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This is a question I get asked daily.

To put it in perspective - It is like randomly asking a real estate agent... "How much does a house cost?" - Without telling them anything about where or what type of house you want to live in. The agent wants to help you find the perfect house for your needs and desires with-in your budget - but needs to know - Where is this "house" you want? How big is this "house"? What is in the "house"? What neighborhood is this "house" in?

Advertising on the radio is the same way - its all about expectations and real-estate. The real-estate of time on various radio stations in various parts of the country. The price to consistently air a :30 radio commercial in LA at 4:30pm on the #1 station is going to vary GREATLY from the cost of airing that very same commercial at 4:30pm on the #1 station in Oshkosh, WI.

Just as the cost of lumber in one city wont vary too much from city to city. The cost of having a the "physical" radio commercial created from a company like Best Radio Commercials wont vary much, but the real-estate where it airs will.

So how much will this "real-estate" cost.... Stations base their rates on your commitment to them (meaning the length of the campaign) and the amount of people their station reaches that fall into the target demographic of your customers. The real question you are likely asking is - "Can I afford radio advertising." And the answer is simple - Anyone can afford to advertise on the radio. Not everyone can afford to advertise on the radio effectively.

The best way to answer this question in full is to contact a reputable advertising agency. Discuss with them your goals and your budget. An ethical advertising agency should tell you at this point whether or not you can afford to advertise on the radio effectively, and go to work suggesting options and plans that suit your budget. Or if your expectations are too great and your budget too little, they should suggest other mediums that may suit your needs. Under no circumstances should they try to push you into radio advertising with outlandish expectations on a unrealistic budget.