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Lessons A CSRA Business Can Learn From World's Biggest Advertiser

May 12, 2023 4:27:07 PM / by Larry Julius

There are 15,499 small businesses in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Almost every one of these businesses is competing for a portion ofƒ the $11.4 billion of local retail spending expected to occur in 2023.*

To capture the largest share of this giant pool of consumer cash, Augusta 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 August 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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Advertise In Augusta: Top 5 Articles Of 2022

Dec 14, 2022 10:04:07 AM / by Larry Julius

For Augusta, Georgia area consumers, the past twelve months have been, to say the least, frenzied.  The year has been plagued with inflation, recession fears, coronavirus, mid-term elections, and geo-political drama. It seems, however, that these coinciding crises have not tempered consumer spending as local shoppers are on track to spend a record $8.7 billion at retail. 
 
What has changed during 2022, however, is how adults in the Augusta area consume media and how local business owners are marketing their goods and services to these shoppers.
 
To research the changing consumer and media landscape in Augusta, many local business owners have found the articles posted at www.AdvertiseInAugusta.com helpful.  Below are the five most-read articles from that site during 2022:
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Holiday Spending In Augusta Will Top $1.7 Billion In 2022

Nov 11, 2022 4:47:31 PM / by Larry Julius

Economic concerns among CSRA consumers are not expected to subdue holiday shopping in in 2022.  Based on forecasts from The National Retail Federation, local shoppers are projected to spend at least $1.7 billion this year. This would be 6% more than was spent in 2021.

“While consumers are feeling the pressure of inflation and higher prices, and while there is continued stratification with consumer spending and behavior among households at different income levels, consumers remain resilient and continue to engage in commerce,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “In the face of these challenges, many households will supplement spending with savings and credit to provide a cushion and result in a positive holiday season.”

The biggest challenge facing Augusta, Georgia area business owners is keeping holiday spending local. NRF expects 10-12% of purchases to happen online from retailers like Amazon and Walmart.

To lay claim to this expanding pool of holiday spending,  and keep business local, small business owners will need advertising. By, most marketing metrics, the best way to advertise is on Augusta radio.

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Augusta Radio Is The #1 Advertising-Supported Medium

Jul 7, 2022 10:41:16 AM / by Larry Julius

Local business owners have been advertising on Augusta, Georgia radio since WRDW first signed-on in 1930.  But, back then, there were only two options for reaching a mass audience: newspapers and radio.

Today, though, advertisers have an over-abundance of marketing options both over-the-air and online. But every week, according to Nielsen, 391,000 adults listen to an Augusta radio station, giving the 101-year-old medium, by far, the biggest reach amongst local consumers.

A new report released last week by Nielsen underscores AM/FM radio's durable reach among all media.

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Advertise On Augusta Radio? 5 Things Business Owners Get Wrong

Dec 31, 2021 8:52:43 AM / by Larry Julius

To ensure success, every Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) business owner needs to advertise.

"Think you have a great product?" asks the US Small Business Administration. "Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.”

The SBA goes on to say, “Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your product sales, and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your business.”

There are dozens of ways for local small business owners to advertise. By most metrics, the best way to advertise is on Augusta, Georiga radio. These measures of effectiveness, however, are often obscured by the glimmer and glitz of newer technologies. 

To help reduce the glare that often blinds business owners to the potency of advertising on Augusta radio, here are the top five things many local business owners get wrong.

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Augusta Radio Still Reaches More CSRA Consumers Than All Other Media

Dec 10, 2021 3:52:26 PM / by Larry Julius

When WRDW-AM became Augusta's first radio station in 1930, there was no Facebook, no Xfinity, no Sirius/XM, no Netflix, and no podcasts. It would be 23 years before there was even a local TV station.  Consequently, it was pretty easy for radio to become the number one reach medium among local consumers.

Over the past 91 years, CSRA business owners have come to depend on the mammoth reach of radio among local shoppers to successfully market the goods and services they sell. Advertising on Augusta radio has helped Georgia and South Carolina companies to survive and thrive during world wars, natural disasters, recessions, depressions, and even a pandemic.

