You can be big in Florida in January and then big in Ohio in April, but if you're not getting all of these stations at the same time, it's impossible to chart nationally. It takes the sales and the airplay, and it combines them and spits out a number. You said that in order to get radio airplay you need to hire indie promoters. Promoters' prices vary. You've got to be careful here, they can spot a rookie ten thousand miles away.
Some people are thousands a month.
You need promoters for each region or each particular market you want to hit. Some get paid by results, not by the week. It depends on the record. If you've got a great record, the odds are much better than if you have a shitty record. You really need to have an outstanding record because you don't have a promotion machine behind you that has the contacts.