TLDR; RADIO MARKETING ISN’T DEAD!!!
Law firms can and should market on local radio stations – if you want to reach more people in your market, and sign more cases.
Let’s start with the research.
First, Why Bother with Radio? The answer is simple: Current Data shows people are still listening to local radio.
According to the latest Pew Research, people are still tuning into their local AM and FM radio stations (“terrestrial” radio) for local news, weather, sports and music.
Here are some numbers that may surprise you:
- Approximately 8 out of 10 Americans ages 12 and older listen to terrestrial radio each week.
- Almost half of US adults (47%) say that they sometimes or often get their news from radio.
- The Racial/Diversity Breakdown of listeners is about 48% for White and Black Americans, 42% for Hispanic adults, and about 37% for Asian Americans.
- In fact, 1 out of every 5 US adults polled say they get local news from radio (second to none but local TV).
- Demographically speaking, adults between the ages of 50-64 are the most likely to get local news from radio.
With this data in mind, it’s clear that radio is still a viable marketing option to help you reach prospects in your local market. Let’s talk about how to get there.
How to Create a Highly Effective Radio Marketing Campaign for Your Law Firm:
Recently I sat down with law firm marketing expert and PILMMA president, Ken Hardison, to find out how lawyers can leverage this data – and start signing more cases with radio marketing right now.
Here are his observations and recommendations for how you can best use Radio Marketing to your law firm’s advantage now in order to reach more prospects in your market:
- Acquisition costs for radio are cheaper than TV, if done correctly. Typically radio advertising costs about 10K vs. the 25-50K you’ll spend on TV advertising.
- You must do your research and determine the most popular local radio shows in your market, and then buy a package of advertising that includes specific endorsements by one of that show’s radio personalities. Some lawyers are advertising on the local hip-hop stations, while others are going with their local country stations, gospel stations, and so forth. It’s all about going where your prospects are going when they listen to radio in your market. If you are seeking to reach more of a specific demographic, then take your firm’s advertising message to the station they listen to the most.
- The Key to Effective Radio Marketing is getting a local radio celebrity endorsement – this is critically important. You need to be able to call in to the radio show and have this local “celebrity” asking you questions, endorsing you, and saying how great your law firm is. This is essential to getting the most out of Radio Advertising.
- Supplement this live endorsement with some well fashioned advertisements that include two important factors: a Catchy Jingle, and an easy to remember Repeater Number.
- The Jingle: Getting a Jingle is easier than you might think: For example, type in “jingle writer” in an online search via sources like FIVER or Upwork.
- Your Repeater Number: Every Law Firm that is serious about jump starting its marketing efforts should try and secure a Repeater phone number. This is particularly important with print materials, billboards, and with radio and TV advertising, where prospects simply click on a link that takes them to your firm’s website, or makes the call for them on their iPhone. If you aren’t sure about how to get a repeater number, reach out to Ken via email to talk about how to do so (ken@pilmma.org)
- Implementation: You and your firm’s marketing team can handle your firm’s radio Marketing Campaign, or you can hire an Advertising Agency to help you set up and launch a Radio Advertising campaign. Agencies typically charge a percentage of the buy as their fee for putting the package together.
When it comes to Radio Marketing, here’s the bottom line:
Radio Advertising can and should be one of the Tools in your Firm’s Marketing Toolbox to reach more prospects and ultimately sign more cases.
Despite what you may have assumed about radio, it is definitely not dead; to the contrary, it is a viable means for reaching more people in your market with your firm’s message. Just remember, as with any marketing endeavor, be strategic. Think about who your ideal clients are or who you want them to be, and then take your firm’s message to the station they listen to. And to get the most out of your Radio Marketing efforts, make sure you secure a celebrity endorsement from one of that station’s most popular radio shows personalities. Make the time to call in to that show regularly, couple that with quality radio spots, and you should start seeing real results from your firm’s Radio Marketing. ★
Tiana Hinnant Hardison practiced law for 30 years, with an emphasis in personal injury and disability law. With a passion for helping lawyers grow law firms, she is PILMMA’s Insider Journal Editor-in Chief, and Content Developer. You may contact Tiana at tianamhinnant@gmail.com
