Hello,

I was wondering if any of the host here have tried Radio advertising for their site. I am considering this method to see it's effectiveness.

Don't think that it is such a good idea, if the show has extrememly targeted audience it might be useful for branding, but then it would be better to advertise on the site of the show than on the show itself, because people usually having problems to remember URLs...


Just my 2 cents

I agree with FindSP, your advertising dollar is best spent elsewhere.

There's only a limited instance where I can see advertising on the radio. You live in a small-to-medium-sized town, and you're advertising is on a local radio station directed towards local businesses wanting to get themselves on the web. You would have to provide complete web-presence services (that means design and development--advertising just hosting would probably go over the heads of individuals who want to "get on the web" but know very little about putting up a website). You also wouldn't just be selling your service vs. another, you'd have to be convicing people that they needed to get their business on the web in the first place.

Thanks for the input. I didn't think it would be too effective myself, but it's hard to tell if it hasn't been tried.

It also depends what kind of show.

I am sure you will get more result if you advertise in a computer related show than a garden one :)

Then again, many people don't even listen to advertising at radio or TV. I think you'd have better results advertising on the web and at a targeted place. Like in a web host directory if it's web hosting.

Good Luck.

We did a site for MRN Radio and they threw in a few radio ads in the deal. The ads aimed at NASCAR related fans and not a very targeted audience for our hosting business and the results showed. We did not get any customers from the 3 - 30 second spots and barely saw any extra traffic to our site.

I would not recommend it because of what has already been stated that people have a hard enough time remembering the URL let alone remembering to go to your site after they hear the ad.

Anyone have thought or experience with advertising with print media?

Thanks for the input. I don't think I'll give it a shot after all.

I would also be currious if anyone has tried print ads.

Yeah it's only good for branding, not attracting new clients.

I think you have to decide why you are advertising. If it is to build awareness, then tv/radio ads are fine for this. People have already pointed out the problems.

Print ads can be better in terms of combining awareness and the possibility of them going to the site. I've ripped out pages from magazines before and checked out the site. What you have to deal with there is competing ads. It helps to take a look at media and see where the ad would be placed, what it would be placed around, etc.

It could be the most ineffective ad ever printed. There are so many factors that it is hard to say, "Yes print ads work." Print ads might work for one company's product/service but that same ad placed elsewhere in the magazine, or in another magazine might not work at all, let alone another company's product/service.

Also, in most advertising, one big thing people often ignore is consistency. One ad in one magazine placed for one month, rarely works. Repetition (in terms of frequency and placement) is important. Budweiser's 'Bud Bowl' during the Superbowl may be the best example I can think of. People got so used to the ads, that they expected and looked out for them next year. A coffee maker's ads (that were done in soap opera style), were the same. People couldn't wait for the next installment of the ad.

Anyway, just a few ideas and comments. I used to do some of this in a previous life :D

If you know what you are doing, then Radio ads can be a VERY good idea.
Considering they are relatively Inexpensive during non-peak hours.
(Peak hours are 6-9am and 3-7pm)

The main fault, is that people may not remember the URL of your company, or the name of your company.
If you have a complicated company name, such as www.pwebtech.com or www.3mc2xhost.com
Then do NOT advertise on the radio.

Make sure you repeat the name of your company 5-6-7 times during a 30second ad, this should greatly help people remember it.

If you are planning a One-Time only ad, then please, DO NOT DO IT.
Repetition is the key, especially on the radio.
People usually listen to the radio when they are driving, and running errands. You are guaranteed that 50% of the time, at least, they were too distracted to hear your ad.
Make sure it runs more than a dozen times, or so.


Make sure you advertise on a show that reaches the right demographics. Yes, common sense.

Offer Customers 1-5$ Off, if they mention the Ad.
Better yet, offer them FREE Setup, if they mention your ad.
Good Deals always get 100% more Attention.
Customers + 'FREE' = Cha-Ching. :stickout


Overall commercials give you a great 'bang for your buck'.
Radio commercials can be as short as 10-15 seconds, and most importnat of all, you get brand recognition.

It is well proven that when people first hear or see your ad (radio, or web ad), they will probably (90-95%) not click on, or instantly visit your site when they get home.
But the name, usually, stays in their head.
When they come around, and start looking for a webhost, odds are, if you've run recurring ads, that they will remember it, and visit your site, before all the others.


Just my 2Cents.
Goodluck, if anybody tries it, id love to hear how it worked.


Note: I picked up all this knowledge during my years of marketing studies in college, i know what im talking about.
:D

Seeya!

Trevor

You can make a song about your company and play it on the radio.
I am sure it will get attention.

Pick someone with aq pleasant voice for the ad :)

One night my wife was watching TV and I was surfing around on the net and this comercial came on the TV. The ad didn't say anything about the business, just over and over again repeating the Doman name. It was a short name that they just kept repeating and after that commercial played 3 times in the same night, I typed it in the browser to find out what the heck it was. I was not watching TV, I just kept hearing the ad.
domain dot com is new and just opened, domain dot com where customers come first, domain dot com is great, come to domain dot com and see what domain dot com has to offer. Domain dot com, open 24 hours, once again domain dot com thats (spelt out) domain dot com
I went to the address they mentioned, it was nothing I was interested in, but I went there because there had to be some reason why they were willing to spend the money on the advertisement. And had I been interested in what they were offering, I may have bought something. Who knows. But in this form of advertising you are prying on the curiosity factor.

I do not think you need to put an URL in the radio ad too many times. 1 -2 is enough. Better put telephone number and ask to act immediately (25% discount, free install etc.)

1-800-gohosting or even (505) 372-3232 is much better then
htt://www.beautiflhostingforeveryonetoday.com

Why not target more and go for web-based radio. Your company could setup it's own channel and advertisements could be 100% for your own company.

We haven't done this yet ourselves but it's something we're considering.

I agree Tamba, there is a better chance to get more customers from people sitting next to the PC and listening to a Radio than people driving a car, but to be honest, I still think that banners newsletters and skyscrapers are the way to go.

Radio can be good ONLY for branding...