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Smart Speaker Usage in Fort Myers: A Conversation With Alexa

Jun 23, 2022 2:10:30 PM / by Larry Julius

Me: Alexa, how many consumers In Southwest Florida have access to a smart speaker?

Alexa: According to a recent Nielsen study, 283,828 Fort Myers adults own a smart speaker. This is 28.8% of the local population.*

Me: Alexa, what exactly is a smart speaker?

Alexa: According to Wikipedia, A smart speaker is a type of loudspeaker and voice command device with an integrated virtual assistant that offers interactive actions and hands-free activation with the help of one "hot word" (or several "hot words"). Some smart speakers can also act as a smart device that utilizes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other protocol standards to extend usage beyond audio playback, such as to control home automation devices. This can include, but is not limited to, features such as compatibility across a number of services and platforms, peer-to-peer connection through mesh networking, virtual assistants, and others. Each can have its own designated interface and features in-house, usually launched or controlled via application or home automation software. Some smart speakers also include a screen to show the user a visual response.

Me: Alexa, what brand of smart speakers are Fort Myers consumers likely to own?

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Topics advertise in Naples, advertise in Fort Myers, advertise in SWFL, advertise in southwest florida, smart speakers, alexa, google home, siri, amazon echo, apple, amazon

Who Listens To Podcasts in Southwest Florida?

Oct 11, 2021 7:30:00 AM / by Larry Julius

According to Nielsen, 212,005 Southwest Florida consumers listened to or downloaded a podcast during the past 30 days. This is 21.9% of the adult population.

A podcast is a downloadable digital audio file available to listeners on an internet-connected device like a smartphone, tablet, or computer. These files are typically part of series focusing on a particular theme such as true crime, professional football, politics, or pop culture.

Fort Myers area consumers can listen to their favorite podcasts whenever they choose using apps like Spotify, Pandora, Google, and Stitcher. The most used podcasting app, though, is Apple Podcasts.

Research from PodcastHosing.org indicates that Fort Myers area consumers can access more than 2,000,000 podcast series comprising over 48,000,000 unique episodes. According to data compiled by Edison research, the top 10 podcasts during the second quarter of 2021 were:

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Topics best way to advertise, streaming audio, fort myers radio, advertise in SWFL, online advertising, digital advertising, smart speakers, podcasts, streaming media, podcasting, internet advertising

Advertising On Fort Myers Radio: How Smart Speakers Add Value

Sep 28, 2021 3:12:14 PM / by Larry Julius

Since 1939 when WFTM signed on, Southwest Florida small business owners have been advertising on Fort Myers radio to market the goods and services they sell.

Lately, some of these advertisers are voicing concerns, though, that the accelerating use of smart speakers could erode the effectiveness of commercials on local stations. Current research, however, reveals that these devices actually extend the reach of the medium and its ad content.

More than 240,000  consumers in Fort Myers have a smart speaker in their homes, according to Nielsen. This is 24.9% of the local adult population.

Smart speakers are internet-enabled devices controlled by spoken commands and capable of streaming audio content, relaying information, and communicating with other devices. 

According to the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) data, Amazon Echo (aka Alexa) accounts for 69% of all smart speakers in use. Google's smart speaker makes up another 20% of the market. The remaining 11% of the market comprises Apple Home (aka Siri), Sonos, and Bose.

SWFL consumers can use their smart speakers to accomplish a diverse range of tasks, including accessing news, weather, and sports information; turning on lights in the house; shopping; and food delivery.

The most common use of a smart speaker, though, is streaming audio, including Fort Myers radio stations, according to eMarketer. Edison Research's Share of Ear Study indicates that consumers devote 13% of their total time using a smart speaker listening to AM/FM radio stations. This is second only to the time spent listening to Amazon Music at 19%.

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Topics small business advertising, streaming audio, radio advertising, small business owner, How to Advertise on Radio, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, online advertising, effective advertising, small business, smart speakers, alexa, google home, siri, small business marketing, radio listening, amazon echo, apple

Who Listens To Fort Myers Radio Stations Online?

