Community radio advertising is one of the largest advertising mediums, along with TV advertising and print advertising, because of its ability to reach a large amount of people at once. Picking the right type of community radio advertising is key for a business, because the right advertising type will bring in the most people while still being cost-efficient. Spot radio ads are commercials that play between a radio broadcast and allow the business to create a catchy advertisement with sound effects and music. A mention is when the disc jockey (DJ) briefly mentions the business and talks about a product or sale connected to the business. Sponsorship ads are similar to mentions, but the DJ continuously brings up the sponsor.
Spot radio is one of the more difficult community radio advertising types, because there are a lot of variables. Before starting, the business has to pick the size of the spot — usually between 10 and 60 seconds, with 30 seconds being the most popular. This is harder than the others varieties because the business has to keep the audience entertained while also creating an effective advertisement that makes listeners want to buy the product. This also is one of the more expensive advertising methods, depending on how much money is needed to produce the commercial and how long it is. At the same time, an effective radio commercial can bring in a large amount of sales.
A mention ad is a cost-effective community radio advertising method, because it tends to cost the least, and the business does not have to do much work for this. The business creates a small message, usually about a new product or sale, and the DJ briefly mentions the company before other commercials play. The mention is brief and tends to happen only a few times a day, so this may not have a lasting effect. At the same time, it costs the least, so even new businesses with little funding for advertising can easily capitalize on this advertising.
The sponsorship ad is about the same price as spot radio advertising and plays for about the same amount of time. A medium amount of work is needed for this community radio advertising, because the business has to make a message that can keep the audience’s attention, but there is no reason for sound effects or a script. The DJ will continuously mention the sponsor in the course of reading the message and, if the DJ is a trusted personality, this can help increase sales.