Heading into 2022, local consumers have more media choices than ever before. But, despite the overabundance of social media, video streaming, audio streaming, cable, and other technological marvels, Augusta radio is still the most used advertising medium.

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Advertise In Augusta: Top 5 Articles From 2021

Nov 30, 2021 8:48:57 AM / by Larry Julius

Based on projections from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) consumers are on track to spend $8.1-billion with retailers by the end of this year. This would be 13.5% higher than was spent in 2020.

To earn a significant share of these retail dollars, Augusta area business owners are expected to spend $169.9 million to advertise by year's end, according to Borrell Associates. This company tracks advertising expenditures in local markets across the U.S.

To ensure they are spending their advertising and marketing dollars wisely, many CSRA business owners research how to best target prospective customers by using local media. An exceptional resource for local business owners to investigate the media habits of localconsumers is on the advice section of AdvertiseInAugusta.com.  

Here are the top five most-read articles on the site in 2021:

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Does Anyone Listen To Augusta Radio At Night?

Mar 10, 2021 8:37:33 AM / by Larry Julius

Each week, according to Nielsen, more than 394,000 adult consumers tune-in to an Augusta radio station. This is significantly more than watch local TV or cable. More than stream video channels like Netflix or Hulu. More than read local newspapers. More than use Facebook or Instagram. More than listen to online audio services like Pandora and Spotify.

But almost everyone knows (including many who advertise on Augusta radio) that consumers only listen to local radio stations during the day. Right? Wrong!

According to Nielsen, 40% of local consumers listen to Augusta radio stations each week between 7:00pm and 12:00am. This is a larger audience than Pandora, Spotify, and Instagram combined reach during an entire week.

For CSRA small business owners, radio's immense nighttime audience offers a unique value proposition.

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Advertising In Augusta: Reaching Female Consumers

Feb 10, 2021 2:24:59 PM / by Larry Julius

There are 234,400 adult women in the Central Savannah River Area. Based on research from the Harvard Business Review, as a consumer group, females account for 70-80 percent of all consumer purchasing through a combination of their buying power and influence.  According to Nielsen, this will amount to between $6.6 billion and $7.6 billion this year.

Overall, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census Bureau:

  • Single women across all income brackets spend, on average, $34,817 on goods and service
  • Working married women contribute over a third of their families’ incomes
  • Over a quarter (29.4%) of wives earned more than their husbands in 2018, an increase from 15.9% in 1981.

Furthermore, according to research published by Forbes:

  • The top homebuyers after married couples are single women (18%, double the percentage for single men at 9%).
  • Women are 50% more likely than men to regularly watch online how-to videos.
  • 94% of women between the ages of 15-35 spend over an hour per day shopping online.
  • 70% of travel consumers are women.
  • 85% of women say that if they like a brand, they will remain loyal to it.

For Augusta small business owners to successfully capture a meaningful share of the local female economy requires advertising.

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How Smart Speakers Affect Advertising On Augusta Radio

Feb 4, 2021 3:18:21 PM / by Larry Julius

Augusta's first radio station, WRDW-AM, began broadcasting on June 25, 1930.  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 63 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 Augusta consumers.

In 1993, however, new technology permitted Augusta 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 Augusta radio to reach more local consumers every week than all other media.

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Small Business Advice: 5 Facts About Advertising On Augusta Radio

Dec 18, 2020 9:10:19 AM / by Larry Julius

Until 1930, there were no radio stations the Central Savannah River Area. Local listeners would need to tune to distant signals including WSB, a station owned by The Atlanta Journal.  WSB was Georgia's first radio station and had been on the air since March 15, 1922.

On June 25, 1930, however, Warren Davenport and Clark Jack put Augusta's first radio station, WRDW, on the air. Mr. Davenport and Mr. Clark were owners of Musicove, a store at 309 Eighth Street that sold radios, records, and sheet music.

