Some straight talk about advertising on radio...

 

	Should I advertise? If you need to ward off increased competition or generate additional sales, then advertising is a necessity. Because you cannot personally tell everyone in New Mexico about the benefits of doing business with you, you need to develop an advertising plan using a mass medium (Radio, TV, billboards, etc). When you advertise you are buying the audience of that medium. KCKN 1020 provides a distinct and unique audience so your advertising dollars are not wasted reaching people who are unlikely to do business with you. This allows you to focus on those customers that will!
	Is radio right for my business? 93% of all New Mexico residents listen to radio each week.* There is a good chance that the people doing business with you are listening! *Arbitron Radio can expand your market reach Target your best prospects Generate sufficient frequency Reach mobile Consumers Motivate people to shop Establish a relationship with customers Break through competitive clutter Make a lasting impression Maximize advertising investments Radio is many times overlooked as the most effective media. We believe that is because it is the oldest electronic media. Radio goes everywhere! It wakes you in the morning. It drives with you to and from work. It mows your lawn with you.
	How do I get started? Research our website to answer the basic questions. Much of the information KCKN 1020 is available here. You can also contact us by phone by 575-622-0658. Or, make an appointment to have one of our Marketing Consultants visit with you. After answering a series of questions and telling us what you would like to accomplish, we can inform you of appropriate promotions or provide you with a written marketing plan and demo commercial.
	How much does it cost? That solely depends on what you would like to accomplish. Many factors are taken into consideration when determining an advertising budget. A rule of thumb is to use a figure based on 12% of your annual sales, subtract your cost of rent or location and use the remaining dollars for advertising. We suggest that you use 50% of your budget on General Advertising, 25% for those Regular Sales Events, 15% of Special Opportunities, and save 10% as a Slush Fund for October, November and December.
	What are the most frequent mistakes that advertisers make? Not using enough frequency to get their message heard! Six times frequency equals sixty percent retention! Expecting immediate results and therefore quitting before the advertising has time to work. Successful advertising takes time and a plan.
	How long does it take for advertising to begin working? That depends on how and what you advertise. If you were to run 20 commercials in one day on any radio station and advertise that you are giving away $100 bills, you would find a traffic jam in front of your location. But, to gain Top of The Mind Awareness, one should advertise every day, over the entire year. An advertiser should commit to a minimum of 13 weeks to feel the difference that an effective ad campaign can make. Not everyone is in need of your products every day. So, advertising on a radio station for one month and then billboards for the next month is nothing more than a gamble. What you say, times how many time you say it, is the only thing that works in advertising today! Make a plan and stick with it!
	Which station is best for me? What is the profile of your customer? Once you have determined who you would like to reach, find a station that has the best chance of reaching those prospects. KCKN 1020 has a format to target a highly mobile adult audience with a large spendable income. Match your target consumer with our audience by reviewing our individual station brochure.
	Who makes my commercial? We can produce your commercial or we can suggest an outsource company to create it for you. In-house production costs are free for all customers. Since we firmly believe that "What you say" is equally as important as "How many times you say it", we put extra care in how your message is created. It is our mission to couch your message in a well-produced audio message that will motivate our listeners into becoming your customers.
	What should I say in my commercial? Ask yourself, "Why should the customer do business with me"? Be specific. "What truly makes you different that your competition"? "What is your unique selling position"? Look at your strengths and your competitor's weaknesses. Create a short but memorable slogan that gets your message across to the consumer. "Just Do It!" and "Got Milk" are a couple of examples.
	How can I guarantee success? After ensuring that you have a "Rock Solid Marketing Bridge" in order, stick to a well planned advertising messages month after month. When you deliver a well-constructed message consistently to the right consumers, your advertising will make you money!
	I am a small business with a small budget...can I still advertise effectively? A bare minimum to invest would be $500 per month. With this level of investment it would allow you to dominate a day part on our radio station. As your business grows, you can then increase your investment to dominate two day parts. From that point you can dominate a radio station, followed with dominating the medium. The idea is to use your budget to create the desired frequency that will ensure your message is heard.
	Do you have specials? We do. Including on site live broadcasts from your place of business.
	I am a retailer, what is best for me? We believe that it is best that you lay out an annual plan for your advertising. Use the figure of 12% of your annual sales, minus the cost of your rent or location. For a company with $1 million in gross sales, 12% would be $120,000. If your rent is $70,000 per year, then your ad budget is $50,000. Assign 50% of that budget to spend over 12 month. Break down your spending by month based on month-by-month sales averages. If you do 10% of your sales in April you should spend $2,500.00 in April. Assign 25% of your budget to regular sales. This would be $12,500.00 annually or $3,125.00 per quarterly sale. Assign 15% of your budget to special opportunities. This would allow you to take advantage of any special opportunities that may arise during the year. An inflexible budgeting process would not allow you to take advantage of a great idea that may come up in mid-year. Assign 10% of your budget to a slush fund. Hold this money for October, November or December.  If you are on track to make your goals, then keep it in your pocket. If not, spend it to make those goals.
	I am not a retailer, what is best for me? Be consistent! If you are a service company, utilize the large drive-time day parts and saturate them horizontally by being there everyday!
	I am having an event, how should I advertise? With great frequency! Aren't you are putting much faith into a one or two day event? Make sure you have a campaign that is going to reach the maximum number of consumers at least 4- 5 times! Our Marketing Consultants would be glad to show you how to achieve that frequency!
	What is your coverage area? Just click here to see the most far reaching radio station in the region
	What are your payment terms? We accept cash, check and are happy to extend 30-day payment terms with approved credit..

Remember, radio advertising on KCKN doesn't cost, it pays!