Retail sales are growing at a 5.5% clip. For a Maine small business owner to keep pace with this boom, it’s critical to compel potential customers to visit their websites. Advertising on Portland radio is a potent way to drive the necessary traffic.
Half of all retail sales in Maine are influenced by a digital interaction, according to Forrester Research. These online interactions determine three things: which product is purchased; which retailer the product is purchased from; and if the product purchased in-store or online.
A Maine small business owner who sells garage doors summed it up perfectly. “More than ever before,” he told me, “customers are coming to us more educated about the products I sell. They have really done their homework.”
Where are Maine consumers doing their homework? According to the 2018 Shoppers Trend Report from Murphy Research, 53% start their research online and the rest star their research in-store.
But what should be alarming to Maine business owners, regardless of where consumers start their buying journey, 40% of the ultimate sales happen online.
For more than 90 years, Maine small business owners have found success advertising on Portland radio to drive store traffic. Can the venerable, medium, however drive traffic to a retailer’s website? Yes, and it has been proven.
First of all, Portland radio reaches more heavy internet users than any other advertising medium. More than local TV. More than local newspaper. More than local magazines. More than streaming media.
Most importantly: according to Nielsen-SCB, these heavy internet users in southern Maine account for 40% of consumers who made $1000 or more from in online purchase over the past year.
Radio Advertising Generates 29% More Search Activity
Research commissioned by RAB, demonstrated radio advertising out-sized effect on driving web traffic. There was a whopping 29% increase in online search activity for the product categories and brands that were involved in the study.
According to the RAB, the study first accounted for the typical number of Google searches that take place for the subject product category and brands. This creates a baseline of what occurs without radio advertising support.
Next, search activity was measured for the times when radio advertising occurred for the subject categories and brands. The results were overlaid on the baseline.
The green bars above, indicate the days and time radio advertising aired. The green peaks highlight the incremental search that is attributable to radio advertising.
Most importantly, radio proved to be successful for every brand involved in the study.
- Automotive Brand: +7%
- E-Commerce Brand: +9%
- Wireless Communication: +18%
- Auto Aftermarket Retailer: +65%
- Insurance: +73%
- Jewelry: +370%
This research complements the 21 recent studies conducted by Nielsen that demonstrate radio advertising’s ability to deliver “eye-popping” returns-on-investment for business owners. It is this type of information that made Doug Schoen all radio gaga in a Forbes Magazine article.
“The implications of results like these,” said Mr. Schoen, “are profound for the communications and advertising industries and as a marketing professional with over 35 years of experience, I found this data nothing short of fascinating. It’s quite clear that we should all be paying more attention to radio, its reach and potential to help our businesses. It’s doing the job with expert efficiency.”
More Advice For Maine Small Business Owners
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- Build Store Traffic For Your Maine Small Business
- Maine Small Business Owners Must Read This Before Buying Advertising
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