The inaugural broadcast of WRDW began at 1:05am and lasted nearly three hours. The first program included a performance by local musician J. Bernard Carpenter.

A few days later on July 3, WRDW broadcast a speech by J. Roy Cooper, a candidate for Mayor in Augusta. This was the city's first ever political broadcast.

For 90 years, small business owners have depended on local radio stations to successfully market their goods and services through depressions, recessions, wars, and natural disasters. Even now, during a pandemic, advertising on Augusta radio remains a dependable way to make cash registers ring.

Here are five facts every CSRA small business owner needs to know about local radio in 2020.

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Advertising In Augusta: Top 5 Articles From 2020

Dec 9, 2020 10:56:03 AM / by Larry Julius

As the pandemic rages on, advertising is no longer a luxury for the 5,000 small businesses in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area .  Advertising has become a tool for survival.
 
As cash becomes precious, though, Central Savannah Rivera Area small business owners and retailers need to ensure that every dollar spent  on advertising has a significant effect on sales.
 
To make the best advertising choices, thousands of CSRA business owners have sought advice and direction from www.AdvertiseInAugusta.Com.  Here is a recap of the top 5 articles read on the site during 2020.

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Who's Spending Now? CSRA Small Business Owners Ask.

Dec 4, 2020 3:42:30 PM / by Larry Julius

There are 107,300 adults in the Central Savannah River Area who have earned a four-year college or postgraduate degree, according to research from Nielsen. A study from the Federal Reserve indicates that these educated consumers have been least affected by the economic consequences of the pandemic.

"While the labor market disruptions have affected workers in a wide set of industries and occupations, those without a college degree have experienced the most severe impact," say Mary C. Daly, Shelby R. Buckman, and Lily M. Seitelman authors of The Unequal Impact of COVID-19 in the Economic Letter published by the Federal Reserve of San Francisco.

Although the unemployment rate increased among consumers of every education level in late March when the Governors of Georgia and South Carolina lockdown their states to slow the spread of the Coronavirus, the smallest increase was among those with bachelor or postgraduate degrees, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics..

Seven months later, job recovery among those with college degrees is closer to pre-pandemic levels than consumers with lower levels of educational attainment.

Many small business owners have seen the correlation between advertising and survival during the economic crisis inflicted by the pandemic.  With precious few dollars to invest, it is crucial that every advertisement reaches consumers who have disposable income to buy. Right now, the most likely spenders are customers with college degrees.

By key advertising metrics, the best way to reach consumers with higher education is on Augusta radio.

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What Is The Best Way To Reach Online Shoppers In The CSRA?

Nov 17, 2020 2:08:44 PM / by Larry Julius

Central Savannah River Area shoppers are expected to spend a record $1.4 billion online in 2020, based on the most recent projections from eMarketer. This would represent year-over-year growth of 32.4%.

During the same period, according to eMarketer, receipts at brick-and-mortar stores have contracted by 3.2%.  Overall, excluding gas and auto sales, e-commerce will account for 20.6% of all retail sales this year.

The Coronavirus pandemic is credited with this seismic shift in shopping behavior as consumers continue to avoid stores and opt for online shopping.

“We’ve seen e-commerce accelerate in ways that didn’t seem possible last spring, given the extent of the economic crisis,” said Andrew Lipsman, eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence. “While much of the shift has been led by essential categories like grocery, there has been surprising strength in discretionary categories like consumer electronics and home furnishings that benefited from pandemic-driven lifestyle needs.”

Even before the onset of the pandemic, 76.7% of CSRA consumers had bought goods online over the prior six months, according to Nielsen research. Purchases included clothing, health & beauty products, travel reservations, books, furniture, and groceries.

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Small Business Advertising In Augusta: Consumers Ready To Spend

Nov 13, 2020 8:25:38 AM / by Larry Julius

There is positive news for the 15,000 small businesses in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area,.  A majority of consumers say they are ready to start shopping again.

A lifestyle survey just released from Nielsen indicates 53% of Americans believe that despite the continuing pandemic, life is beginning to normalize, and they are likely to resume typical activities.  Nielsen refers to this majority as "Ready-To-Go".

