In today’s world where the internet has everyone’s attention, there seems to be less use for radios. Now when people want to advertise their stuff to the public, you see them paying for online ads on websites, social media, and paying influencers to launch marketing campaigns on their behalf.
Nevertheless, many people still engage in radio advertising in Nigeria. If you’re interested in advertising your stuff on the radio in Nigeria, this article will help you. I’ll be discussing everything you should know about radio advertising in Nigeria. At the end, you’ll know if it’s worth your money or not.
About Radio Advertising

Already, you know what a radio is and how it works. Nigeria has many radio stations; while some have nationwide coverage, others are limited to particular states and cities. For example, Nigerian Info is a nationwide radio station while Garden City FM is limited to just Port Harcourt/Rivers State.
Radio advertising simply means paying these radio stations to promote your service, product, or event. As it’s a radio, the advertisement must be in audio format. You could come to air to give a live speech or get the radio to play a pre-recorded audio advert.
Usually, the advert will be played randomly. Some adverts are aired more than 20 times daily while others are played just once in a day. It all depends on the agreement between you and the radio station. In Nigeria, Radio is one of the top advertising platforms.
Many Nigerians listen to news on radio every morning and they also partake in the call-in shows. The explosion of mobile technology helped too because now people don’t need to actually own a radio. Every mobile phone, even the very basic ones come with FM tuners that can play radio stations.
How to advertise on radio in Nigeria

Advertising on radio in Nigeria seems very simple. You just visit the radio station to submit your ad or send it in via email. Pay the station and they’ll air your advert. However, if you want your advertising to convert and achieve your marketing goal, you’ll do the hard work.
Picking the right radio station

To begin with, you have to pick the right radio station. This has to do with demographics. If, for example, you’re advertising a musical concert, your target audience is young Nigerians with current music taste. Therefore, you’ll want to pick a radio station that such people listen to.
You can go with Cool FM for example. Cool FM is known for playing music thus it’s normal that the majority of their audience are young Nigerians. Conversely, if you’re advertising a product for adults, say people above 45, you might want to pick a station like Nigerian Info. Nigerian info majorly discusses national matters which interests people in such age groups the most.
There’s nothing wrong with advertising with as many radio stations as you want. If you have the money, you can even advertise in all. However, when you’re on a budget, picking the right radio station is vital.
Make enquiries

When you know the radio stations to use, you should make enquiries. Radio stations have different standards and following protocols set by the NBC, there are certain stuff they can’t promote on air. From your enquiries, you’ll know if your type of advert is allowed or not.
Furthermore, you’ll get information about the radio’s advertising packages. This will include how much you’re to pay, how many seconds, minutes, or hours your advert will be aired, how many days it’ll be aired for, and so on.
At least 3 or 4 radio stations should be in your shortlist. You can compare the advertising package of all to determine which will be more beneficial to your advertising campaign.
Preparing your advert

You’ll want to make sure your advert is well prepared. Only quality, creative, and well organized adverts will attract consumers. It’s important to pay professional voice over artists or singers depending on the nature of your advert.
Once you have your advert ready. You can submit it to the radio station. They too will vet it to be sure it’s qualified to be on air. Once it’s approved, then your work is all but done.
How much does it cost to advertise on radio in Nigeria?

The cost of advertising on radio in Nigeria varies depending on the radio station. Factors such as the length of the advert and time of the day when it’s aired is also influential. Paying for radio is like purchasing airtime.
On average, a one minute advert on radio can cost N15,000 to N20,000. At this price, your advert will be played multiple times but for a few days. Anything less than than a minute will cost between N9,000 to N15,000.
The price could be higher if you’re targeting specific radio programs. As you know, some radio programs attract more audience than others. If you’re on a live program, you’ll definitely be on air for more than a minute.
For programs up to an hour; you can be charged up to N100,000 or more. 30 minutes programs can cost anywhere around N50,000.
How much do radio stations pay to play a song?
When it comes to song promotion, the charge is usually high. This is because the song will be played so many times and the length is usually between 3 to 5 minutes. To air your song on radio, you’ll be charged anything between N100,000 to N500,000.
Final Note – Should you advertise on the radio?
In conclusion, is it still worth advertising on the radio? The answer is yes. Radio advertising is still helpful in Nigeria but it’ll only be very helpful if you plan it out very well. As discussed in the article, you should pick the right radio station, make good enquiries, and finally prepare a quality radio advert.