Radio Advertisement

[abril1127]

is radio a good form of advertisement?
Long story short I have an opportunity to advertise on the radio, They have a half off gift certificate program. Where I donate 100 gift certificates valued at $50 each, the radio sells them for $25 each. They sell 25 every quarter for a full year. So I would get advertisements on the radio when they are talking about my certificates. Plus a spot on their website for the entire year.
I would have to honor the certificates...which could add up to 100 + hours of free service, depending on how I marketed the certificates.
Also they will advertise for free this huge promotion some other vendors and I are giving away.
I have never done any form of advertising. Would love your pointers and thoughts on this.

[David Whatley]

In your market, I think I would do it. IT doesnt cost you that much and you get your name out there. Also, you can upsell.
DW

[bondarnes]

If there is no direct cost to you beyond the 100 gift certificates then probably a yes. One question. Are the listeners of this particular station the same ones you want for clients? Be sure the GC has restrictions like only one per session.

[abril1127]

it will be on 4 diversely different stations.
...but does it make me look like a discount photographer?
Would radio really be a good option since we are such a visual industry?
She said I could do a certificate for $50 of free products with the purchase of a full portrait session....which is $150 session with a $40 print credit...so they would be getting a $90 print credit in essence. but acted like if that doesn't sell they would ask for it to be changed.
I thought about offering a mini session for $50 and then hope they bought something...but it's hard to do mini sessions unless you have a studio they can walk into, sit down click click and they are gone. Trying to do a mini session out in town usually takes much more time than you would of hoped.

[toverman]

There are a couple of issues with advertising in general. First, you have to hope someone who wants/"needs" to hire a photographer is listening to the radio when your ad is on, actually hears the ad, remembers your name/phone number, acts on it. Even though the four stations have general demographics data, there's no real way to guarantee anyone who listens will be even remotely interested enough to act on your services. Radio is in one ear and out the other. Print ads are only slightly more effective, not only because they don't go anywhere but it's easier to target a particular kind of client (don't bother with the newspaper, its audience is too general).

However, if you want to be busy fulfilling the gift certificates, your time and effort might be worth a trade to test the waters to see if radio is right for you. Do you have any creative control over the ad? That would be important to me, too.

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by abril1127

Would radio really be a good option since we are such a visual industry?

imho, not so much. if you want to use the radio ads to create name recognition, you could do that and use it in conjunction with other ads. you should never be running a solo ad campaign anyway. those usually flop big time.