Broadcasting is an incredibly competitive industry. Radio advertising for agricultural dealerships is a tough market. When was the last time you flipped through the radio dial? How often do you count the stations in your area? Any city of substantial size has dozens stations across the FM dial – and several more on AM. Think of the number of people employed by all those stations. With management, technicians, sales and online personalities – radio and television broadcasting is a serious factor in any local economy.
To first-time media buyers, the amount of stations may go overlooked. Many of us are aware of the stations we listen to – the six presets on our car stereo – but we don’t give much thought to all the other information on the local airwaves. That is a reasonable mindset, as a listener. But as an advertiser, it is your job to have a working knowledge of any broadcaster your prospective customers might be listening to.
But with dozens of options playing countless formats, this can be pretty overwhelming. And what happens if your equipment dealership sells equipment in markets other than your own. That is a whole other set of information to keep track of.
My Secret Weapon in Radio Advertising for Agricultural Dealerships
Not to worry! There is an online tool specifically for these problems. www.radio-online.com is a website maintained for radio stations across the country and all of their advertisers.
Follow that link and the first thing you might think is, “This site looks a little dated.” That may be true. Radio Online started as an industry trade publication in 1994. They set out to help small radio stations meet their daily FCC standards and fill dead air.
However, as they grew and developed more industry clout, they began compiling information on the radio stations that use their services. This includes things like:
- Ratings
- Formats
- Executive Contact Information
- Ownership Information
- Among Other Things
All of this information is useful when it comes to not only discovering other radio stations in your market, but also comparing those stations and building a media plan for your dealership! Radio Advertising for agricultural dealerships doesn’t have to be hard, if you know how to use the tools available to you!
Perhaps your research shows your prospective customers listen to country radio, but you know of only one such station in your market – Radio Online has the information on all the country stations you might advertise to. Perhaps the two stations you advertise with the most are actually owned by the same corporation, you might be able to negotiate lower rates on both stations since you’re buying the spots from the same company!
This is Only the Beginning
Radio Online offers basic, public information in an organized helpful manner. They don’t offer tips or methods on how to use that information to improve your advertising. Radio Online provides the information, how you use it is up to you!
If you have any questions or comments on your dealership’s radio advertising methods, or have any concerns on advertising in general, contact Kirkpatrick Creative today!