Four States Small Business Blog

The days are long and the nights are warm, but as much as everyone loves summer, it impacts every small business a little differently. For some, the season is hot — home improvement, lawn care, and others will experience a rush. But for others, summer is definitively the off-season (especially retail). Neither result is a good reason to halt your marketing! That’s why we’ve put together a quick list of tips for every small business owner to use this summer.

It’s hard to believe, but there are still some advertisers out there who think radio advertising is not effective. But consider this:  For the consumer, radio is a free resource. So, it should come as no surprise that, according to Nielsen, more Americans (93%) listen to broadcast radio each week than tune in to TV or use a smartphone, tablet, or computer. What’s more, contrary to what some believe, radio advertising is effective for more than awareness campaigns. Radio is a proven tool for any marketing campaign and can help you reach all of your marketing goals.

While spring ushered in warmer weather and longer days, kicking off the home improvement season, these are the heady days of summer. The season is hot, and homeowners are looking to start their next project before it ends. To capture as many customers as you can, you need to understand your target audience and the goals, desires, and needs that drive their choices.

We could share countless stats around the power of radio — 93% of American adults reached weekly, $17 payback per $1 spent on radio by department stores, two-thirds of time spent listening happens outside the home… But we know stories are more powerful than numbers, and we love shining a light on the success of local businesses.

Good fishermen don’t just choose any random spot to cast their line. Instead, they go where fish are known to swim and understand how the fish behave so they can choose the perfect spot to cast their line. The catch isn’t guaranteed, but they’ve optimized their chances.

It’s undeniable that we live in an omnichannel world where shoppers no longer distinguish between the physical and digital realms. Consumers expect to encounter brands across channels, and they’re bombarded left and right with marketing. That makes it awfully tempting for brands — especially relatively new brands and small businesses — to try to be all things to all current and potential customers across all channels.

Sometimes when patients leave a dental practice, it’s for unavoidable reasons — like a move or change in insurance. Other times, it’s related to a negative experience. What are the top reasons patients make the switch? And, more importantly, how can you use that knowledge to keep current patients satisfied and adjust your marketing to reflect a practice new patients will want to join?

Since 2012, Randy Brooks and Kaylee Cole have been waking up KIX listeners with lively interviews, contests, phone calls, crazy songs, and other shenanigans. Zimmer is proud to announce that the entertaining duo beat out hundreds of other personalities in the state of Missouri to take home a 2018 MBA Award for best medium market radio air talent.

Rush Limbaugh recently made a point to remind everyone of the true impact and power of radio, quoting a Washington Times article from this past April that highlighted new findings from Nielsen. In a half-hour audio clip you can find below, the pioneer of AM radio shared why he prefers radio to TV, compelling stats from Nielsen’s second-quarter 2017 Comparable Metrics Report, and a healthy dose of Rush political talk on listenership and stories from around the nation.

So, you’ve already discovered the benefits of working with a professional radio partner. Fantastic decision! It relieves a burden on your time and resources. Unfortunately, if your radio partner doesn’t also bring digital solutions to the table, you may be inadvertently undermining your results, holding your brand back from achieving the best possible ROI.