Ever order a pizza from Domino’s and experience their amazing pizza tracker? You may have used it to follow your pizza’s journey from the store to your doorstep. Since its introduction more than ten years ago, the world has become full of “pizza trackers.”
TurboTax shows customers how many steps are left in completing their tax returns. Uber and Lyft update us as we request a ride, confirm a driver, and calculate that our driver is just two minutes away. And, of course, Amazon has Alexa, email, and text to alert you about your upcoming package delivery.
Tami Kim, an associate professor of business administration at Dartmouth College, is an advocate of this open approach called operational transparency, which she believes can increase customers’ appreciation of a product or service – and employees’ motivation and productivity too.
None of this is new… Or is it? Are we really THAT transparent with our radio stations? Think about the above examples, and I argue we’re a bit behind.
Maybe we can have our own versions of the “pizza tracker”.
1. Show the Real People Behind the Mic
Listeners crave connection. Let them see the process, not just hear it.
- Live video from the studio during shows, even if it’s just on Instagram Stories or TikTok. This used to be a regular thing, but has, since, been de-emphasized for some reason. These “behind the curtain” events are something DSPs can NEVER offer. Think of the success of the NFL’s “Hard Knocks” series. You can’t get any more behind the NFL curtain than that!
This makes the audience feel like insiders – and insiders are loyal. They spread the word.
2. Demystify the Value
People don’t always understand what goes into running a station. Be more open about it and watch how excited they get.
- When you do a major contest or concert, share what went into making it happen—the meetings, the setting up, etc., not on air, of course, but with lots of video on your socials and website.
- Here’s one that’s a tad scary, but how about breaking down how advertising dollars keep the station on the air? It helps the listener understand the reason behind those commercials.
- You could address a specific inside topic every week, like the two above, to make listeners really feel a part of the station’s success.
This builds appreciation, empathy, and support, and we know what that leads to. Ratings!
3. Highlight the Effort
Listeners love to feel that there’s real effort and thought behind what they hear.
- Why not show them what goes into your reasons for playing certain tunes? Why is one song bigger than another, etc? You can do it through a podcast, YouTube video, Instagram story, etc.
- Social posts showing your team researching artists, scripting bits, or brainstorming with staff will build respect for what the station is all about.
- When running contests, share clips or posts about what goes into verifying winners or setting up prize experiences – it shows integrity and effort.
I can almost hear the heads shaking at the thought of “exposing” your station’s programming “secrets”. Let’s be serious here. All a good competitor has to do is listen, and they’ll have you figured out. We’re not talking about sharing actual numbers or ratings results, etc. Just enough to make the listener feel they are an integral part of what you do every day, and that’s the whole point of what we do, right?
