March is the biggest single month for used car sales in Southwest Florida. During these 31 days alone, local pre-owned vehicle dealers are expected to bring in $44 million in sales. This will represent 10% of their annual revenue.

By the end of May, these dealers owners will sell more than $129 million worth of pre-owned cars and trucks. This, undoubtedly, makes March-May 'used car season' in the Fort Myers-Naples area.

Although most SWFL used car dealers are small business owners, they do really big business. In all, over the next 12 months, more than 154,000 pre-owned vehicles will be driven off their lots.

To capture a larger share of the area's $449 million used car market requires pre-owned vehicle dealers to advertise. By any measure, the best way for these business owners to advertise is on Fort Myers radio.

As Valentine's Day sales begin to dwindle, that's when Southwest Florida small business owners start thinking about Mom.

Mother's Day, which happens on the second Sunday of May, is second only to Christmas in terms of holiday spending. Last year, SWFL consumers spent more than $94-million celebrating the women in their lives. That number is expected to grow again in 2020.

To claim a significant share of this Mother's Day cash, local retailers and restaurants will need to advertise.  By almost every key metric, advertising on Fort Myers radio is the best choice.

Small business owners have been advertising on Fort Myers radio since the first station, WFTM, went on the air in 1940.  By almost every metric, the medium remains the best way to successfully market goods and services to local consumers.

Before Southwest Florida small businesses finalize their marketing plans for this year, here are five facts they should know about radio advertising.

For Southwest Florida small business owners who depend on Valentine's Day to spike first-quarter sales, this year could prove to be a battle as the decline in celebrants is expected to continue.

Based on estimates from the National Retail Federation, 523,000 SWFL consumers will be participating in the holiday this year. This is 20% fewer than ten years ago.

There is good news, however, for local  business owners. Although there are will be fewer customers, local Valentine's Day spending is expected to grow to $84.8-million. This is 28% higher than a decade ago.

So, how does a local retailer or restaurant win the battle for the hearts and wallets of romantic consumers?  Advertising is a necessary weapon to win this war.

No weapon is as potent as advertising on Fort Myers radio.

When Southwest Florida consumers make their New Year's resolutions, many will have money on their minds.

A new study by Fidelity Investments finds that 67% of adults are considering a financial resolution for 2020. This is 10% more than last year.

The top financial resolution, among those considering one is, 'saving more'. The study found that, when asked to choose, a vast majority of consumers would rather save $5000 than lose five pounds.

This fervor for finance is excellent news for SWFL small business owners who cater to savers and investors. This includes financial advisors, insurance agents, bankers, accountants, and mortgage brokers.

To compete for a fair share of these resolution dollars requires business owners to advertise. By any metric, the best way to reach potential savers and investors is on Fort Myers radio.

The buying power of Black consumers in Southwest Florida is now $1.8 billion. Over the past 19 years, according to Nielsen, the pace of spending by African Americans has grown 28% faster than by White consumers.

If a local small business owner would like to earn a larger share of this spending, the best place to start is with advertising.

"For African American consumers, advertising of all types is an important touchpoint in their shopping journey," says a recent study by Nielsen. "African American consumers are more likely than the total population to agree that advertising provides them with meaningful information about the product use of other consumers."

"African Americans are avid media consumers, across multiple media channels, which gives advertisers ample opportunities to connect with them."

The best advertising medium, though, for small business owners to reach local African American consumers is on Fort Myers radio.

Small business owners in Southwest Florida must advertise to claim a fair share of the $22.7 billion retail economy.

“Think you have a great product?” asks the U.S. Small Business Administration. “Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.”  The SBA goes on to say, “Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your sales, and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your business."

During 2019, many SWFL small business owners sought advertising guidance on the advice pages of www.AdvertiseInFortMyers.com. Below are the top ten most-read articles from the past 12 months.

Attention Southwest Florida small business owners. The five busiest shopping days of the year are imminent.

Based on data from the National Retail Federation, more than 667,000 Fort Myers-Naples area consumers are likely to shop beginning on Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday.

“The tradition of Thanksgiving weekend holiday shopping has become a five-day event with consumers spending money in stores, supporting local small businesses, and online with their mobile devices and computers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Even as people are starting to purchase gifts earlier in the season, consumers still enjoy finding good Thanksgiving deals and passing time shopping with family and friends over the long holiday weekend.”

Based on the NRF findings, here are the number of shoppers local business owners can expect on each of these five days:

Almost 214,000 adult consumers in Southwest Florida belong to a fitness club. These memberships bring in close to $398 million in sales to local gym owners.

January is critical for the small business owners that operate gyms in the SWFL area. According to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association, this one month alone, accounts for 10.8% of annual membership sales. New Year's resolutions are the reason for this early year spike.

To capture a larger share of the $42.9 million local consumers  will spend on gym memberships in January, requires fitness center owners to advertise. The best way to do this is on Fort Myers radio. Here's why.

The first radio station in Southwest Florida went on-the-air in 1940.  Seventy-nine years later, Facebook inaugurated the social media era.  Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, and hundreds of other sites quickly followed.

As social media matured from a novelty to part of consumers' daily rituals, some SWFL business owners began to experiment with advertising.

By every key advertising metric, though, Fort Myers radio remains the best choice for a small business to market their goods and services. Here's why.