Radio advertising lets a business reach listeners on commercial stations and digital audio platforms with a short spoken advert, usually around 30 seconds long. A campaign involves three main stages: buying the airtime, producing the advert and getting it approved for broadcast. This guide explains how each stage works, how radio fits with other marketing and how to tell whether a campaign is working.
Where radio adverts can be heard in the UK
Radio adverts run on commercial stations, which include national brands, regional stations and smaller local services. BBC radio stations do not carry advertising, so a radio campaign is always planned around commercial and digital audio.
Listening now happens on several devices. People hear the same stations on FM, DAB, smart speakers, mobile apps and in-car systems, and many stations also sell advertising within their online streams. Digital audio adds the option to target by location, device or time of day more precisely than a traditional broadcast slot.
How radio airtime is bought
Airtime is usually bought as a package of spots on one or more stations over a set period. The cost depends on the station’s audience, the time of day, the length of the advert and how many times it plays.
The main choices when planning airtime are:
- Stations: which areas and audiences the business needs to reach
- Dayparts: breakfast and drive time tend to reach the most listeners, while other parts of the day can offer better value
- Frequency: how often the same listener is likely to hear the advert during the campaign
- Campaign length: a short burst around an event or offer, or a longer run to build familiarity
UK radio audiences are measured by RAJAR, which publishes listening figures for stations each quarter. A media buyer uses these figures to compare stations and work out how many people a schedule is likely to reach.
How a radio advert is produced
A radio advert starts with a script written to be heard rather than read. Listeners cannot scroll back, so the strongest adverts focus on one message, use a clear voice and repeat the important detail, such as the business name or website.
Production usually covers:
- Writing and timing the script to the agreed length
- Casting a voiceover artist whose voice suits the brand
- Choosing licensed music or sound effects
- Recording, editing and mixing the final audio
Before a commercial radio advert can be broadcast in the UK, it must be cleared by Radiocentre. The clearance team checks that the script follows the advertising rules, and some claims, such as prices or comparisons with competitors, may need supporting evidence. Building time for clearance into the schedule avoids delays to the campaign start date.
Making a radio advert easy to act on
The call to action matters more on radio than on most channels, because listeners are often driving, working or cooking when they hear it. A short, memorable website address or a single clear instruction is easier to recall than a long phone number or several options.
Adverts tend to work better when the message is consistent with what people see elsewhere. Using the same offer and wording in radio, social media and search ads helps listeners recognise the business when they look it up later.
How to measure a radio campaign
Radio does not give the click data that digital advertising provides, so results are measured through the activity it creates. Useful signs include:
- Increases in visits to the website, particularly direct visits and branded searches
- Calls to a dedicated tracked phone number used only in the radio advert
- Use of a specific web address or offer code mentioned in the advert
- Enquiries and sales during the campaign compared with the same period before
Comparing these figures against the dates and times the advert ran shows which stations and dayparts are performing best. Call tracking is particularly useful for businesses that receive many of their enquiries by phone.
Is radio advertising right for your business?
Radio suits businesses that want to reach a broad local or regional audience, build familiarity with their name or promote a time-limited event or offer. It is often used alongside digital channels, where radio builds awareness and search or social advertising captures people when they are ready to act.
CMe Media plans and buys radio airtime and produces radio adverts in-house, from scriptwriting and voiceover to the final mix. Speak to the media buying team to plan a radio campaign for your business.
