"When we recruit for study participants on Philadelphia radio, we always hit our goals," says Michelle Golding, Managing Director of Clinical Research at KGL Skin Study Center in Broomfield, PA. "Some of our studies require us to find up to 350 participants."

KGL provides independent clinical testing services to major pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies. These studies help determine the safety and effectiveness of a range of dermatology products including, topical drugs, cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, and acne treatments.

"Our company was founded in 1964 by Dr. Albert Kligman in 1964," says Ms. Golding. "He is considered the grandfather of dermatology. He set the standard for the testing we still use today."

"The first time we advertised on Philadelphia radio was two years ago.  We needed to recruit participants for an acne study that we were asked to conduct. It required us to find teens and young adults who have moderate to severe acne. This can be a very difficult group to reach. Our radio commercials brought in more than enough participants to fill the study."

When a Delaware Valley small business owner buys a 60-second commercial on a Philadelphia radio station, she is limited to about 160 words to persuade listeners to become customers.  To be successful, then, each word needs to be carefully selected to fulfill the advertiser's marketing objective. 

A telephone number comprises seven words. Ten when the area code is included.  If the number is repeated three times during the commercial, then it will consume 21-30 words or up to 18% of the total allotment.

So, should a Philadelphia area business owner sacrifice a significant portion of a radio commercial to insert a phone number? Except for certain circumstances, described below, the answer is no. 

Here are the facts.

For many generations of marketers, advertising on Philadelphia television was considered the "gold standard". For a Delaware Valley small business owner who craved massive reach, TV used to be the medium that could deliver.

Over the past few years, however, viewers have been abandoning local TV stations in vast numbers. This has propelled Philadelphia radio into being the most potent reach medium among local consumers.

Every week, 3,830,493 adult consumers tune-in to their favorite Philadelphia radio stations. This is significantly more than the 3,585,160 reached by local television.

For the past 39 years, Philadelphia radio has reached more than 90% of all consumers. But, look what has happened to TV's audience.

Over the next 12 months, Delaware Valley  consumers are expected to spend $103.4 billion at retail.  To capture a larger share of this cash,  local small business owners should consider advertising.

The US Small Business Administration recommends that every SWFL small business advertise consistently.  “Think you have a great product?” asks the SBA. “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."

Local business owners have depended on Philadelphia radio advertising to market their goods and services since 1922. That's the year three local retailers each put a Philadelphia radio station on the air.  These included John Wanamaker's WOO, Strawbridge & Clothier's WFI, and Gimbel Brothers' WIP.

Today, Philadelphia radio, by any key advertising metric, is still the best way for business owners to reach local consumers.

Attention Delaware Valley small business owners. The five busiest shopping days of the year are imminent.

Based on data from the National Retail Federation, more than 3.2 million Philadelphia area consumers are likely to shop beginning on Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday.

“The tradition of Thanksgiving weekend holiday shopping has become a five-day event with consumers spending money in stores, supporting local small businesses, and online with their mobile devices and computers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Even as people are starting to purchase gifts earlier in the season, consumers still enjoy finding good Thanksgiving deals and passing time shopping with family and friends over the long holiday weekend.”

Based on the NRF findings, here are the number of shoppers local business owners can expect on each of these five days:

Almost 1,100,000 adult consumers in the Delaware Valley belong to a fitness club. These memberships bring in close to $1.9 billion in sales to local gym owners.

January is critical for the small business owners that operate gyms in the Philadelphia area. According to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association, this one month alone, accounts for 10.8% of annual membership sales. New Year's resolutions are the reason for this early year spike.

To capture a larger share of the $209-million local consumers  will spend on gym memberships in January, requires fitness center owners to advertise. The best way to do this is on Philadelphia radio. Here's why.

"Had I realized that advertising on Philadelphia radio was so effective, I would have started sooner. It would have helped to build our business faster," says Frank Lobascio. He is the Managing Partner of Armor Metals and Recycling in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey.

The company recycles scrap metals, including copper, aluminum, brass, and steel. The company also recycles electronic equipment, wire, and computers.

Mr. Lobascio and his brother Joe founded the company in 2011 following the sale of the moving and storage company they operated for 32 years. Friends and relatives familiar with recycling thought it would be a good business for the brothers to try next.

"In the beginning, we could not afford anything like radio advertising. So, our only form of marketing was me. I literally went door-to-door, handing out my cards to businesses asking if I could buy their scrap metal and old computers."

By April 15th next year, 2.1 million residents in the Delaware Valley will file a tax return.  More than 53% of these returns will be completed by the taxpayer themselves, either by hand or with the help of an online provider like Turbotax.

Every season, Philadelphia area small business owners who specialize in tax preparation services lose customers to the do-it-yourself options.  This year, 975,000 local consumers will spend $188,000,000 with tax professionals. But, based on the average cost of services, more than $215,000,000 will stay in the wallets of the DIY crowd.

To clawback this enormous amount of money from the DIY market, local tax services will need to advertise the valuable benefits of using a professional.

The best advertising option for tax professionals is on Philadelphia radio stations. Here's why.

It's a fact. Unless a consumer remembers your business when it comes time to buy, then it is likely they will purchase from someone else. Staying top of mind, therefore, is critical for every Delaware Valley small business owner who wants to grab a share of the area's $101-billion retail market.

Advertising on Philadelphia radio provides local business owners with the most affordable way to move to the top of customers' minds. But, before discussing how to get remembered, we must understand why consumers forget.

Every second, local consumers are exposed to 11,000,000 pieces of data. A consumer's brain, however, is only capable of dealing with about 50 pieces of this data at a time. So, if my calculus is correct, a consumer forgets approximately 10,999,950 things every second.

Delaware Valley shoppers are expected to spend $12 billion this holiday season.  This will be approximately 4% higher than last year. These estimates are based on forecasts by the National Retail Federation and Deloitte.

To claim a fair share of the Christmas cash, local small business owners will need to battle some giant competitors. Advertising on Philadelphia radio stations may be the perfect weapon to ensure success.

According to information published in the retail trade magazine Chain Store Age, as of right now, here is where consumers are planning to shop...