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.

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.

Southwest Florida small business owners have depended on radio advertising to market their goods and services since 1940.  That's when William E. Benns put the first Fort Myers station, WFTM, on the air.

Today, there are 28 radio stations that serve Lee and Collier counties. Each provides a unique blend of music, information, and entertainment.  Some stations focus on politics or sports. Some play country music. Some play the hits. Some play classic rock. Some are on the AM dial. Some are on FM.

When Mr. Benns began broadcasting, there were no TV stations in Florida. Those would come nine years later. Also, there was no social media, YouTube, Sirius/XM, Pandora, Spotify, or smartphones. Each of those would be products of a new Millenium.

With an overabundance of advertising options now available to small business owners, does advertising on Fort Myers radio still make sense?  Here are five facts that serve to answer that question.