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Advertising In Fort Myers: Why Radio Is Still The Best Option

Jun 24, 2023 11:32:19 AM / by Larry Julius

Local businesses have been marketing their goods and services on Fort Myers radio since 1940. That's when The Fort Myers Broadcasting Company was granted a license to build and operate WFTM.

WFTM switched its call sign in 1942 to WAAC and became an affiliate of the CBS radio network. Two years later, the call letters changed once again. This time to WINK.

Who could have guessed that 83 years later, advertising on Fort Myers radio would still be the best advertising option for all types of retailers and business owners.

Every week, according to Nielsen, Fort Myers radio reaches 839,160 adult consumers. This reach is significantly higher than all other advertising options including local TV, cable, social media, streaming video, online audio, and newspapers.

Reach, according to Nielsen, is the audience metric most responsible for driving the success of an advertising campaign. Only the message itself carries more sway.

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Topics Reach, best way to advertise, small business advertising, streaming audio, small business owner, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, small business, advertising reach, reach & frequency, small business marketing, radio listening, share of ear, advertising options, streaming media

Lessons A Ft. Myers Business Can Learn From World's Biggest Advertiser

May 12, 2023 3:49:14 PM / by Larry Julius

There are 30,869 small businesses in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Metro Area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Almost every one of these businesses is competing for a portion of the $24.8 billion of local retail spending expected to occur in 2023.*

To capture the largest share of this giant pool of consumer cash, Fort Myers small business owners will need to consider advertising.

"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. Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your sales., and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your company."

One of the best ways to advertise in Fort Myers may be on local radio, a fact not lost on the world's largest advertiser, Proctor & Gamble. Last year, P&G upped spending on the radio by 43% to $235 million, according to Vivvix (formerly Kantar Media), led by a big jump in local radio.

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Topics Reach, fort myers radio, advertise in SWFL, How to Advertise on Radio, advertise in southwest florida, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, advertising reach, reach & frequency, advertise on radio, radio listening, Advertise on Fort Myers Radio, advertising on radio, who listens to radio, am/fm radio

SWFL Small Business Owners Expect Record Easter Spending

Mar 28, 2023 11:29:11 AM / by Larry Julius

More than 809,000 Fort Myers area consumers are expected to celebrate Easter in 2023, according to per capita forecasts from The National Retail Federation. In all, the NRF predicts $116 million will be spent this year.

Not only will spending on Easter in Fort Myers top last year's take by 16%, but it will also blow past the spending record of $105 million set in 2021.

“Easter endures as an important holiday for many Americans, signifying new beginnings and a time of celebration with friends and family,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “As consumers plan to mark the occasion through a variety of traditions, retailers are dedicated to making this year a memorable holiday.”

According to the NRF forecasts, here's how Fort Myers consumers are expected to spend their Easter Holiday cash:

  • Food: $35.3 million
  • Clothing: $19.3 million
  • Candy: $18.3 million
  • Gifts: $15.9 million
  • Flowers: $8.7 million
  • Decorations: $8.4 million
  • Greeting Cards: $4.8 million
  • Other: $4.3 million

There is one obstacle, however, between small business owners and this gargantuan pool of Easter cash.

According to the NRF, the vast majority of Easter shopping will be spent at discount stores, box stores, and online. Only 22% of spending will occur at local small businesses.

 

To Keep more of this cash in the Fort Myers area, retailers will need to advertise to convince consumers of the values and benefits of buying from local small business owners.  According to most marketing metrics, the best way to advertise in Fort Myers is on local radio.

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Topics roi, retail, small business advertising, small business owner, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, return on investment, holiday shopping, small business, retail sales, retail store, retailer, small business marketing, holiday advertising, retail spending, advertising return on investment, advertising roi

Best Way To Advertise In Fort Myers: AM/FM Radio Still Rules

Aug 30, 2022 3:18:39 PM / by Larry Julius

Southwest Florida small business owners have an abundance of options for advertising their goods and services. Choices include local TV, local cable, social media, streaming video, streaming audio, podcasts, and newspapers.

