Meet Kris Waterman, Radio Marketing Expert

Absolutely - and in many cases, better than businesses expect. Most recruitment ads focus on the same things: pay, benefits, schedules, and sign-on bonuses. Those things matter, but they rarely make a company memorable. The businesses attracting the best talent are usually doing something different - they’re marketing their culture, not just their openings.

Radio reaches people consistently throughout their day - driving to work, sitting at their desk, running errands, or picking up their kids. And unlike job boards, radio also reaches passive candidates - people who aren’t actively searching but might make a move if the right opportunity catches their attention.

A strong recruitment campaign doesn’t just say “We’re hiring.” It tells people what it feels like to work there. It creates familiarity, personality, and trust long before someone fills out an application.

Consistency matters here too. Great employees rarely make career decisions after hearing one ad. But repeated exposure builds recognition and keeps your company top-of-mind when they’re finally ready to make a change. The companies winning the hiring battle aren’t just posting openings - they’re building an employer brand people already recognize and trust.

Can I measure results with radio?

Yes, but you have to understand what you’re actually measuring. One of the biggest misconceptions about radio is that it should behave like a digital ad. People expect to run a spot and immediately see clicks, calls, or form fills tied directly back to it.

Radio is an awareness and memory-building tool. It reaches people when they’re not actively searching, which means it influences them long before they ever take action. By the time someone visits your website or calls your business, radio has often already done its job- you just don’t see it as the “last click.”

Listen for customers who say, “I’ve heard of you,” even if they can’t pinpoint where.

Radio absolutely produces results, but it requires a different mindset. If you only measure what’s immediate and obvious, you’ll underestimate its impact. If you look at the bigger picture, you’ll see how it helps drive demand over time.

The key isn’t whether radio works. It’s whether you’re measuring it the right way.

I’m busy enough. Do I really need to advertise?

This is one of the most common things I hear from business owners- and on the surface, it makes sense.

If you’re booked out, phones are ringing, and your team is stretched, why would you spend money on advertising? Because busy is temporary.

Most businesses don’t have a demand problem- they have a consistency problem. They ramp up when things slow down, then pull back when things pick up. That cycle feels logical, but it creates instability. Every time you stop advertising, you lose momentum and have to rebuild it later.

The businesses that grow sustainably don’t think this way. They understand that advertising isn’t just about generating immediate work - it’s about staying visible so people know you before they need you.

When you advertise during busy times, you’re building future demand. You’re reinforcing your name in the market so when things slow down, you’re already the one people recognize.

If you wait until you need business, you’re already behind. The goal isn’t to stay busy for a moment. It’s to stay busy consistently. And that only happens when your marketing does the same.

Where should I spend my marketing budget?

This is one of the most common and most misunderstood questions business owners ask. Everyone wants a simple answer, but the truth is there isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Where you spend your marketing budget should be driven by your goals, not what’s popular or what your competitor is doing. Are you trying to drive immediate leads? Build long-term brand recognition? Launch something new? Protect market share? Each goal requires a different mix.

If you need quick response, your budget should lean into channels designed to convert - but only if the message and frequency support it. If your goal is long-term growth, awareness channels play a critical role. You can’t capture demand if people don’t know you exist.

The biggest mistake businesses make is spreading their budget too thin. A little money everywhere feels productive, but it rarely produces results. Focus creates impact. Depth beats dilution every time.

Smart marketing budgets aren’t about chasing trends - they’re about alignment. When your budget matches your goals, your timeline, and your strategy, marketing stops feeling like guesswork and starts working like a plan.

How should I determine my advertising budget?

Most businesses start budgeting by asking, “What can we afford?” But that’s the wrong place to begin. The better question is, “What do we want advertising to accomplish?”

According to guidance commonly taught at Harvard Business School, businesses should expect to invest roughly 5–10% of gross revenue into marketing, depending on their goals and growth stage. Companies focused on aggressive growth often land on the higher end of that range, while more established brands may sit closer to the middle.

Where businesses get into trouble isn’t by spending too much- it’s by spending too little. Many invest just enough to feel like they’re trying, but not enough to create consistency or frequency. That kind of “dabbling” rarely works.

