National Radio Day was last Thursday, August 20, and Radio Ink, social media posts, and on-air mentions all added up to plenty of salutes for radio. It’s clear to me that many of us who are in or around radio… love radio!
You can also see it in comments on social media when jobs are eliminated. People who’ve spent decades in a business they’ve been fully committed to are being forced to leave what they love for what enables them to provide for their families. That should sadden all of us. It certainly saddens me.
We all have stories of the “why” we got into radio.
In my case, growing up in a family where my maternal grandfather and my father both worked on the railroad. We could ride the train for free. I grew up in a small town in Western Pennsylvania, about 35 miles from Pittsburgh. My brother and I took the train from Greensburg, PA, into Pittsburgh. WHJB-AM had a showcase studio next to the train station. We stood outside and watched Cowboy Phil do his show before catching the train. The radio bug bit me.
The business that many of us got into has changed many times since the mid-90s. There’s no reason to believe that the evolution of media won’t continue. Those of us who want to continue in this business must evolve with it. If you still feel the rush when you turn on the microphone, get excited when you hear a great entertaining break from an on-air performer, are mesmerized by an amazing sounding sweeper or promo, hear a singalong song regardless of era, and find yourself thinking almost 24/7 how you can use on-air that little something you saw or heard, then your love for radio may be what motivates you to continue what you’re doing.
The impetus behind the bashing of radio that comes forth almost every time someone mentions the business of media is often rooted in news stories about the challenges faced by the biggest, most high-profile broadcast companies in North America.
Yet there are another 10,000 radio stations owned by those beyond the most major broadcast companies. Many of them, because they’re not saddled with crushing debt, operate differently. To be fair, the biggest companies must focus on scale and multitasking.
A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of presenting at the Nebraska Broadcasters Association (NBA) during their annual meetings. This one was in Lincoln, Nebraska. Talent coach Steve Reynolds, also a presenter, and I sat together during the NBA Awards Banquet. We watched as local broadcasters and owners, and those who work at stations owned by major broadcast groups, showed immense pride as they accepted their awards. They talked of their communities, shared stories of their careers, and they spoke of their love for radio.
Steve and I looked at each other and agreed that what we were witnessing was what radio is supposed to be. Serving communities. Entertaining and informing a market. Working with merchants and local businesses in selling their wares, products, and services, and striving for a deep connection to the population of their towns & cities. Often I write about the need to recapture the enthusiasm and excitement that was once almost universally felt by broadcasters. It was clearly present during the awards banquet and when presenting our sessions in Nebraska.
I’ve spoken at many state conferences. Too many to reference here, as I’m sure to miss one somewhere. This one led me to reflect on the need to share this love for radio, that many of us have, with audiences to encourage and reignite their love for radio. It’s a heavy lift. There’s much that needs to be done to accomplish that, and given that radio today is one of many platforms, it may be impossible. Especially given the tough economic headwinds we’re facing. What is for sure is that we can do better and we can be better.
To reignite engagement with both listeners and staff, radio stations need a mix of audience-centric content, community connection, and internal culture building.
Deepen Audience Connection
- Know your listeners: Use surveys, social media polls, and analytics to understand demographics, listening habits, and needs not being met.
- Customize your content: Align playlists, talk segments, and promotions with audience tastes and lifestyles.
- Engage actively: Run contests, giveaways, and texting or call-in segments tied to show topics to encourage participation.
- Leverage trusted voices: On-air mentions by hosts can boost credibility and recall. Local talent often carry the same weight as nationally known personalities.
Expand Reach and Relevance
- Target the right dayparts: Match ad slots and show times to peak listener activity. Afternoon drive often has more cume listening than does morning drive. Listening habits changed following the pandemic and WFH.
- Use integrated marketing: Pair radio ads with a strong website, social media, email, and direct marketing campaigns to keep the conversation going.
- Highlight local impact: Showcase community events, local businesses, and neighborhood stories to strengthen local ties. Sports is a big one to exploit.
Build a Strong Brand Identity
- Create a consistent, memorable brand voice, logo, and tagline across all platforms. And as I often promote, Be Everywhere and Be Seen & Heard Everywhere.
- Embrace unique on-air personalities. This is not an area where we should be saving money, but it seems to be the first category of positions that are cut.
Strengthen Community Partnerships
- Collaborate with nonprofits, local businesses, and event organizers for co-branded content and promotions.
- Support causes and local initiatives, emotional values, that build goodwill and loyalty to your station brand and that of your personalities.
Re-Engage Your Team (Employees)
- Recognize and reward: Publicly acknowledge staff contributions to boost morale. Instead of eliminating bonuses for performance, increase them.
- Involve in content creation: Let employees contribute ideas for shows, segments, or promotions.
- Foster a culture of ownership: Encourage staff to take pride in the station’s brand and community role.
Invest in Technology and Quality
- The technology exists today to time-shift talent, connect personalities from around the world to a market, present content across multiple platforms, and embrace many delivery methods.
- Maintain high-fidelity equipment and reliable streaming to ensure a professional, trustworthy experience.
- Use automation and analytics to streamline operations and track engagement metrics.
Nurture Leads and Stay Connected
- Capture and follow up with listener emails or social media interactions with relevant, personalized content. First-party data has great value in building listener loyalty. Such data also advances opportunities for advertisers.
- Create a feedback loop so listeners feel heard and valued. We all invest more of our time in products and services that value our opinions.
The opportunity to foster and grow the love of an audience may never match the love that so many of us have for the business of radio. That’s on us as an industry for losing sight of the importance media plays in the lives of listeners.
It isn’t too late to reignite the passion of the audience, but it won’t happen on its own. We, as an industry, need the commitment of those I saw in Nebraska and their passion to earn the love of their communities. That takes a purposeful approach … and work.