The best way to advertise in SWFL, however, is local radio.

Every week, according to Neilsen, 862,932 adults tune-in to their favorite Fort Myers radio stations. This is significantly more than any other advertising medium.

In addition to the adults who listen to Fort Myers radio over-the-air, an incremental 16,200 adults connect to their favorite stations online as well using their phones, computers, and tablets. In all, according to Nielsen, 27.9% of all Fort Myers radio listeners listen both online and offline.

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Topics roi, best way to advertise, small business advertising, radio advertising, small business owner, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, return on investment, small business, small business marketing, advertising return on investment, advertising roi

Advertising On Fort Myers Radio in 2022: Five Things to Know

Jul 20, 2022 1:30:47 PM / by Larry Julius

Southwest Florida business owners have depended on Fort Myers radio to market their goods and services since WFTM, the city's first radio station, went on air in 1939. Despite the advent of new media and technologies since then, advertising on local radio stations is still the best way for the area's 30,689 small business owners to create and maintain customers.

Here are five facts every business owner should know about advertising on Fort Myers radio in 2022.

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Topics best way to advertise, small business advertising, fort myers radio, small business owner, fort myers radio stations, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, small business, advertise on radio, small business marketing, radio listening, Advertise on Fort Myers Radio, advertising on radio, radio formats, am/fm radio

Advertising On Fort Myers TV: Where Have The Viewers Gone?

Jun 13, 2022 3:53:31 PM / by Larry Julius

During the past seven days. according to Nielsen, only 74.4% of local consumers tuned in to Fort Myers television stations like WINK, WBBH, WZVN, WGCU, and WFTX.  TV's diminishing reach among adults 18 and older has been eclipsed by the audience size for social media, cable, and Fort Myers radio. Furthermore, streaming video services such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and Disney+ are quickly reaching parity with over-the-air options.

The erosion of local TV station audiences is stunning when comparing prime-time ratings from the past.  In 1980, the highest-ranked TV show was Cheers with a 21.3 rating. The 30th-ranked show was The Wonder Years with a 14.2 rating.

Twenty years later, Survivor was the number one show with a 17.4 rating and Family Law was the 30th ranked show with an 8.8 rating.

Finally, in 2019, Sunday Night Football was the number one ranked show with a 10.9 rating. Survivor tied with Dancing With The Stars in 30th place with a 5.5 rating.

It is stunning to think that the number one TV show in 2019 had a 24% lower rating than the 30th-ranked show in 1980.

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Topics best way to advertise, small business advertising, small business owner, fort myers television, fort myers tv, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, television advertising, small business, television, cable tv, pay-TV, direcTV, small business marketing, satellite tv, CTV, OTT, avod, svod, local television, streaming TV

Advertising On Fort Myers Radio Still #1 Way to Reach SWFL Consumers

Jun 8, 2022 2:37:56 PM / by Larry Julius

Every week, according to new Nielsen data, 862,392 adults tune in to a Fort Myers radio station. This is more consumers than use social media, access local cable, watch broadcast TV, stream video channels, listen to streaming audio, read a newspaper, or download a podcast.

Based on per capita estimates from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Fort Myers consumers are expected to spend between $18.8 and $19.2 billion at retail in 2022, a six to eight percent growth over the previous year. Utilizing radio's enormous advertising reach, local business owners can compel shoppers to spend this large pool of cash in their stores and on their websites.

The number of consumers reached is critical to the success of an advertising campaign.

According to a Nielsen study, after the actual content of the commercial message itself, reach is the most potent advertising element that can drive sales. Reach is more important than brand, recency, or even context. Fort Myers radio provides local business owners with the most significant reach among consumers.

