Search engine marketing more effective than radio

Despite the large variety of easy Internet marketing and search engine marketing techniques, many small businesses are relying on the same advertising methods they have always used. In many cases, their marketing costs are high and they experience diminishing returns on investment, but owners are not aware of other options.

Radio advertising is a prime example of an outdated marketing technique that does not have the same effectiveness it used to. It is expensive because small-business owners need to record a commercial and purchase the air time. In addition to the high cost, radio spots are not as effective at targeting a key demographic as Internet advertising. When business owners schedule a contract with a radio station, they may be given some information on the station’s listeners. But even if this demographic matches the consumers the business wants to target, there is no guarantee these people will be listening to the radio when the ad airs. The limited window of opportunity does little to help small businesses.

Unlike radio ads, search engine marketing can reach potential customers at the right time with a message that will drive action. Internet ads typically contain a call to action, which will prompt consumers to make a move.

How search engine marketing can benefit small businesses

Search engine optimization has been around for several years, and companies of all sizes use it to improve marketing results. However, some small businesses avoid SEO because they lack the knowledge to run a campaign on their own and they think they don’t need it because they do not sell products online, according to an article in Forbes. Even if a company delivers a service rather than a product, driving traffic to the website can help a small business generate more leads.

Because small businesses have limited resources to spend on marketing, pay-per-click advertising can drive better results than traditional sources like radio. Owners pay for each time a radio spot runs, even if it’s at 4 a.m. and no one hears it. But with PPC, business owners are only charged when a consumer clicks an online ad and is directed to the website. PPC can drive consistent traffic to the website, and the number of people responding to these ads has increased in the past couple years, Technology Digital said.

Search engine marketing drives a higher amount of traffic to the website by giving viewers a specific action to take, and the ROI is simpler to measure than radio advertising. It is much easier for a consumer to click an ad while searching online than try to write down a business phone number while driving.