Radio Advertisements

How many times have you listen to the radio and changed the channel because of an annoying radio commercial? I know that I've done my share of channel surfing because of either to many radio commercials, too much chatter by the DJ, or just because I didn't like the song playing on the radio. Well, you are not alone if you have done this and believe it or not, it is even more common for people to not even use the radio but listen to their IPod or even Satellite Radio.

So why should we advertise on radio? Good question....we really should not unless we have plenty of money to spend. Radio is a dying bred, although it does have it place in recruiting but not how you think. For starters, why pay for radio ads when you can get them for free?

To begin your "free" radio ads, start by becoming friends with the radio station in your area. Request to have on-air interviews to discuss your vacancies or even police related issues such as the academy, what recruits do, or even a day in the life of one of your officers. At the end of the interview however make sure you give a tag line statement about how to apply.

Many sales representatives from radio stations will tell you that you can target a particular audience by the type of music they listen too. But, I know that I, being a white male, late 30's, I listen to various kinds of music depending on my mood. This too is common amongst most people. So if you don't have the funds to cover almost every genre of music then how are you sure you’re getting the people you want?

For what radio costs to advertise, especially with this current market, I would be cautious using it for police recruiting unless you get a really sweet deal. I would look to spend money in other areas such as television before buying radio air time. Of course different people have different opinions on this but again I would suggest you look very closely at using radio before taking the plunge. It is a lot of money and it is very narrow in who you might attract.