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Topics Reach, roi, best way to advertise, retail, small business advertising, small business owner, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, return on investment, in-car listening, small business, retail sales, retail store, retailer, advertising reach, reach & frequency, in-car audio, small business marketing, retail spending, advertising return on investment, advertising roi

Father's Day 2022: Southwest Florida Consumers Will Spend $75 Million

May 31, 2022 3:11:59 PM / by Larry Julius

Father's Day this year is on Sunday, June 19. Based on projections from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Southwest Florida shoppers are expected to spend $75.3 million on the dads in their life. This is on par with the record-breaking $75.7 million spent in 2021.

“Despite growing concerns about inflation, consumers plan to spend approximately the same amount as last year in celebration of Father’s Day,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Spending patterns also reflect the sentimental nature of the holiday as consumers are prioritizing unique and meaningful gifts.”

The NRF projects that nearly 60%, of all Father's Day purchases in the Ft. Myers area, will be for special outings, clothing, gift cards, and electronics. Although most category spending will be down slightly from last year, the amount of money spent on special outings such as dinner is expected to increase by over 8%.

Here is how this large pool of Father's Day cash in SWFL is expected to be distributed in all retail categories.

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Topics best way to advertise, small business advertising, small business owner, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, holiday shopping, consumer spending, small business, small business marketing, holiday advertising, consumer confidence, advertising options, father, father's day

Fort Myers Radio Listeners Lead The Return To 'Normal'

Apr 28, 2022 12:03:00 PM / by Larry Julius

Each week according to Nielsen, 852,000 consumers tune in to a Fort Myers radio station. This is significantly more adults than watch local TV stations, cable, or streaming video. It is more than browse social media. It is more than listen to streaming audio services or podcasts. It is more than read local newspapers.

There are two traits Southwest Florida radio listeners have in common. First, they are very loyal to their favorites, tuning-in to, on average, only 2.1 different stations each week.

Second, and of particular importance to SWFL small business owners, radio listeners are returning to 'normal' at a faster rate than the general population after more than two years of pandemic.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, Nielsen has been measuring consumer sentiment in regard to normal behaviors. In a survey conducted in March of this year, 83% of adults say they are "ready to go and feel life is becoming more normal". This is up dramatically from the same time last year.

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Topics best way to advertise, retail, small business advertising, radio advertising, small business owner, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, consumer spending, small business, retail sales, retail store, retailer, small business marketing, consumer confidence, retail spending

Advertise In Fort Myers: How To Book Guests For A Podcast

Apr 26, 2022 2:48:44 PM / by Jason Muth

According to Nielsen, 96.7% of Southwest Florida adults have access to the internet. An online connection is all that is needed to listen to a podcast. In all 19.0% of consumers, in fact, do listen to podcasts every month. They listen while at home, commuting, at the gym, at work, at the local coffee shop, pretty much anywhere there is WIFI or good cell service.

Most likely, at one time or another, each of the  187,183 podcast listeners in the Fort Myers area has thought to themselves, “I could do that. I could launch my own podcast.” This is theoretically true.

A quick Google search by aspiring Fort Myers content producers will reveal which recording equipment to buy, how to edit shows, and how to post episodes for the world to hear on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify Google, Stitcher, and Tune-In. The magic of being a successful podcaster, however, involves persistence, longevity, and consistently engaging content.

One element of podcasting that often adds dimension and perspective to new episodes is the use of podcast guests. Not only do guest experts supply engaging content, but usually they will participate in return for exposure without the need to shell out any cash.

But how does a Fort Myers business small owner get started? It’s a very chicken-and-egg situation.

A podcaster first needs to publish episodes to demonstrate to potential guests that the podcast is worthy of their participation, especially because there are so many choices. Currently, there are over 2.4 million valid podcasts in Apple’s Podcast directory alone, according to podcast industry insights expert Daniel J. Lewis.

So, what separates podcasters who stick it out for the long haul from those who give up after just a few episodes?  One of the primary factors is the subject matter and the ability to book guests.

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Topics small business advertising, small business owner, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, small business, small business marketing, podcasts, podcasting

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