Public radio has a unique way of connecting brands with a large and loyal customer base—NPR reaches as many as 26.1 million weekly listeners alone. But marketers also need to build and maintain strong relationships with the 64% of consumers that say they want brands to connect with them digitally.
If you're looking for a way to maximize campaign success, consider combining public radio and digital marketing.
What are the benefits of combining public radio and digital?
Running an integrated marketing campaign that includes public radio and digital can help you increase engagement, drive online search and website traffic, and produce a positive ROI.
Increase engagement
By now you’ve heard that public radio listeners are highly engaged. According to NPR, 46% of listeners said they trust brands more when they hear them on NPR, and 59% said NPR engages their mind in a more positive way than other media.
Increase online search and traffic to your website
57% of listeners search online after hearing about a brand on the radio, with another 20% already online and searching while listening to the radio. A solid digital media presence will help you continue transitioning listeners into potential customers after they hear about you on radio and move on to the next stage of the buyer’s journey.
What kind of ROI do you get by combining public radio and digital?
Both radio and online advertising are successful marketing channels. Although they often provide good results separately, they have been shown to perform more efficiently together.
Why? Because radio is unable to capture the visual appeal of advertising, just as digital is unable to capture the trust and authenticity of radio. Together, when done correctly, the two channels can make your brand more memorable while associating you with trust and authenticity.
When digital and radio are combined, marketers see a much higher brand uplift than when they’re done separately. Radio produces an uplift of 17% on its own when implemented correctly, while brands that use digital alone often see an average of 14% uplift. However, that figure rose to an incredible 23% when combined.
A Multimedia Approach Benefits Sponsors
Having a multimedia, also known as a multichannel, approach to advertising is important in marketing. If you want to connect with audiences in a more meaningful and memorable way, you have to reach them on several of their favorite platforms. In fact, research shows that it takes 5 to 7 impressions for people to remember your brand.
Public radio listeners are unique. Although you can earn a generous amount of associated trust just by being on public radio, there are ways to strengthen that trust and maximize your impact. You can do this by either using what you know about the audience to better connect with them or by working with a media partner who understands your target audience.
When you're ready to integrate public radio and digital marketing, contact your public media partner to develop a message that will resonate with audiences on both channels.
