Want More Customers Through the Door? Radio Still Delivers.

As a business owner, you can advertise just about anywhere today.

Facebook. Google. TikTok. Instagram. Streaming TV. Direct mail. Billboards. Radio.

The real question isn't, “Where can I advertise?”

It’s “What advertising actually gets people to take action?”

New research gives us another pretty compelling answer: radio can move people through the doors of a business — and the more effectively you use it, the stronger the results can be.

More Radio Exposure. More Store Traffic.

A February 2026 foot-traffic study from Placer.ai examined an AM/FM radio campaign for a major retailer leading up to Valentine’s Day.

Instead of simply measuring whether people remembered the commercials or said they liked them, the study looked at something much more meaningful to a retailer:

Did people actually visit the stores?

They did.

The campaign generated significant increases in store traffic, with incremental foot-traffic lift peaking at more than 34% nationally.

But here's the part I think every local business owner should pay attention to.

The markets where the advertiser ran the strongest radio schedules generally saw the biggest increases in traffic.

Markets with very light or light radio schedules saw increases of up to about 10%. Markets receiving medium and heavy radio weight produced increases ranging from roughly 10% to 30%.

In other words, there was a clear relationship between advertising weight and customer response.

That matters.

Advertising Isn't About Running a Few Commercials

One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter in local advertising is the idea that you can run a handful of commercials and determine whether “radio works.”

That's not really how advertising works.

Advertising requires reach and repetition.

You need enough people to hear your message, and you need your message to be heard enough times for your business to become familiar.

That's one of radio's greatest strengths.

According to Nielsen Comparable Metrics data cited by Cumulus Media's Pierre Bouvard, AM/FM radio reaches 86% of adults ages 25–54 every week.

Think about that for a moment.

With all of the fragmentation in today's media world, radio still provides businesses with the ability to reach an enormous portion of the population.

And radio doesn't necessarily need to replace your digital advertising.

It can make it stronger.

Research using the same Nielsen data found that adding radio to campaigns using platforms such as TikTok, Facebook or Instagram can dramatically increase the number of additional adults ages 25–54 reached by an advertiser.

That's why I believe the conversation shouldn't be radio versus digital.

The better conversation is:

How do we use these platforms together to build the largest, most effective audience for your business?

Advertising Can Keep Working After the Campaign Ends

There's another interesting piece of research that business owners should understand.

Marketing effectiveness firm Haus found that roughly one-quarter of a campaign's incremental lift can occur after the advertising spending window ends.

For retail brands specifically, the median post-campaign lift was 29%.

That reinforces something those of us who work in advertising have seen for years.

Advertising isn't always a light switch.

You don't necessarily run a commercial Monday morning and see a customer walk through the door Monday afternoon carrying a note saying, “Your commercial sent me.”

Marketing builds familiarity.

It creates awareness.

It puts your business into the customer's mind so that when the need arises, your name is one of the names they remember.

That value can continue long after a commercial airs.

Frequency Matters

Other research has found similar results.

A PlaceIQ study involving a home-improvement retailer across 44 markets found the company's share of category foot traffic increased during a heavy AM/FM campaign and remained above its pre-campaign level months later.

Research involving a national tax-preparation company also found the largest traffic increases occurred in markets receiving the heaviest radio advertising.

There's a consistent lesson here:

Being present matters.

One commercial isn't a marketing strategy.

Neither is one Facebook post, one newspaper ad, one boosted social post or one week of advertising.

Successful marketing comes from building a consistent presence in the marketplace.

What This Means for Local Businesses

National studies are interesting, but I'm always more interested in what they mean for the local business owner.

You probably don't have a national retailer's advertising budget.

You don't need one.

Your goal isn't to reach America.

Your goal is to reach your customers in your trading area.

That's where local radio can be incredibly powerful.

A local station isn't simply another advertising platform. It's part of the community. People listen for local news, weather, sports, entertainment, contests, community events and personalities they know.

When your business consistently appears alongside that content, you're building something beyond impressions.

You're building familiarity.

And familiarity matters when someone finally needs a new vehicle, a plumber, insurance, a restaurant, tires, furniture, healthcare, financial services or whatever product or service your business provides.

The business they remember often gets the first opportunity.

Don't Just Advertise. Build a Brand.

I've spent a lot of years in radio, advertising and small business, and one lesson continues to stand out:

Marketing works best when you stop treating it like an expense you turn on and off and start treating it like an investment in your brand.

Use radio.

Use social media.

Use your website.

Use search.

Use video.

Use the platforms that make sense for your customers.

But above all, be consistent.

Tell people who you are.

Give them a reason to remember you.

Stay in front of them.

And when they're finally ready to buy, make sure your business is the name that comes to mind.

Because ultimately, advertising isn't just about being heard.

It's about being remembered when it matters.