Every week, according to Nielsen, 88% of adult consumers tune in to a Boston radio station. This is significantly more people than watch broadcast TV, local cable, or video streaming services. It's more than use social media sites like Facebook or Instagram. And, it's more than read local newspapers.
Boston radio is also the medium with the greatest reach among millennials, a generation that not only has embraced an abundance of online media options but also accounts for nearly a third of all local consumer spending.
This reach advantage is a crucial reason why local small business owners depend on Boston radio to market their goods and services.
A study released this week by Edison Research and NPR discovered that their six distinct types of radio listeners. The study also examines how each group of listeners engages with both programming and advertising. These distinctions are important for Boston small business owners to understand.
The six listener categories as described in the study are:
Below is another key finding of the report for Boston business owners. Radio listeners are more likely to engage with ads than do the users of other media.
Not surprisingly, among the six segments of radio listeners, the heaviest users of the medium are also the most likely to engage with advertising messages.
Perhaps the most important finding of this study for Boston business owners is how consumers respond to advertising. Fifty percent of listeners say they were compelled to gather more information about a company, product, or service as a result of hearing a commercial on the radio. Thirty-six percent say they were convinced to buy a product by a radio ad.
To see the complete NPR Edison research study, click here.