Aug 27, 2021 3:01:20 PM / by Larry Julius

Before Fort Myers radio station WFTM signed on in 1940,  local listeners were dependent on broadcasts from distant cities such as Miami and Tampa. These early stations required tall antennas and miles of buried copper cable to transmit their signals.  Most radio receivers at the time were mostly handmade and involved a piece of crystalline mineral and a wire coil.

Over many decades in Fort Myers, both the broadcasting and receiving equipment improved. In the mid-1920s this meant store-bought radios. In the 1930s this meant car radios. In the 1960s this meant transistor radios. In the 1970s this meant boom boxes. And, in the 1980s this meant Walkmen. But, despite these improvements, the fundamental technology of big towers sending a signal through the air to a radio receiver remained the same.

In 1994, there was a new way for Southwest Florida consumers to listen to the radio. That was the year local stations across the country began streaming their signals over the internet and listeners could use their computers (later their smartphones and smart speakers) as receiving devices. No big antennas, no wires, and no actual radio needed.

In 2021, according to Nielsen, Fort Myers radio reaches more local consumers than any other advertising media option.

Neilsen finds, too, that 31% of all consumers who listen to a Fort Myers radio station over-the-air will, at some point during the month, also connect to a local station via the internet. 

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Topics best way to advertise, streaming audio, radio advertising, online advertising, internet, smart speakers, advertising options

How Smart Speakers Affect Advertising On Fort Myers Radio

Feb 4, 2021 2:47:20 PM / by Larry Julius

Southwest Florida's first radio station, WFTM-AM, began in 1940.  The process of getting the station's programming from the studio into the home of local listeners required tall-transmitting towers with miles of underground copper wire in the middle of massive fields.

For the next 53 years, this massive investment in real estate, steel, and cooper was the only method of delivering a radio advertiser's message into the ears of Fort Myers consumers.

In 1993, however, new technology permitted Fort Myers radio stations to augment the reach of their tall towers by simultaneously streaming its over-the-air programming via the internet. This provided local consumers with the choice of listening to their favorite stations on their car radios, clock radios, and boom boxes or on an internet connected devices like computers, smartphones, or tablets.

Today, based on estimates from Edison Research, 11% of listening to local radio stations occurs on a streaming media device.  The ability for AM/FM to migrate from their tall towers to internet streaming allows Fort Myers radio to reach more local consumers every week than all other media.

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Topics best way to advertise, small business advertising, streaming audio, small business owner, swfl small business, southwest florida small business, small business, smart speakers, alexa, google home, siri, advertise on radio, small business marketing, amazon echo

Fort Myers Radio: Which Stations Do SWFL Consumers Prefer?

Jan 26, 2021 10:17:57 AM / by Larry Julius

There are 32 radio stations that reach listeners in Southwest Florida. Each provides a unique format of news, sports, music, entertainment, and inspiration. Some stations broadcast in English. Others serve Spanish speakers. Some stations cater to millennials. Others appeal to Baby Boomers.  No doubt, there is a local radio station that fulfills the preferences of every listener.

Each week, according to Nielsen, 839,400 adults tune-in to their favorite Fort Myers radio stations. This is more people than watch local TV, cable, or streaming channels. This is more than use Facebook and Instagram. This is more than read newspapers or connect to Pandora and Spotify. 

Despite the abundance of Fort Myers radio stations to choose between, Nielsen reports that, on average, adult consumers only listen to 2.4 each week.  So, which stations do local consumers choose?

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Topics millennials, streaming audio, radio advertising, radio commercials, in-car listening, smart speakers, millennial parents, listening location, radio listening, radio formats

What Southwest Florida Consumers Listen To On Their Smart Speakers

Jan 30, 2020 8:05:36 AM / by Larry Julius

Over 225,000 consumers in Southwest Florida now own a smart speaker. Ownership of these devices, including Amazon Echo and Google Home, has grown five-fold since the beginning of 2017.

According to Adobe Analytics, significantly  more consumers are asking Siri and Alexa to play music than any other activity.

Many SWFL small business owners depend on Fort Myers radio to advertise their goods and service. So, how does the use of smart speakers as an audio device affect their radio advertising's ability to reach local consumers? The answer is: none at all.

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Topics best way to advertise, streaming audio, radio advertising, small business owner, online advertising, digital advertising, small business, smart speakers, alexa, google home, siri

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