV devices, and tablets. As for the official results, radio reached 92% of U.S. adults 18 and older, hitting 90% of those between 18 and 34, 94% of those between 35 and 49, and 91% of adults 50 and older.
Here's a mini guide to help you reach your radio advertising target audience.
Reaching Your Target Audience with Radio
First and foremost, you must know your audience's demographics, interests, behaviors, etc., to reach your target audience with radio. Targeting factors include age, gender, language, location, preferences, hobbies, lifestyles, race, ethnicity, education, and more.
The more you know, the better your message will resonate with listeners because it will be relevant and meaningful to them. After all, at least 71% of consumers say they want more brands to personalize their interactions and messages, and another 76% convey frustration with those that do not.
Moreover, defining your radio audience helps with the following:
- To know where to find them and when
- Customize content/ads specific to your target audience
- Helps station owners identify the listeners they already have, as well as set a baseline for listeners they want to reach and attract to their station
The Importance of Radio Audience Targeting
When it comes down to it, not all listeners are alike. A one-size-fits-all approach to your ad creation and delivery will not perform as well as those created and delivered with a specific radio audience in mind.
Also, stations might not appeal to your entire audience.
Targeting enables broadcasters to customize content for a specific audience, resulting in better engagement. This is especially important because as many as 91% of consumers feel encouraged to support and purchase from a business that personalizes communication with them. Furthermore, knowing what content your audience wants to listen to helps you understand the consumption behaviors of your listeners — such as the time and devices your target audience is listening from — helping you further increase your reach.
Types of Radio Targeting
There are different segmenting opportunities your brand can leverage in radio audience targeting. The most important types to consider are the following.
Location Targeting
A common radio audience targeting option is geo-location. Geo-location is a great way to get your local brand noticed and recognized by residents in your Illinois area. It can also help reach those passing through who may need your products/services when nearby. This way, your radio advertisements are delivered to relevant listeners who can take action after hearing your message.
Stations can choose to target listeners by country, city, or even suburb level, so local isn't your only option with geo-location. You can also target a demographic unique to specific locations (i.e., luxury brands resonate best with upscale communities, and cars sell best in rural areas vs. urban areas, while bikes are a preferred transportation method in urban areas vs. rural).
Music Genre and Age Groups
Audience segmentation by music genre is one of the most popular ways of audience targeting. Music preference is usually mixed with the age variable, as specific genres typically appeal to different age groups.
For instance, Statista's 2021 report on what genres resonate with which age groups. The study found that 52% of listeners between 16 and 19 cited Pop Music as their favorite (compared to 19% of those 65+), while Classic Rock was preferred by 65% of listeners between 55 and 64 (compared to just 26% between 16 and 19). From there, the report gets increasingly more specific for a dozen genres and at least seven age groups.
When you know what type of music your audience likes, you can:
- Boost your engagement by segmenting your audience based on music and genre
- Engage in topic discussions that matter to your listeners
Radio Formats
Radio formats refer to the overall content of the station and are commonly used to define audiences for radio stations. Some examples include News/Talk, Classic Hits, Spanish, Sports, Contemporary Christian, etc.
As many radio formats already serve predefined audiences, knowing which one your ideal listeners fall under is a great way to ensure your advertising is on the right platform, reaching the right audience.
Reaching Your Audience with Mid-West Family
In particular, radio advertising with Mid-West Family is a great way to ensure you're getting the most out of your experience and reaching the right radio audience for your brand. Contact us to learn more about our radio advertising experts and the goals we can help you achieve.