According to the survey, Ready-To-Go consumers now perceive less risk, feel safer, and believe their cities are emerging from crisis.

The key takeaway for CSRA small business owners is that Ready-To-Go consumers are significantly more likely to start shopping within 30 days than the total population.  These buyers, according to Nielsen, are looking to spend on home improvement, professional services, auto parts/repair, shopping, food & dining, and travel.

To capture a meaningful share of the money Ready-To-Go consumers will be spending requires local small business owners to advertise.  By almost every metric, advertising on Augusta radio is the best advertising option.

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Banks and Credit Unions Reach ReFi Customers On Augusta Radio

Sep 12, 2020 10:35:42 AM / by Larry Julius

There are approximately 134,000 households in the Central Savannah River Area with existing mortgages, according Nielsen. The median value of these homes is $161,000.

Yesterday, there was extraordinary news for many of these borrowers and for CSRA banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies

According to The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), mortgage rates have hit an all-time low of 2.86%.

 
With interest rates at this new level, 20 million American homeowners can now refinance their existing mortgage, according to Black Knight, a data analytics company specializing in homeownership life cycles. 
 
By refinancing an existing mortgage, a Augusta area homeowner could considerably reduce the length of their loan or lower the amount 
of their monthly payments.
 
Local banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies create a great deal of revenue from refinancing. 
 
Generally, a lender can expect to earn two to five percent of the loan principal amount in closing costs, according to BankRate.com. For a $200,000 mortgage refinance, for example, closing costs could generate between $4000 and $10,000.
 
For local financial companies to claim a significant share of the expanding refi market requires advertising. By any metric, advertising on Augusta radio is the most effective way to reach homeowners.
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Advertising In Augusta: OTT & CTV Viewing Soars

Sep 4, 2020 4:32:35 PM / by Larry Julius

Advertising on Augusta television and cable is becoming less attractive to Central Savannah River Area business owners as viewers rapidly defect to alternative video entertainment sources including, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon and Disney+.

Collectively these streaming services are referred to as Over-The-Top Television (OTT) and Connected-TV (CTV). Viewers can only access this OTT and CTV content via smartphone, tablets, computers, smart-TVs, Amazon Fire Sticks, and Roku Sticks, Nielsen reports that 91% of Augusta area adults own at least one these devices. Furthermore, they are using them.

According to Nielsen projections, OTT and CTV networks now reach 43.4% of CSRA consumers every week.

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B2B Advertising In The CSRA: Reaching The Decision Makers

Aug 27, 2020 1:54:22 PM / by Larry Julius

New data from the US Census Bureau has optimistic news for Central Savannah River Area companies that sell business-to-business.

There are approximately 8600 businesses in the Augusta area, according to the Census Bureau. Indeed, many of these businesses have suffered since the onset of the Coronavirus, especially in April.

Census information is now showing positive indicators that the fortunes of area companies are improving. This includes those with 500 or fewer employees. These small businesses account for 86% of all CSRA firms.

During the week of April 26, 75% of Georgia area small businesses reported temporary closures.  By July 1, the number dropped to 34%

Also, during that same week, 41% of small business owners in the state were reporting decreases in revenue versus the prior week.  By the end of June, that number fell to slightly over 10%.

In both June and July of this year, national data shows all retail and food services spending significantly outperformed the prior year by between two and three percent.

As the business climate improves in the CSRA, the fortunes of B2B companies will accelerate as well. These include those businesses that sell office supplies, restaurant supplies, cleaning services, legal services, accounting services, transportation services, banking services, technology, and commercial real estate.

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How Has Working From Home Affected Advertising on Augusta Radio

Aug 24, 2020 6:45:00 AM / by Larry Julius

Before COVID-19, most listening to Augusta radio happened outside the home. CSRA consumers were tuning-in to their favorite stations from the car on the way to their job. Then, they tuned-in when they arrived at work. They listened again during the commute back home.

