6 Reasons Why “Putting on the Radio” Is Bad For Your Business!

As someone who conceives and delivers bespoke radio and music services, I often hear the phrase “oh, we just put on the radio”.

I love radio in all its forms, but it isn’t really the best choice for a business. Why? Here are the reasons why…

1. Repetition

Modern radio stations are in the business of getting as many listeners as possible. One of the ways they do this is by playing the most popular songs as much as they can, often this can be once every two hours.

That’s fine for your customers, but your staff are hearing the most popular songs 4 times every working day. And if they don’t like them, it’ll drive them crazy. If they do like them, they’ll soon be fed up of them.

If you want a challenge, put on a mainstream commercial radio station and count the number of times you hear Ed Sheeran.

2. Adverts

If someone came into your business and asked you to put up a sign advertising one of your competitors, you’d quickly show them the door. Put on a commercial radio station, and there’s a high chance you’ll be exposing all your customers and staff to messages showing how great one of your competitors is.

What about the length of the ad breaks? They can be over 4 minutes long. If the point of “playing the radio” is to have music and create an atmosphere, then these long breaks from music destroy that aim.

3. News

Most radio stations broadcast the news at least once an hour. Which is great for being informed, but most news carried on the radio is bad news. Is it the best idea to have a newsreader talking about the cost-of-living crisis while a customer is considering a purchase? Will news of war or political machinations create the positive atmosphere you desire?

4. Targeting

Most radio stations target a specific age range of listeners. If your customers are older, younger or broader in age than that target, then you’re not playing music designed to be loved by them.

Let’s be honest, the radio station you choose is the one that your staff prefer, not your customers.

5. Irrelevant content

Radio stations want their audience to listen as long as possible. They play a game of teasing people to listen by promoting what’s coming up later today or later in the week. Your customers will never hear this pay off. What if they play the popular “here are some songs and you have to guess which year they are from” feature? If your customer has a guess, they’ll never know if they were right.

6. You have NO control

When you “play the radio” you hand over all the power to a radio station that isn’t concerned about your needs. If there’s a specific piece of music you want to play at a specific time, they won’t do it for you. If you’d like them to be more upbeat on a Monday morning, they won’t change. If there’s a critical message you would like to broadcast to your customers and staff, they’ll ignore you unless you pay for it.

You wouldn’t let a random company dictate your exterior signage, or your interior design. Is it the best idea to let someone do that with your music?

If you would like to swap to your own tailored radio for your business, AVC Immedia can help. Contact us today to find out more!

Written by Euan McMorrow, Content Director at AVC Immedia.