We’re at the beginning of one of the longest unofficial summers ever. Stretching from May 25 to September 7, this year delivers the earliest and latest possible dates for both Memorial Day and Labor Day. 106 calendar days. Fifteen weeks.
There are a lot of opportunities for radio to take advantage of this summer. A record number of Americans traveled over this past weekend, with most choosing family road trips despite sharply higher gasoline prices. We’ll likely see similar travel and celebrations for the Fourth of July, as this Independence Day is America’s 250th Anniversary, and for the FIFA World Cup.
The mobility of the audience, combined with the portability and in-car nature of radio, should allow the medium to have greater exposure to a larger audience. Anytime there’s a disruption in a listener’s routine, radio stations have a chance to be discovered.
During the workweek, when listening is habitual, no one has an opportunity or time to search for new apps, new channels, or hit seek to find a new radio station. It’s leisure moments when radio users discover new radio stations. They stumble onto new stations when they’re not rushed, and that presents an opportunity for radio and personalities to introduce themselves or be introduced.
The opportunity for discovery is why on-air performers should be on during the weekend and holidays, too. The talent can be voice-tracked, as long as they sound live and consistent with their weekday performances. Discovery of a new on-air personality, or a personality that’s new to you, or a radio station that you were unaware of, is another one of the ways people find a new radio station. That and word-of-mouth. The latter often comes from the casual discovery of a radio station.
Sidenote: marketing creates word-of-mouth.
Segueing music without air talent and using only production and sweepers in place of the connectivity and entertainment that attracts an audience isn’t the way to convert a listener, and it positions your radio station poorly. Do you want to be “that station” that sounds cold and emotionless? No personality? Not connected to your market? What message does that send to a listener or advertiser? Expert after expert touts the benefit of sounding local and relating locally attracts an audience… and holds them at your station.
Most communities crank up the festivals, parades, fairs, circuses, concerts, outdoor movies, rib cook-offs, beer festivals, and church events. Community pools open, charities throw car washes, and there isn’t a weekend when the soccer fields aren’t full, the little league fields aren’t in use, and volleyball tournaments are underway. Beach communities see heavy traffic, which warrants updates, as do sporting events that attract a crowd. Weather becomes critical information as part of the planning that assists a family.
The radio station that can connect to a community, attach itself to these events, and do battle with apps that provide similar information, increases its chances of converting a listener to one of its own.
Being everywhere and being seen everywhere is a critical part of connection to a community. A talent at one of the aforementioned events goes a long way to building a relationship with an audience. Another reason why a radio station needs at least one local talent who can make appearances. It also enhances the station’s profile in a market, which is beneficial in attracting the attention of current and potential advertisers.
Promote and market your station on your own audio stream. Produce a commercial (promo) that showcases what you do and consider it an introduction of the station to the audience. Create fun imaging for on-air. Be creative and engage your staff to help write unique and fun scripts. Do things like announce your station as “the official station of summer.” It’s self-proclaimed, but so what? It’s meant to be a fun liner.
It’s always fun to be tongue-in-cheek and claim to be the station that “Rocks the Rivers, Shakes the Lakes and Parties at the Pool.” Announce yourself as “The Boss of The Beach.”
Last summer, I was struck by a station I heard that kept track of the time and told the audience to “turn and don’t burn” while tanning. That stuck with me. I’m confident that many of you can write much more creatively and develop something more special for your station than these examples. Fun imaging isn’t intended to be credible. It’s intended to make your station sound fun and, most importantly, memorable.
Don’t let this summer end without taking advantage of the disruption that’s caused by the lifestyle changes the season brings. Summer is a time of year when the audience becomes nomadic as they wander across radio stations, formats, and multiple platforms. There are obstacles to accomplishing some of what I’m suggesting. Overcoming obstacles is a challenge that some accept, some reject, and some embrace as they see them as opportunities in disguise.
Be the latter and “summer” the heck out of this summer.