Advertising only performs when it has the scale to be remembered. Whether your goal is awareness, response, or long-term growth, your budget has to support repetition over time. One-off campaigns and short bursts don’t build momentum- they reset it.

A smarter approach is to treat advertising as an investment, not an expense. Commit to a realistic percentage, align it with your goals, and give it enough time to work. When your budget supports the strategy- instead of limiting it- advertising becomes a growth tool instead of a question mark.

How long will it take my advertising to work?

The truth? It depends- but probably longer than you want and faster than you expect if you stick with it. Advertising isn’t a light switch. You don’t flip it on and instantly flood your business with customers. It’s more like pushing a flywheel. It takes repetition, consistency, and time to build momentum- and once it’s moving, it becomes much easier to keep going.

Most people don’t act the first time they hear your ad. Studies show a person often needs to hear a message seven or more times before they respond. But that repeated exposure builds something powerful: familiarity. Familiarity breeds trust, and trust drives sales.

The first phase of advertising is invisible. You won’t see immediate lines out the door- but your brand is being stored in people’s memory. When they finally need what you offer, your name rises to the top. If you quit too soon, you lose that momentum and have to start from scratch. The brands that win play the long game- consistent message, consistent presence, consistent payoff.

Good advertising doesn’t create demand overnight; it creates recognition before the demand hits.

Should my radio campaign run all year, or only during busy seasons?

If you only advertise when you’re “busy,” you’ll stay busy for a moment… and then go quiet again.

When you disappear from the air, your brand disappears with you. Every time you stop, you lose momentum and have to rebuild awareness from scratch. That’s expensive and inefficient. The brands that grow sustainably understand this: people need to know you before they need you.

Think of radio like watering a plant. A steady stream keeps it alive and thriving. A seasonal spray keeps it from dying, but it never truly grows.

A year-round campaign doesn’t mean heavy spending every week. You can run a simple, consistent base schedule that keeps you top-of-mind, then add seasonal bursts when your demand naturally spikes. That’s where radio shines.

This keeps your brand familiar year-round, while your peak seasons get the extra attention they deserve.

The payoff? Customers already know who you are, already trust you, and already associate you with what you do. When it’s time to buy, you’re the easy choice.

How much should I spend on radio advertising?

The short answer? More than you think if you want it to actually work. The truth is, radio is one of the most cost-effective ways to build a brand, but only if you buy it the right way. Dabbling- running a handful of ads here and there- is the fastest way to waste money. People don’t remember what they hear once. They remember what they hear over and over.

Your budget needs to match your goals. If you want direct response, you’ll need a higher frequency- think multiple spots per day, seven days a week, for several weeks. If your goal is brand building, you still need a steady presence, but it’s about playing the long game: consistent message, consistent schedule, consistent results.

As a rule of thumb, it’s better to “own” a slice of time on fewer stations than to spread your budget thin across too many. Depth beats width. A smaller but sustained campaign will beat a bigger but inconsistent one every time.

At the end of the day, what matters most isn’t the exact dollar figure, it’s whether you’re spending enough to run a consistent, strategic schedule that keeps your brand top of mind. That’s when radio pays off.

Is radio dead?

According to Compass Media Networks, AM/FM radio still reaches 84% of adults every week, beating social, connected TV, and even traditional television (adresultsmedia.com). And Nielsen data shows radio delivers one of the best returns in advertising, with an average $10.59 return for every $1 spent (marketron.com).

The strength of radio goes beyond numbers. At its core, radio is intrusive media- you can’t scroll past it or skip it. That’s why consistent, frequency-driven campaigns build brand recall in ways that other platforms can’t match. A strong message, repeated often, is what makes people say, “I know you- you’re the _____ guy!” even when they don’t remember where they first heard it.

And there’s another layer that sets live radio apart: the on-air personalities. DJs aren’t just voices; they’re local influencers, active in the community, showing up at events, fundraisers, and concerts. When they share your message, it feels like it’s coming from someone the listener already trusts. It’s not the only reason radio works- but it’s one more advantage that competitors without live, local talent simply can’t replicate.

So, is radio dead? Not even close. Weak campaigns fade. Strong, consistent, message-driven radio- supported by trusted local voices and amplified through digital- is thriving!