Boston small business owners are learning that 're-opening' may not be an appropriate word for the challenges they face as the Coronavirus crisis winds down.  A better term might be 're-introducing'.

When the Governor of Massachusetts shuttered the state on March 24 to slow the spread of COVID-19, Boston area consumers have discovered new ways to buy the goods and services they need.  It's now the burden of local business owners to lure these customers back. The first step is re-introduction.

On September 15, 1921, WBZ-AM signed-on as the first radio station serving Boston and New England. Since then, local business owners have used radio advertising to introduce themselves successfully to new customers. Radio has also helped these businesses survive recessions, depressions, world wars, hurricanes, and blizzards. By any metric, advertising on Boston radio remains the most effective tactic a small business owner can use post-pandemic, as well.

Is advertising on the radio just a day job for New England small business owners?  

Thousands of local companies depend on radio advertising to market their goods and services. But, most of these business owners choose to buy commercials only between 6:00 am and 7:00 pm.  Is this a good idea? Maybe not. Here are the facts.

Last week, for instance, 3,543,709 adult consumers tuned-in to their favorite Boston radio stations. This is significantly higher than the number that tuned-in to a local TV station, read a local newspaper, logged-on to social media sites like Facebook, or streamed audio from Pandora and Spotify.

But radio listeners do not roll-up their ears just because the sunsets. According to Nielsen, 57.1% of Boston area consumers who listen to the radio during daylight hours, also tune in at night.