Own Senior Care – Home Care Franchise Alternative

Home Care Marketing  & Promotion

Have you considered advertising the services of your homecare business on local radio? Perhaps, there is a radio station in your market that is geared towards or targets senior citizens or adults who are responsible for the care of elderly loved ones.  Below, you will find six tips on how to successfully use local radio advertising to help your home care business:

Your target market. Most markets will have a number of stations from which to choose, most seeking to differentiate themselves by attracting different audiences. In radio, audiences are typically broken down between male and female listeners by age. When considering which station to use, it’s important to keep in mind whom you’re trying to reach. Don’t simply choose a station because it’s the one you listen to. Choose the one your potential customers prefer.  When it comes to home care, the decision maker is often the woman – whether it be the spouse or daughter.

Costs. There are two costs you will incur when you advertise on the radio. The first is airtime – the time unit(s) your commercials are on air, typically broken down into 30-second or 60-second segments (or spots), depending on the station.  The cost per spot will depend on the time of day the spot runs – for example, “drive time” (typically from 6 – 9 a.m. and 4 – 7 p.m.) will cost more than days, evening or overnights.  You can expect to spend approximately $1,000 per week in a smaller market and at least $3,000 with a larger metro station.  Spending any less on your campaign is unlikely to bring the return you desire as you will lack the repetition or frequency required to generate a result.  The other cost is for producing the commercial. Some stations will include production as an added-value option and incentive to advertise on their station. If you decide to get your spots produced by an outside firm rather than through the station be aware that prices vary significantly between metropolitan and regional areas as well as between production houses and ad agencies.

Schedule. Your options for airing your commercial, in addition to day part, include “run of station,” or ROS and “flights.” ROS means the station will decide when your commercials air as well as the specific time of the day that each commercial will be played.  “Flights” gives you the opportunity to decide when each commercial is played and for how many weeks during the month.  Scheduled spots are more expensive because costs are based on both inventory and the demand for particular times. Some ROS placements are less expensive than scheduled placements but are typically less effective.  Your local station will have survey figures to indicate the most popular listening times for your potential customers.

The economy of words. As a general rule, 65 to 85 words is the limit for a 30-second commercial (with that amount doubled for a 60 second spot, which remains the traditional length of a radio commercial).  Most people listen to the radio while doing something else, such as driving or exercising, so it’s important to have something that will grab their attention. Focus on a “big idea” you want to get across and make sure you have a call to action (e.g. call this phone number).

Choosing the right sounds. If your want your commercial to stand out from the rest, you need to consider some additional factors regarding voice-overs and sound effects.   To find a good voice-over talent, keep in mind whom you’re trying to reach, and choose someone with a voice that is believable and that relates to your target. If you decide to use the station’s on-air announcer, keep in mind that he/she probably won’t be able to use terms such as “us” and “we.” If you want the reader to sound like a representative of your company, you may need to hire outside talent. Your local station will have a number of different effects from which to choose from. If you use music in your commercial, keep in mind that it must suit the mood you are trying to create. While music can help attract your prospects’ attention, it should not distract them from your selling message.

Track the effectiveness of the commercial. Since radio is not inexpensive, it is very important that any campaign you do be carefully tracked to find out how effective it’s been.  Are you getting many calls from the spot?  If so, are these callers interested in hiring your company or are they just shopping?  If you’re not getting a good response or you’re finding that the people you are attracting aren’t the right audience, you may need to change the commercial or find a different station.

Posted by: David Goodman, President of Companion Connection Senior Care, the premier No Royalty Membership Organization serving the non medical home care and licensed home health business communities. Demand for home based elder care is soaring! CCSC will help you start your own highly successful Home Care Agency business. Contact us today for a FREE Business Info Kit… 1-800-270-6949