Promoting event promotions like financial seminars, annual sales, or community happenings requires a strategic approach to ensure maximum reach and engagement. Know how many ads to run and do it! By advertising on radio, you have a powerful tool: the ability to craft and schedule ads of varying lengths to create maximum reach and frequency. Here’s how to use 60-second, 30-second, 15-second, and 5-second ads over two weeks to promote a weekend event.
Week 1: Building Awareness
60-Second Ads: Heavy on Imagery and Branding
In the first week, focus on building awareness with 60-second ads. These ads should tell a story and paint a picture of how the listener will feel when attending the event. Think comedy or drama. Ads that stand out and don’t hard sell. Use descriptive language to highlight the event’s benefits, such as specific events, and turn those event features into benefits. Learn more from the Radio Advertising Bureau here. The ad can be tagged with the date, location, and event name. Run these ads during peak times, such as morning and afternoon drive times, to capture the attention of commuters.
30-Second Ads: Similar to 60-Second Ads
Your 30-second ads should echo the 60-second ads in a more concise format. Focus on the key details and maintain the imagery and branding—just less fluff and more to the point. Don’t oversell buying tickets; push the benefits of attending. These ads could even target the partner of the typical attendee. For example, take your wife to the ‘Wedding Show.’ Or make sure your partner doesn’t miss ‘Beer Fest!’
These ads can be placed during drive times but will carry a lower per-spot price, reducing some cost.
Week 2: Increasing Frequency and Urgency
15-Second Ads: Targeted Messaging
As the event approaches, increase the frequency of your ads and add 15-second spots to the mix of 30/60’s. These should be direct and emphasize the immediacy of the event. Things like don’t miss out; the time is now, this weekend, tomorrow, and today copy.
Run these ads throughout the day and evening, especially during morning and afternoon slots, to keep the event top-of-mind. Again, the per spot price will be lower than a :30 ad.
5-Second Ads: Event Name Reminders
Use these ads the day before and the first day of the event. Like “It’s the Big Sale tomorrow at Joe’s” or “Joe’s Big Sale starts today.” Make these quick reminders. These should be short, sharp, and to the point, emphasizing the immediacy of the event. Run 1x an hour all day if you can to ensure maximum reach.
By strategically using different ad lengths and targeting specific times and audiences, you can effectively promote events over two weeks, save some money, and ensure a successful event.
Jeff Caves is a sales columnist for BSM working in radio and digital sales for Cumulus Media in Dallas, Texas and Boise, Idaho. He is credited with helping launch, build, and develop Sports Radio The Ticket in Boise, into the market’s top sports radio station. During his 26 year stay at KTIK, Caves hosted drive time, programmed the station, and excelled as a top seller. You can reach him by email at jeffcaves54@gmail.com or find him on LinkedIn.
