Radio might sound like a challenge to measure, but it’s possible with the right strategies, tools, and analytics.
We’ve already demonstrated how radio and digital marketing can work together to help boost your organic and paid reach results—all while delivering better sales leads.
Next, let’s talk about how you can measure this in real time.
How to Find Out if Radio Advertising Is Effective
Simply put, if your call to action on your radio campaign is “find us online at yourcompanyname.com,” then give credit to radio if you see increases in your direct traffic.
This is especially true if people are searching for you by name, or searching for you by characteristics described in your radio spots. Many people use the SERPs to find a business, even when they know the direct URL (I know I do!).
The downside to this approach is that your website is already receiving direct traffic from people—even before your radio campaigns began. This is where annotations come into play.
Adding Annotations
Annotations are like sticky notes you can leave on Google Analytics (GA) reports. They can include both start and stop dates/times for new campaigns. Adding annotations won’t interfere with your data entry. Instead, they’ll help you identify, organize, and compare how each new campaign impacts traffic flow.
Here are two tips when it comes to using annotations and direct traffic for radio tracking:
- Track radio mentions of your website and campaigns. Include what weeks your radio spots are airing and when they’re not.
- Use the “Compare” feature in GA to spot any differences between direct traffic and organic “name-only” traffic.
When you click on the date selection in GA, there is a checkbox to compare it to a previous period. This will allow you to see your direct traffic or “organic name-mentioned” traffic after a radio campaign has launched vs. a previous period of time.
This data can help you see if the offline campaign is generating more direct traffic.
Redirect Domains & Landing Pages
Another great way to track your radio promotion is by using domains specifically created to redirect visitors to custom landing pages on your main website.
For example, if you have a decking company in Minneapolis, MN, you could use domains, such as MinneapolisDecking.com, 612deck.com, or something specific to the radio station you’re on like myTalk1071decking.com. Next, have each of those domains redirect to custom landing pages on your website.
Here are three tips to help you use redirect domains for radio campaign tracking:
1: Make It Memorable!
A listener may have just a few seconds to catch the URL on your advertisement. Make sure it’s simple and something that sticks.
2: Don’t Create Duplicate Websites.
While you might be tempted to use the same content from your main website on these domains, don’t do it! You could run into issues with Google penalizing you for duplicate content.
If you do want to create new websites from these domains, make sure each website is as unique as possible.
3: Track the Redirects!
Be sure to monitor your referral traffic to these custom landing pages.
4: Set Promo Codes/Discounts
Who doesn’t love a great deal? Offering discounts and savings to new customers never goes out of style. In fact, most eCommerce sites utilize this strategy to entice customers to make their first online purchase.
This same approach works for radio ads, too, and it makes it super easy to track on your website! You can have it set up for new customers to enter in a promo code to receive free shipping, a 20% off coupon, or a free giveaway when they enter it into a form on your site.
Just remember to try to make the promo code relevant to the radio station, show, or DJ—same as you would with the landing page strategy mentioned earlier. This makes it simple for the customer to remember and WAY easier for you to track, especially if you’re running more than one radio ad on different stations/shows or featuring similar discounts on paid ad campaigns.
Just as important, this strategy can also help you see which shows/stations are directing the most traffic to your business. You may discover that one radio personality is more aligned with your target audience, meaning you’ll want to invest more energy into those radio ads than others.
Make Digital a Part of Your Radio Advertising Sales Strategy
Radio can work for many industries and help you achieve your marketing goals. The best part is, you don’t have to guess whether or not your campaigns are working for, or against you.
You can get the facts upfront to inform your campaigns. Most importantly, you want to make sure they are on brand and align with your other marketing touch points to ensure they generate leads and provide a smooth journey for your customers.
We can help with that! To learn more about our digital marketing and data reporting capabilities, contact us today for a consultation. We’ll help you design and launch effective digital ads and help monitor campaign performance across multiple channels, including radio and other traditional touch points.