Nielsen recently surveyed consumers who worked from home before and during the novel coronavirus outbreak. The results show, as of June, 66% of respondents now work from home full-time as a consequence of the pandemic.

As consumers are compelled to work from their houses and curtail their commutes, the share of at-home listening to Augusta radio has grown by 18%, according to Nielsen.

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Advertising in Augusta: The Radio Century

Aug 20, 2020 7:20:00 AM / by Larry Julius

Augusta radio reaches more area adults every week than any other medium. During a typical seven-day period, according to Nielsen, 412,000 local consumers tune-in to their favorite AM and FM stations. This is significantly more than those who watch broadcast television, subscribe to pay-TV, browse social media, read a newspaper, or stream music from Pandora and Spotify.

Radio's omnipresence in the life of Central Savannah River Area consumers is remarkable considering today is the medium's 100th birthday.

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What Is The Best Way To Reach The CSRA's 448,000 Consumers?

Aug 17, 2020 2:45:15 PM / by Larry Julius

Despite all of the media options available for small business owners to market their goods and services, advertising on Augusta radio is still the best way to reach local consumers in the Central Savannah River Area.

Adult consumers are spending 741 minutes per day consuming electronic media, according to a new study by Nielsen.  This is 7.8% more time than they spent last year and 11.2% more than in 2018.

The typical daily media diet consists of radio, live TV, time-shifted TV, DVD/Blue-ray devices, game consoles, internet-connected devices, as well as internet via computers, smartphone apps, and tablet apps.

According to Nielsen, despite all of these media options, local radio reaches the most consumers every week.

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Advertising In Augusta: Radio Listening Holds Its Own During Pandemic

Aug 10, 2020 8:37:26 AM / by Larry Julius

During the spring, 344,400 adult radio-listeners tuned in to their favorite radio stations each week, according to Nielsen. This is 10% more than during the fall, despite the pandemic. 

Some advertising experts had predicted that as consumers spent more time at home because of COVID-19 concerns, the hours devoted to radio listening would decrease. That, however, was not the case.

In the Spring of 2019, according to Nielsen, 38.4% of radio listening occurred at home. During July of this year, in-home listening jumped to 45.4%. Despite the reduction in out-of-home activities, though, CSRA consumers still spent the almost the same amount of time listening to Augusta radio.

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Advertising On Augusta Radio Reaches Cable TV's Cord Cutters in CSRA

Jul 31, 2020 6:17:36 AM / by Larry Julius

More than one-third of Central Savannah River Area households are 'cord-cutters' or 'cord-nevers'. This means, they have fired their cable or satellite television providers or never subscribed at all. Instead, these consumers are choosing to find their video entertainment elsewhere.

The number of local homes that subscribe to pay-TV services began plummeting in 2013. New technologies has allowed viewers to bypass cable and satellite for more compelling content at lower prices. These cord-cutters now depend on services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime to fill their multiple screens.

For many years, CSRA small business owners have been investing a significant portion of their advertising budgets into cable-TV.  The medium had proven to be a low-cost, high-reach alternative to buying commercial on over-the-air television stations. 

Now, because of cord-cutting, there are 154,000 adult consumers in the Augusta Metro with unconnected TVs. This profoundly diminishes the value proposition of advertising with local cable systems.

There is a powerful and affordable solution, however, for small business owners to reach both the diminishing cable audience and the expanding number of cord-cutters.

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CSRA Retailers Prepare For $59 Million Back-To-School Season

Jul 23, 2020 10:55:15 AM / by Larry Julius

Based on projections from the National Retail Federation, Augusta area parents are expected to spend $59.7 million to equip K-12 kids for the upcoming school year. If so, then this shopping spree will be 29% bigger than last year's and the biggest take since 2012.

“By any measure, this is an unprecedented year with great uncertainty, including how students will get their education this fall whether they are in kindergarten or college,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay says.

“Most parents don’t know whether their children will be sitting in a classroom or in front of a computer in the dining room, or a combination of the two. But they do know the value of an education and are navigating uncertainty and unknowns so that students are prepared."

