Advertising is critical to the success of every Southeast Michigan small business owner.  One of the most powerful elements of any advertising campaign is how many people it reaches.

Nielsen, the world's largest consumer insights company, found that advertising reach has a more significant effect on sales than branding, recency, and context.

There are many ways a local business owner can advertise. This includes traditional media like Detroit radio, local TV, and newspaper. It also includes online advertising options, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pandora.

The type of customer an individual business needs to reach depends on the goods and services a company sells. For instance, a daycare operator might want to reach households with young children. On the other hand, a real estate agent could be looking for consumers in the market to purchase a new home.

If you don't have time to read this entire article, then I will tell you right now. The best way to advertise in Southeast Michigan is on Detroit radio.

An essential function of advertising is to compel consumers to take action regarding a specific product or service.

Consumers in the Detroit Metro area are expected to spend at least $78.3 billion at retail this year. To claim a greater share of this giant pool of cash requires local business owners of every size to advertise their goods and services. As Professor Jef Richards at Michigan State University points out, “Advertising is totally unnecessary…unless you want to make money."

The bottom line: It is difficult for anyone in Metro Detroit to purchase a product or service from a local business if they aren’t aware it exists.

As Valentine's Day becomes a sweet memory, that's when Metro Detroit small business owners start thinking about Mom.

Mother's Day, which happens on the second Sunday of May, is second only to Christmas in terms of holiday spending. Last year, Southeast Michigan consumers spent more than $345-million celebrating the women in their lives. That number is expected to grow again in 2020.

To claim a significant share of this Mother's Day cash, local retailers and restaurants will need to advertise.  By almost every key metric, advertising on Detroit radio is the best choice.

There is alarming news for small business owners who advertise on Detroit television stations: broadcast TV viewers are disappearing at a rapid pace.

Nielsen reports that halfway through the first quarter of this year, the number of people using television has dropped 7.5%. This compares to -6.3% in the fourth quarter of 2019, and -7.0% a year ago,

"If the trend holds, it would represent the largest quarterly decline for TV viewership in our data set," explains UBS analyst John C. Hodulikadding. "Trends have worsened across most age demos with persons 25-34 now falling -17% vs. low double-digit declines throughout 2019. The persons 55+ demo continues to trend down -2%, similar to 2019 (the first year of declining ratings for the demo)."

Radio listenership, on the other hand, has remained quite stable, according to Nielsen. Since 1970, the medium has reached more than 9-in-10 consumers every week.