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When it comes to revenue generation, radio is most
effective when it is able to move a group of people to action. In
the commercial, world it’s about generating excitement followed by a
purchase decision on behalf of your client’s product. In
non-commercial radio, it may be turning a larger percentage of your
cume into station fans, and a larger percentage of your station fans
into donors. The ability to muster enough motivation to accomplish
either of these tasks really comes down to how engaged your audience
is with your radio brand.
We’ve come to learn over the past few years that a
large cume does not necessarily mean a large number of listeners
engaged. The mainstream AC station in town may have the largest cume,
but its listeners have very little passion. Meanwhile the Sports
station may have huge passion but lower cume. It is also good to
keep in mind that love of the music is not the same thing as love of
the station or brand. To successfully engage our listeners, we must
move them from being music fans to being brand fans.
Here are a few random tactics to help you more fully
engage your listeners. But remember what Sun Tzu says: “Tactics
without strategy is the noise before defeat.” If you don’t have
an overall brand strategy that includes the area of engagement, no
amount of sound tactics will lead you to your goals. But that’s a
completely different discussion for another day.
Asking Questions
The brands we find to most in touch with
respective constituents are constantly asking questions to find out
more and more about targets. This includes, but goes far beyond, a
music advisory panel on the web. You need to ask people questions
when they call on the phone; ask them questions at remotes; ask them
questions especially if you know they don’t listen. Try keeping a
three-question survey at your front desk for contest winners to
complete before they can take their prizes. Ask questions of
volunteers during Sharathon. Everywhere you go, there are potential
fans of your brand, and with them, the knowledge you need with which
to better connect.
Create More Content. Monetize It.
The show doesn’t have to end when the show ends.
Have your morning show produce a short, daily podcast with content
that didn’t make it on the air. Maybe it’s topics they wanted to
discuss but couldn’t; maybe it’s an acoustic version of a song when
a band stops by; maybe it’s a powerful listener story that had to be
edited to fit but means even more with all the information.
Whatever it is, make it compelling and make it something more than
just “stuff you missed today”. And add a spot or sponsor mention,
too. Use the ability you have to measure exactly how many people
download this on a daily basis and consider using it for revenue
generation based on only the downloaded amount.
Personalize.
It doesn’t matter whether you target is 25-54, 18-34
or 12-24 – you will have to deal with Gen Y now (or soon enough),
and these people want what they want – EXACTLY like they want it.
Technology has taught them there’s no reason to sit through a song,
or DJ, they don’t like. They’re used to pressing “next” at the
first instance of less-than-compelling content. I have yet to see
this be employed to its absolute potential. But why not allow your
fans create custom side channels (within YOUR website!) of only the
music they would pick. These channels would maintain your brand in
a graphical and audio way, but the rest is up to the fan. Of course
they could easily share these stations, and your brand with it, over
multiple social networks. Start thinking about the move to digital
personalization now, before you’re forced to (because at that point,
it’s already too late).
Let Them Help Build It…
…and they will like it more. Starbucks is genius on
multiple levels of marketing and branding, but one of my favorites
is the “MyStarbucksIdea.com” website. Not only does it allow brand
fans to share how they think the Starbucks experience could be
better, but it enables and encourages others to comment and vote on
shared ideas. One of my favorite lines from the site – and the
essence of its power – is: “the community votes, the community
decides.” Starbucks also includes a “see” portion of the site where
you can watch how actual consumer ideas are being implemented and
how they’re working out. What is your radio brand doing currently
to let people share advice, respond to each other, and see action
being taken?
When talking about engagement, the root of the
discussion is, “engage.” The concept isn’t rocket science, but it
DOES take a new kind of thinking. We have to start seeing the
medium like our audience does. Only then can we see the areas where
genuine engagement happens.
What are your ideas
on creating an engaging radio brand? E-mail me:
scott@radiorenew.com
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Scott Michaels publishes engaging radio dialogue at
http://radiorenew.com and is an experienced Program Director in
the Christian AC and CHR format with fifteen years experience. He
landed his first full-time radio position in Portland, Oregon, and
has since programmed stations like KKJM/St. Cloud, WQCK/Baton Rouge,
KSGN/Riverside and KWPZ/Bellingham & Vancouver BC. He also recently
spent time as the Director of Operations & Research for CRISTA
Broadcasting (including KCMS-FM) in Seattle. Alan Mason, John Frost
and Scott Valentine are some of the many whom Scott considers
mentors.
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