Along with pencils, paper, pens, and knapsacks, the NRF survey says 63 percent of K-12 families expect to buy computers and other electronics this year, up from 54% last year, and they expect to spend more at an average $274.44, up from $203.44 last year. The $71 difference accounts for the largest share of the overall increase in average spending of almost $93.

Also, because many parents are unsure if learning will take place at school or at home, back-to-school spending this year is expected to include home furnishings such as desks, chairs, and lamps.

To claim a meaningful share of this year's booming back-to-school economy, local retailers will need to advertise to let parents know that their stores are open, it is safe to shop, and the needed supplies are in stock.

By any metric, the best way to reach these parents is on Augusta radio.

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CSRA Drivers Hit The Road Taking Augusta Radio Along For The Ride

Jul 21, 2020 11:02:43 AM / by Larry Julius

Car radios came to the Central Savannah River Area in June of 1930. For just $120, about $1200 in present dollars, local drivers could install these early mobile devices into their Fords, Studebakers, Packards, and DeSotos, 

The first car radios were built by the Galvin Manufacturing Company of Chicago. They named their invention, and eventually their company, Motorola.

Today, more than 357,000 car radios fill ears of area drivers with music, news, sports, and information. As a result, local radio reaches more consumers than all other media.

In a typical pre-COVID-19 week, according to Nielsen, 89% of adult consumers would tune-in to an Augusta radio station. This is significantly more than were reached by local TV, cable, social media, newspaper, or streaming media sites Pandora and Spotify.

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Topics best way to advertise, augusta small business owner, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, small business marekting, advertise on radio, in-car listening, vehicle traffic, in-car audio, small business advertising

Advertising On Augusta Radio: What Consumers Want To Hear

Jul 16, 2020 3:50:26 PM / by Larry Julius

If you were one of the 412,000 adults who tuned-in to an Augusta radio station last week, then no doubt you heard multiple commercials that included phrases like 'troubling times', 'uncertain times', 'unprecedented times', 'new normal', and 'we're in this together'. 

In March, as the pandemic began to disrupt consumers' lives, using these phrases was a powerful way for CSRA small business owners to acknowledge the severity of the crisis and to exhibit empathy. But 120 days later, these words have become cliche and have lost potency.

A cliche, says the Oxford Dictionary, is "a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought." 

According to the Writing Center at The University of North Carolina, the dependence on cliches could create a harmful perception of a business that uses them. For instance, these overused phrases can make an advertiser's message seem boring. They can be perceived as vague. They can be interpreted to be a sign of laziness. They can also result in a lack of credibility. 

The words an Augusta area small business chooses for its advertising will have the most significant effect on sales. That's why eliminating cliches is critical.

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Topics augusta small business owner, radio commercials, effective radio advertising, commercial length, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, small business marekting, advertise on radio, creative, scripts, writing radio commercials

Advertising In Augusta: Consumers Pay More For Sustainable

Jul 14, 2020 7:59:43 AM / by Larry Julius

This year, according to Nielsen, 321,000 Central Savannah River Area consumers will spend $246,000 on eco-friendly goods and services. Sales for sustainable products have grown 20% since 2014, a trend expected to continue into 2021.

Tensie Whelan and Randi Kronthal-Sacco of the New York University Stern Center for Sustainable Business write in the Harvard Business Review, "Consumers are voting with their dollars against unsustainable brands. The legacy companies that will thrive are those that accept this shift and are willing to pivot.” 

For CSRA small business owners who are skeptical that sustainability affects purchase decisions, retail analyst Stacey Widlitz provided this advice, recently, in Forbes.

"Retailers only need to look to IBM's recent study, in association with the National Retail Federation, to understand just how fast consumer priorities are changing," says Ms. Widlitz. "Findings from the study revealed nearly 60% of consumers surveyed are willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. For the nearly 80% of respondents who said sustainability is important to them over 70% would pay a premium of 35% on average."

To compete for a share of consumers' spending on green goods and services requires local small business owners to advertise.

