Any company base its decision to buy particular media for advertising purposes on four major factors - 1) a clearly set advertising objective; 2) a carefully defined target audience; 3) a message and ad frequency; and finally, 4) a well-established advertising budget.

The medium you choose to communicate your message is crucial for the success of the whole advertising strategy. If chosen wrong, it can disturb your plans and adversely affect the financial standing. This article will be dedicated to radio ad buying and will help you understand whether this advertising medium will be the best choice for you or not.

Now, let us focus on the advantages that radio advertisers get, when they turn to radio producers.
Firstly, advertisements, placed on the radio, are mobile, as they are exposed to people, who are at their workplaces, or sunbathe, or have a shower, or do the shopping, or do whatever at home or outside.

Secondly, radio messages are intrusive, since people, listening to this broadcast medium, do not have to make huge efforts to get the message you send them. The minuscule thing they may have to do is to switch on the radio and listen.

Thirdly, radio advertisers get an excellent opportunity for a target audience selection, as they pick out a certain station and determine the geographical area they need to reach, set the time the message will be heard by potential customers and opt a necessary format (talk radio, easy listening, alternative rock, etc.) to get the attention of different audiences.

Fourthly, sometimes, radio advertisers can place there an advertisement in a short notice, which makes it possible to react to unexpected developments.

Fifthly, radio advertisers have a chance to choose such ad frequency they consider appropriate, depending on the format's potential.

Sixthly, as the radio, in most cases, has a local appeal, radio advertisers can attach more importance to their advertisements if they bind the ad to local events, locations and the weather.

Seventhly, the radio speaks and an announcer, varying the tone of his/her voice, can strengthen the message or make it easier to listen and comprehend.

The last eighth advantage of the radio will be the fact that buying the time on the radio is rather cost-efficient.

Finally, it is quite easy to produce a radio advertisement. Radio advertisers may come up with their own spot or send a fact sheet to a radio station for them to produce one (sometimes for free) and that is it. (But remember: station-produced spots may lack uniqueness and may not attract the attention they could due to their sameness and one speaker.)

Certainly, it is not enough to learn only positive sides of the radio advertising potential to make a well-weighed decision. Therefore, here come some disadvantages of the radio as a medium of advertising.

A radio message cannot be seen, but it should still clearly draw the pictures in consumers' minds you need; thus, it would be better if you pay extra for the work of a professional copywriter, who will be reworded at the end. Moreover, many specialists speak of fragmented radio listeners and that it can be rather a costly thing to reach them all.

In addition, listeners may skip a very important piece of information, such as the phone of your company, and the point is that they will not know where to get it or when to listen to the radio to hear it once again. However, this problem can be minimized due to some writing and placement techniques. Furthermore, the position of a radio ad in a commercial break also makes sense.