When starting to plan your marketing campaign, it’s a good idea to look into the different advertising options available. Between print and digital, there are a variety of innovative ways to target and engage with your clients. Magazine and radio advertising are two popular platforms that can help companies spread brand notability and increase sales. Which strategy is right for your business? We’re here to break it down for you.

Traditional: Magazine Advertising

Magazine advertising is a popular form of print marketing. Elegant Living highlights how “these advertisements typically contain images” with a brief overview of the company or “interesting facts about the products or services being offered.” Magazine advertisements are very popular; think of how many times you’ve flipped through a magazine and seen an ad!

There are a number of magazine advertising advantages. First, magazine advertisements make it easy to connect with your target audience. When planning any successful marketing campaign, you must have a clear vision of your ideal buyer. Marketing Evolution defines target audience as “the specific group of consumers most likely to want your product or service.” This unique group can be defined based on a variety of characteristics such as age, location, marital status, income, etc. Once you have this key persona identified, you can advertise in publications that reach a similar group and create ads that speak directly to them. This is a great way to engage with potential clients. You can also look to advertise exclusively in publications that are subscription-only, increasing the likelihood that subscribers will engage with your brand. Another benefit to magazine advertising is cost. Many magazines offer discounts for companies looking to just advertise in their local markets, making it an affordable option.

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There are a few disadvantages of magazine advertising to consider when developing your marketing campaign. First, print publications cannot track data and analytics. Once your company’s advertisement leaves for print, that’s it. You can’t record data on your ad, such as how many people saw it, clicked on it, etc. Digital ads allow companies to track this sort of data in real-time, making online advertising a desirable platform for those looking to log statistics on their ad.

Digital: Radio Advertising

​​Entrepreneur defines radio advertising as “commercials of various lengths that run on radio stations.” There are many stations across AM, FM, and digital platforms such as Pandora. We’ve all, at some point, heard ads placed on Spotify in between songs or podcast episodes.

During radio shows, a company, on average, gets a brief 15 to 30-second slot to market their service or product. There are two types of radio advertising examples that businesses can choose from: live and pre-recorded ads. A live ad is an advertisement read out loud by the DJ or radio host, while a pre-recorded ad is a pre-recorded scripted segment that the radio host plays on air. Before deciding which type of radio ad to create, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of radio advertising to see if it’s right for your business.

There are many advantages of radio advertising that prove why it’s a growing form of advertising. Radio appeals to almost all ages, making it easy to find a show that reaches your target audience. A study by Media Tracks Communications highlights how “92 percent of Americans, aged 18 or older, listen to the radio every week” and that “radio consistently delivers for all age groups.” With such a wide range of stations and radio hosts, it’s easy for people to find a show they resonate with. Once you have identified your company’s unique target audience, you can advertise on radio shows that reach people with similar demographics.

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One of the disadvantages of radio advertisingis that people often skip them. For example, when someone is listening to music or a podcast, often, an ad interruption prompts them to change channels. When this happens, your audience doesn’t hear, much less engage with, your ad. Similarly, another downside to radio advertising is that they lack visuals. When people listen to the radio, and an advertisement starts to play, they often zone out or have a limited attention span. As a result, they will likely ignore or forget your company without a visual component. When deciding whether magazine or radio advertising is suitable for your company, it’s crucial to consider both advantages and disadvantages before integrating them into your marketing campaign. When done right, advertising has the potential to take your company to the next level by increasing brand notability, spreading awareness, and ultimately driving sales.