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Topics millennials, retail, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, retail sales, retailer, retail stores, small business marekting, advertise on radio, small business advertising, eco-friendly, green products, sustainable

CSRA Furniture Retailers Expect A Post-Pandemic Rebound

Jul 10, 2020 6:58:02 AM / by Larry Julius

Before the onset of COVID-19, more than 77,000 Central Savannah River Area households were planning to spend $159 million on furniture, according to Nielsen. Unfortunately, many of those plans were put on pause as consumers sheltered in place to help slow the spread of the virus.

A recent study by Elevate | SmithGeiger suggests that the fortunes of home furnishing retailers, however, are about to improve.

According to the study, 32% of consumers who had been planning to buy furniture will do so within three months of the pandemic easing. Fifty percent will do so within six months. The numbers for mattress shoppers are even stronger.

To capture a significant share of the post-pandemic sales of furniture and mattress will require retailers to advertise. The most effective way to reach the customers who are ready to buy is on Augusta radio.

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Topics best way to advertise, retail, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, furniture, mattresses, retail sales, retailer, retail stores, small business marekting, advertise on radio, small business advertising

Political Advertising On Augusta Radio Sways Voters

Jul 8, 2020 8:28:30 AM / by Larry Julius

There are more than 385,000 registered voters in the Central Savannah River Area. Here is the number by county:

  • Columbia, GA: 103,404
  • McDuffie, GA: 14,856
  • Richmond, GA: 133,772
  • Aiken, SC: 116,519
  • Edgefield, SC: 17,319

According to Nielsen, Augusta radio reaches significantly more of these registered voters than all other media, including local television pay-TV, newspaper, social media platforms, and streaming audio sites like Pandora or Spotify.

To be elected, however, requires candidates for every office to share their message with those who are not only registered but who are likely to vote.  Advertising on Augusta radio will reach, by far, the most voters who can be counted on to show up on election day.

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Topics politcial advertising, issue advertising, radio advertising, advertise on radio, voters, likely voters, registered voters, political rates, political rate card, election advertising

Facebook Advertising: Why CSRA Business Owners May Be Pausing

Jul 3, 2020 10:18:59 AM / by Larry Julius

Following the lead of many national marketers, some Central Savannah River Area small business owners are considering canceling or, at minimum, pausing their advertising schedules with social media network Facebook and its co-owned photo-sharing platform, Instagram.

According to the New York Times, "more than 400 companies, from Coca-Cola and Adidas to Ford and Lego, have vowed to halt advertising on the social network, in a growing protest over how it handles hate speech and other harmful content".

With the pandemic figured in, CSRA small business owners were expected to spend $14.7 million on Facebook and Instagram advertising in 2020. This is according to Borrell Associates, a firm that specializes in the collection and analysis of local marketing expenditures in every city across the United States. But these expenditures could shrink if the protests become louder.

Every type of CSRA business imaginable, including clothing stores, plumbers, HVAC repair, funeral homes, restaurants, dentists, and nonprofits, has come to realize how powerfully social media can contribute to their bottom lines.

Part of what makes Facebook and Instagram attractive to small business owners is the enormous reach these platforms have among consumers. Locally, the audience size for these two social media sites now rival Augusta radio, TV, cable, and newspaper outlets.

For small business owners considering a hiatus from social media advertising, there is a viable way to redirect these dollars into a different medium without losing the marketing equity or momentum built-up on Facebook.

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Topics best way to advertise, social media advertising, facebook advertising, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, facebook, instagram, social media, advertise on radio

Why CSRA Banks & Credit Unions Need To Advertise Now

Jun 30, 2020 9:12:36 AM / by Larry Julius

Based on statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, before the COVID-19 crisis, Central Savannah River Area households were putting more than $1.3 billion in the bank every year. 

Since February, however, Augusta area banks and credit unions noticed that customers' savings accounts were beginning to swell to record levels.

According to the Federal Reserve, for many years, the personal savings rate has hovered well below 10%.  The PSR is the percentage of personal disposable income that remains after taxes and all other spending.

