If you’ve been in radio long enough, you’ve seen this movie before. The plot hasn’t changed much; just the tools. Once upon a time, the obsession was with ratings (and in some cases, still is). Then it was web traffic. Now it’s followers.
“Get those numbers up!”
Same addiction. Different drug.
We’ve become a business driven by dashboards – every metric, every graph, every percentage point squeezed for meaning. But somewhere between AQH and TikTok, we lost sight of the one thing that built this medium in the first place: fans.
Followers are math. Fans are emotion.
Followers make you look good on paper. Fans make you unforgettable in real life.
The irony is that the one thing we used to do better than anyone — building emotional bonds — is the one thing algorithms can’t manufacture. A radio fan doesn’t just listen; they trust you. They feel like they know you. They brag about being part of your community.
Did the Beatles make it because of followers? Is Taylor Swift as big as she is because of followers? Of course not. They have fans.
So how do we move from followers to fans?
- Create moments, not just content.
Fans don’t remember your rotations or segments – they remember how you made them feel. A laugh on a tough morning. A story that made them pause. A moment that felt real.
I saw that firsthand when our country station in Norfolk, VA, helped welcome back a returning Naval carrier group. We weren’t front and center – we were with the crowd of thousands. Right there in it. And that sense of belonging created a connection that lasted far longer than any imaging promo ever could.
- Show up with authenticity.
Fans crave people, not polish. They want the you behind the mic – the humor, the flaws, the curiosity. When you open up, you invite listeners to see themselves in you. That’s where the connection happens.
I came across this quote the other day: “The audience doesn’t want perfection — they want partnership.”What does that sound like to you?
- Engage beyond the airwaves.
A fan doesn’t stop being a fan when your show ends. Social media, community events, charity drives – they’re all extensions of your relationship. But here’s the key: stop talking at them. Start talking with them.
I still hear those tired “radio-isms” – “in minutes,” “welcome to your (day of week).” We never hired voices. We hired genuine humans who spoke the community’s language, then lived it.
- Reward loyalty, not just clicks.
Stop chasing random giveaways that attract contest junkies. Recognize the people who’ve been there all along – the ones who comment, call, share, and show up. Make them part of your story.
I look forward to the day when radio stops rewarding the 10th caller and starts rewarding the 10-year listener. Who appreciates the prize more?
- Measure meaning, not just metrics.
Numbers can tell you who’s listening, but not why. And that “why” is everything. Are they listening because they have to, or because they want to? Fans always choose “want to.”
When I was a PD, I’d check my ratings the day they came out – then move on and get back to work. Because no number ever told me what mattered most: how connected my audience felt.
The business will always have its spreadsheets and dashboards – and that’s fine. They have their place. But if we’re only staring at numbers, we’re missing the people behind them.
Radio’s next chapter won’t be written by data. It’ll be written by stations and personalities who understand that fans don’t just consume – they connect.
So go ahead, build your following. But never forget: the real win isn’t how many listen.
It’s how many care.
