There are 84,675 small businesses in the Wilmington, DE, tri-state area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Almost every one of these businesses is competing for a portion of the $14.6 billion of local retail spending expected to occur in 2023.*

To capture the largest share of this giant pool of consumer cash, Wilmington small business owners will need to consider advertising.

"Think you have a great product?" asks the U.S. Small Business Administration. "Unfortunately, no one's going to know about it unless you advertise. Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your sales., and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your company."

One of the best ways to advertise in Wilmington may be on local radio, a fact not lost on the world's largest advertiser, Proctor & Gamble. Last year, P&G upped spending on the radio by 43% to $235 million, according to Vivvix (formerly Kantar Media), led by a big jump in local radio.

To ensure success, every Tri-state area business owner needs to advertise.

"Think you have a great product?" asks the US Small Business Administration. "Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.”

The SBA goes on to say, “Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your product sales, and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your business.”

There are dozens of ways for local small business owners to advertise. By most metrics, the best way to advertise is on Wilmington, Delaware radio. These measures of effectiveness, however, are often obscured by the glimmer and glitz of newer technologies. 

To help reduce the glare that often blinds business owners to the potency of advertising on Wilmington radio, here are the top five things many local business owners get wrong.

To maximize success, every Wilmington, Delaware business owner needs to advertise.

"Think you have a great product?" asks the US Small Business Administration. "Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.”

The SBA goes on to say, “Advertising, if done correctly, can do wonders for your product sales, and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your business.”

According to the US Census Bureau, there are 15,190 small business establishments in the Tri-state area. This geography includes New Castle County in Delaware, Cecil County in Maryland, and Salem County in New Jersey.  Most of these diminutive companies have limited dollars to invest in advertising.  

Advertising successfully in Wilmington is achievable, though, with a small budget if the available funds are invested wisely.  Oftentimes, this means selecting one medium rather than spreading money over several.

So which medium makes the most sense for small business owners with limited budgets? By most key advertising metrics, advertising on Wilmington radio is the best option.

Advertising is crucial to the success of Tri-state area business owners. According to Investopedia, "lack of adequate marketing and publicity are among the issues that drag down small business".

According to Borrell Associates, a company that tracks advertising trends across the country, Wilmington, Delaware area business owners are expected to spend $337 million to advertise the goods and services they sell. This represents a 6.5% increase versus last year.

The majority of these dollars are being spent by Wilmington business owners to capture a significant share of the $10.2 billion dollars local consumers will be spending this year. These estimates are based on a revised forecast from the National Retail Federation (NRF).

Of course, there is an over-abundance of ways a local business owner can advertise. Perhaps the best way to generate sales from local consumers is with Wilmington radio. Here are the top five reasons why...

Every week, 500,115 Wilmington, Delaware consumers tune-in to their favorite local radio stations. That is way more than are reached by other media, including local television, newspaper, social media, or streaming audio sites like Pandora and Spotify.

A more significant number for thousands of Tri-state small business owners who advertise on Wilmington radio is how many of these listeners stick around when their commercials come on.

A 2011 Nielsen study discovered that, on average, 93% of listeners stayed with the radio station they are tuned-to when the commercials come on. That number amazed many advertisers at the time who believed that audiences were far more likely to defect when the music stopped.

A lot has changed since 2011. Wilmington area consumers have many more media options and can instantly connect to each  with a button-push, mouse-click, screen-tap, or voice command. With all of these choices, do radio audiences still stay tuned during commercial breaks?

Since 1922, advertising on Wilmington, DE radio has helped small business owners survive and thrive during times of peril. This includes world wars, natural disasters, depressions, and recessions.

Even during a pandemic, by almost every key marketing metric, radio advertising remains the best way for a Tri-state business to market its goods and services.

To prove the point, here are five statistics that vividly demonstrate the value of advertising on Wilmington radio.

There are 30 radio stations in the Wilmington, Delaware area. Each provides a unique format of news, sports, music, entertainment, and inspiration. Some stations broadcast in English. Others serve Spanish speakers. Some stations cater to millennials. Others appeal to Baby Boomers.  No doubt, there is a local radio station that fulfills the preferences of every listener.

Each week, according to Nielsen, 505,000 adults tune-in to their favorite Wilmington radio stations. This is more people than watch local TV, cable, or streaming channels. This is more than use Facebook and Instagram. This is more than read newspapers or connect to Pandora and Spotify. 

Despite the abundance of Wilmington radio stations to choose between, Nielsen reports that, on average, adult consumers only listen to 2.1 each week.  So, which stations do local consumers choose?