The first Baby Boomers were born in Southwest Florida during 1946, and they kept coming until 1964.  Today, this generation represents 22.1% of the population.

According to Visa, however, when it comes to the ability to buy goods and services from local business owners, people 50 and older are responsible for 56% of all retail spending.  In SWFL, that equates to $12.7 billion.

Forecasts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate the spending power of the Baby Boomer generation will remain dominant through at least 2025. This is fueled, in part, by the Boomers' continued participation in the labor force.

Advertising is critical to the growth and ultimate success of a Southwest Florida small business. The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends that mature businesses should budget 7-8% of its annual income for advertising the company's goods and services. 

Businesses that are in an early growth phase, however, should plan on investing 10-12%.  Start-up companies that may not yet be familiar to their target consumers should consider investing even a larger percentage.

Deloitte, the world's largest business consulting firm, recommends that "radio advertising should be a big part of the mix for those buying advertising."

Southwest Florida shoppers are expected to spend $2.7 billion this holiday season.  This will be approximately 4% higher than last year. These estimates are based on forecasts by the National Retail Federation and Deloitte.

To claim a fair share of the Christmas cash, local small business owners will need to battle some giant competitors. Advertising on Fort Myers radio stations may be the perfect weapon to ensure success.

According to information published in the retail trade magazine Chain Store Age, as of right now, here is where consumers are planning to shop...

Southwest Florida consumers are expected to spend $22.7 billion at retail this year, according to Nielsen. This means that every household, on average, will be spending $47,869.

To capture a larger share of these dollars, small business owners in the Fort Myers-Naples area need to know the answer to two questions.

The first question is, where is this enormous amount of cash being spent?  The list below details the answer.

Last week, according to Nielsen, 179,642 single, adult women tuned-in to a Fort Myers radio station.  This is 89% of every consumer who fits this description.

Why should Southwest Florida small business owners take note of this demographic? A study by investment bank Morgan Stanley finds 41% of working-age women are single. That number is expected to increase to 45% over the next ten years.

The study, called 'Growth of the SHEconomy', indicates that single women outspend the average household in many retail categories. Remarkably, says, Erica Sweeney of MarketingDive, "Women purchase more than half of products traditionally considered 'male' including autos, home improvement products, and consumer electronics."

Every once in a while, radio advertising fails.

There can be no debate, though, when implemented correctly, advertising on Fort Myers radio works, and works well.

Aaron Walker is the owner of Naples Nissan. "Last year," he says, "we had the biggest sales year in the history of the store. Advertising on Fort Myers radio was a key driver of our success."

Naples Nissan had been a fixture in Southwest Florida for many years before Mr. Walker took over four years ago. "The previous owner," he explains, "had been selling, on average, 110 new and used vehicles a month. Because of the way we consistently market our dealership on the radio, we now sell 300 cars per month."

Mr. Walker knows that his radio ads are effective. "If we are ever off the air for a few days, my sales managers notice a significant dip in customer traffic."

Every vote counts.  Many times the difference between winning an election and losing is a handful of ballots. This is true in races for almost every elected office, referendum, and issue on the national, statewide, and local level.

To win a modern election requires advertising. Successful advertising requires reach. In Southwest Florida, the most potent way to reach voters is on local radio.

Last week, for instance, 92% of all registered voters in Lee and Colliers County tuned-in to a Fort Myers radio station.  This is significantly more than were reached by local TV, local newspaper, or the major social media site like Facebook and Instagram.

Mark Twain has some script writing advice for Southwest Florida small business owners who depend on radio advertising to market their goods and services.

"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter - 'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning," advises Mr. Twain.

In other words, fill your commercials with lightning, not bugs!

Currently, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, there are 171,476 words in the English language. A handful of these words, Fort Myers area small business owners can't use in their radio commercials. The Supreme Court of the United States says so.

Of all the words that can be used in broadcast advertising, however, there is one word that should be shunned: 'get' and all of its nasty derivative forms including 'got' and 'gotten'.  Here's why.

The typical 60-second commercial on Fort Myers radio consists of 160 words.  Depending on the station, each word in that ad could cost around $1.00.  It is important, then, that each word is carefully selected to engage listeners and then compel them to action.  This is especially crucial when using verbs. 

"One of the best ways of grabbing and keeping an audience is to use strong, descriptive verbs," says the Writing Center at the University of Houston.  'Get' is not that kind of verb.

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.