There are so many more options today to consider when planning a radio campaign than ever before.  From terrestrial AM and FM radio to Satellite, Streaming, Personalized Radio Services and Podcasts, there’s a variety of options to fit almost every budget.

Regardless of your budget, the ultimate goal is to initially test as many options as possible in order to determine the mix of radio properties that delivers the best results for your product or service.

If your offering is available only in select markets, you can choose to air on terrestrial AM & FM radio stations in those markets only, as well as stream your campaign online.  Many online radio platforms, including Personalized Radio Services like Pandora and Slacker, allow advertisers to geo-target their advertising, so there is virtually no waste.

On the other hand, if your product or service is available nationwide, your best bet, in terms of cost-efficiency, might be a national network buy, which places your message on AM and FM stations at a lower CPM than when buying each market separately.  Satellite Radio, which targets 20+ million subscribers nationwide is another cost-efficient option, with a loyal listening audience that skews above average in household income and education.  In fact, if your budget is limited, you can exclusively test a variety of targeted satellite channels on a national scale as the cost is significantly less than national terrestrial radio.

When allocating your budget, it’s important to consider how you want your prospects to respond to your offer.  If your CTA drives listeners to a call center, then it’s important to limit your advertising to those hours when your call center is open.  If you’re directing listeners to your website, online radio platforms often become the preferred testing option as your customer is literally just a mouse-click away.

When we start working with a new client, we ask lots of questions with respect to your target customer and the way in which your product can be purchased. Your answers guide us to develop the most cost-efficient media plan.  Bottom line, for almost every budget, there are multiple options.  I say “almost” because a “too small” budget greatly increases the probability that you might never discover the winning media plan.  Wouldn’t that be a shame!

Lisa Sable is a Senior Marketing Strategist at The Radio Agency. Please follow The Radio Agency’s Blog “Sounding Board” by subscribing to the email or RSS links above. Visit our website TheRadioAgency.com