Not long after its first product ad went to air on local radio, Topsoil Farm Supplies in Forbes took the kind of call most small businesses dream about. A customer had heard the ad and placed a huge order, and the team were stoked. TV was getting noticed too, but that sale came straight off the radio. You can read the full Topsoil story here.
It's a good reminder that radio still sells, especially in the regions.
Think about where people are during the day in a country town. In the ute, on the tractor, in the workshop, in the kitchen or behind the counter. Radio goes everywhere they go, and it doesn't need anyone to stop and look at a screen. For farmers and tradies who spend hours in a cab, the local station is company.
And plenty of people are listening. Commercial Radio and Audio's regional surveys found more than 5.6 million people in regional Australia tune in to commercial radio each week, and commercial stations were the most listened to in 26 of the 27 regional markets surveyed (Mediaweek).
Local radio is trusted, too. The announcers live in town, talk about the footy and the weather and know the same people you do. An ad that sounds local fits right in.
Radio is also quick and affordable to make. There's no camera crew and no shoot day. With a good script, a clear voice and the right music, you can be on air within days. That makes it ideal for pushing one product for a couple of weeks and then moving on to the next, which is exactly how the Topsoil campaign works. Each product gets its own short burst on radio and TV, in the breaks through the working day when farmers are on the road and in the shed.
A good radio ad keeps things simple. Listeners can't rewind, so one product, one offer and one reason to call is plenty. Say your name early and say it again, because people are driving, not taking notes. Make yourself easy to find, with a simple phone number or a website that's easy to spell. A real local voice often beats a polished one, as long as it's recorded properly, and Topsoil's ads are voiced by one of their own team. And make it trackable. Ask customers where they heard about you, or add a line like "mention this ad", so you know which ad sold what.
Radio and TV work even better together. The ad someone hears in the ute in the morning and sees again on the evening news backs itself up. Topsoil runs both, with the same voice and the same offer, and the results came from both directions.
At Adbox we write and produce radio ads alongside TV, so your message sounds the same everywhere. We've been doing it for regional businesses for nearly 20 years, led by our Managing Director and Creative Lead, Aaron Petersen, who has spent more than 30 years in regional advertising. Give us a shout and we'll help you get your business on air.
Information from Mediaweek, CRA finds commercial radio was the most listened to in regional Australia.