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.

It's time to set some misguided Southeast Michigan small business owners straight: When we say everybody listens to Detroit radio stations, we mean everybody.  Generations X, Y, and Z. Also, Boomers, and, yes, the millennial generation.

You know...millennials. Those are the "kids" who came of age at the turn of the millennium (which is, debatably, either 2000 or 2001).  This means 18-34 year olds. 

In Metro Detroit, 970,000 millennials make-up 29% of the adult population and will deliver $24.4 billion to local cash registers.

But here's the thing about millennials that many Michigan small business owners get wrong: millennials listen to the radio.  Almost all of them. 91.6% of them, to be exact.

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.