Radio and Online Advertising “Band” Together for Higher ROI

There’s a great mistake brands make when it comes to advertising. And, it relates back to the word itself: “Advertising.”

Many want to “do” “advertising” without really understanding what they are doing. You’ll hear companies say they “do” radio or they “do” digital. But, when you’re advertising, what are you really doing? You’re communicating. And, communication is not specific to any one medium.

In the omnichannel, screen-agnostic, media-saturated world we live in, consumers are acclimated to receiving messaging through many different media. With reference to offline media and online media, one can’t simply think of communication as tied to one or the other. Rather, the combination of the two is greater than the sum of its parts.

What does this mean?

The supplementation of online advertising to offline advertising improves the effectiveness of offline advertising.

Research shows that an advertiser who runs a paid search campaign in tandem with their radio ads will receive a greater ROI than if they would have just run radio ads alone.

Still not convinced? Here’s some more light on the issue:

Peter Roesler states, “Running ads entirely on radio will give marketers a good portion of the local commuter audience, but a growing number of people will get their morning music and news from an app. Using banner ads that are available on generic apps or the specific audio and visual apps possible on Internet radio apps helps to ensure that marketers reach a larger percentage of their target audience.”

In addition to amplifying your reach through radio, advertisers can utilize digital channels to help shuttle their prospect through the purchase funnel. According to recent research, 81% of shoppers conduct online research before they make a purchase. 89% begin by using a search engine to find the products they want, and 61% will read product reviews before making any purchase. On average, a consumer will visit three stores before making their purchase.

In the case of radio, many consumers will respond to hearing a radio ad with an Internet search to investigate further. In fact, two-thirds of online search queries are driven by offline advertising, according to Jupiter Research.

To explore further, let’s take a minute to think about how radio is consumed. For one, radio is one of the only mediums that can reach consumers during their commute. However, one of its greatest strengths, is also one of its weaknesses. People are typically distracted while listening to the radio, whether it’s driving, washing dishes, or working out. In some instances, radio is actually being consumed while someone is also using the Internet. In each of these cases, online advertising provides a great resource that can follow up on the messaging first communicated through radio.

So, now that you’re ready to throw together a campaign on radio and the Internet, how do you ensure the two work together?

Stick to these three integration tactics:

• Consistency: Your advertising should share the same voice, personality, and goals. Consumers expect to find the same tone and messaging in your PPC campaign as they do through your radio spot.
• Complimentary: Both your radio ads and your online ads should support the same goals. In fact, they can help fuel one another. For instance, you can leverage insights gleaned from paid search efforts to learn how to speak to your customers. This keyword “insight” can be used to develop highly effective radio ad copy.
• Simultaneously: Capitalize on momentum by launching ads at the same time.

Moral of the story: Use multiple channels and media to support the customer’s purchase throughout the full buying cycle to boost ROI.