In April of this year, the PSR hit an all-time high of 33%. The rate remained at stratospheric levels in May, as well. The previous record high was 17.3% in September of 1975 at the tail-end of a deep recession.

There are more than 4173 banks and credit unions in Georgia and South Carolina that would love to earn a large share of this infusion of new savings. To compete, though, requires advertising.  By almost any metric, the best way to reach new depositors is by advertising on Augusta radio.

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Topics best way to advertise, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, bank, advertise on radio, credit union, savings account, certificate of deposit

Real Estate Advertising In The CSRA: Starter Home Sales Are Thriving

Jun 26, 2020 7:49:11 AM / by Larry Julius

From Grovetown to North Augusta (and every point in between), Central Savannah River Area real estate agents see a robust, post-pandemic market shaping up. Home sales are being driven by record low-interest rates.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate in June is 3.17%, according to Freddie Mac. This is down from 3.99% June of last year. That difference could save an Augusta area home buyer close to $30,000 over the term of a loan.

Data from the Federal Reserve indicates that one of the fast-growing segments of the current real estate market is starter homes. Sales in May for these modest price houses have risen above pre-COVID-19 levels and have hit a three year high.

Feuling the starter home market is demand from millennials. This generation now comprises 37% of all home buyers, says the National Association of Realtors Research Group.

To claim a large share of the market for starter homes, local real estate agents will need to advertise to attract these buyers.  By almost any metric, advertising on Augusta radio is the best way to reach millennials planning to buy a house, condo, or co-op over the next year.

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Topics best way to advertise, real estate, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, home buyers, mortgage, mortgage broker, home sellers, advertise on radio, real estate agent

Augusta Radio Listeners Will Power The Post-Pandemic Recovery

Jun 10, 2020 3:20:36 PM / by Larry Julius

At the dawn of 2020, Central Savannah River Area small business owners were expecting the area's retail economy to expand by 4.1%. This optimism was stoked by the National Retail Federation's chief economist who said, "Consumers remain upbeat and have the confidence to spend, and the steady wage growth that has come with the strong job market is fueling their spending. The state of the consumer is very healthy."

By February, however, the country entered into a COVID-19 induced recession. Then, to slow the spread of the pandemic, in early April, the Governors of Georgia and South Carolina shut down all but the most essential businesses in their states. This brought the CSRA's $8.6 billion retail economy to a standstill.

As stores, restaurants, and offices in the Augusta area begin to re-open, consumers' appetite for spending is returning. According to Nielsen, loyal radio listeners are very likely to be first in line at the cash registers.

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Topics best way to advertise, retail, consumer spending, small business owner, small business, automotive, retail sales, retailer, retail stores, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, reopen, advertise on radio, recovery

Why Augusta Real Estate Agents Need To Advertise Now

May 22, 2020 3:31:30 PM / by Larry Julius

Type "AUGUSTA REAL ESTATE AGENTS" into Google. In slightly over a half-second, the search will deliver 8,410,000 results. Similar searches for Martinez, Evans, Aiken, Greenwood, and Lexington produce a proportional number of returns.

Despite the economic hardships imposed by the Coronavirus crisis on Central Savannah River Area consumers, the demand for real estate is booming. 

The Wall Street Journal published a trend yesterday indicating that mortgage applications for purchase a home have achieved levels equal to last year.

According to redfin.com, home buying demand is 16.5% higher now than it was pre-COVID-19 on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Redfin attributes this explosive growth in real estate shoppers to two factors, including record-low mortgage rates. The other primary driver is a migration trend from expensive metropolitan areas as buyers hunt for more space at lower prices.

To capture a larger share of the robust market, local real estate agents need to stand apart from the millions of Google results.  Advertising on Augusta radio will help accomplish this.  Here's why.

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Topics best way to advertise, real estate, newspaper advertising, social media advertising, online advertising, radio advertising, small business owner, television advertising, small business, streaming audio, home buyers, pay-TV, home sellers, advertise on radio

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