Every year, as soon as Halloween is over, many stations across the country start playing Christmas music. By lunch, listeners are calling to say you’ve made their day or that you could’ve at least waited until they put the skeletons back in the attic. Either way, they know something changed on your station. If one of those listeners opens your website or app, would they know it there, too?
A Christmas logo and a prominent “Listen Live” button are a good start. But the people tuning in also want to know where to see the lights, when Santa’s coming to town, and whether you’ll play the song their dad used to sing while he put up the tree. Those are things a local station can do especially well. Here are ten ways to give listeners a part in your Christmas programming and give local businesses a reason to get involved.
- Build a Christmas lights map listeners can use from the car
Ask listeners to submit their own displays, including a photo, viewing hours, and anything visitors should know. A note like “Tune to 88.1 when you turn onto Maple Street” makes your map worth opening. Put a directions link on each listing and feature one display on the air each afternoon. A local auto dealer could sponsor the map, and you’ve got an easy Friday invitation: “Taking the kids to see lights tonight? We’ve got six stops you can make before bedtime.”
- Put a familiar voice in front of the next Christmas song
Add a short form to your website or app where listeners can record a dedication. Ask who the song is for and why they picked it. Hearing a grown daughter say, “Dad, this is for you because you still insist Elvis sings it best,” gives the next record a meaning it didn’t have thirty seconds earlier. Run a few each evening as a sponsored request hour and tell participants when their families can listen.
- Answer “What can we do with the kids this weekend?”
Give holiday events their own view on your community calendar. For each parade, tree lighting, school market, or Santa visit, include the details parents actually need before they load the car: cost, start time, parking, and whether they need a reservation. Invite organizers to submit updates, then send a Thursday email with the weekend picks. A family restaurant could sponsor the guide and include an offer for dinner after the parade.
- Let listeners settle a Christmas music argument
Give the morning show one good matchup a day. Which “Blue Christmas” gets played at your house? Which song belongs at the end of Christmas Eve? Put the vote on your website, use social media to start the argument, and play the winner at a set time. Read a couple of listeners’ defenses before you hit the post. A record shop or other local retailer could sponsor the daily face-off through Christmas week.
- Collect the recipes that only come out in December
Ask listeners for one holiday recipe and the story that goes with it. The detail people will remember might be that Grandma always listed the pecans as “two good handfuls.” Publish each recipe on a printer-friendly page, share a photo on social, and ask the contributor to tell the story on the air. A local grocer could sponsor the collection and stock the ingredients for the recipe you’re featuring that weekend.
- Give away one last good gift idea every morning
Ask participating local merchants to suggest one specific gift, who would enjoy it, and what it costs. “A $22 bird feeder for the parent who already has everything” is more useful on the air than “Stop by for all your holiday shopping needs.” Collect the picks in a clearly labeled sponsored gift guide with photos, store hours, and links. Invite listeners to send in their toughest person to shop for, then build the next morning’s segment around one of their answers.
- Open a holiday greeting line for people working Christmas
Invite families to record short greetings through your app or website for someone spending Christmas on the job. A kid wishing Mom a merry Christmas while she works the overnight shift can make a whole room stop and listen. Schedule the greetings in blocks so families know when to tune in, and give them a replay link they can send to relatives. A hospital, manufacturer, or other local employer could underwrite the feature as a thank-you to holiday crews across town.
- Tell listeners what the toy drive still needs
A toy-drive page becomes more valuable as the deadline gets closer. Ask your nonprofit partner for a brief update each morning so your hosts can say something specific, like “We’re in good shape for little kids, but we still need gifts for teenagers.” Put the current needs, drop-off hours, and deadline at one easy-to-say web address. A sponsor can serve as a collection site or commit to filling the remaining gap. Afterward, use that same page to show listeners what their donations accomplished.
- Put the town’s Christmas memories on the air
Start with a question only someone from your market could answer. “Who remembers the animated Christmas window downtown, and what did the elves actually do?” Invite listeners to send their memories and photos they took, with permission to share them. Build a gallery, read a few recollections on the air, and post a photo on social to see who can identify the year. A longtime downtown business would be a natural sponsor, especially if it has a few old photos of its own.
- Give listeners a vote in the Christmas Eve countdown
Open voting early in December and ask each listener to pick one song and finish the sentence, “It wouldn’t be Christmas at our house without this song because…” Use those answers as the introductions when you count down the town’s favorites on Christmas Eve. Publish the airtime on the voting page, offer an app reminder, and post the final list afterward. A local business can present the countdown, and your holiday hosts get something far more personal to say than a chart position.
If you’re working with a small staff, pick one idea you can do well from now through Christmas. Give it a spot on the homepage, put the invitation in your hosts’ hands, and tell listeners exactly when they’ll hear the result. That also gives your sales team something concrete to offer. “Your dealership can help families find the best Christmas lights in town every weekend” is a much easier conversation to start than “Would you like to buy a December banner?”
How does your station bring its Christmas format to life online? Maybe you’ve tried something we missed, or maybe your listeners have turned a one-time promotion into a holiday tradition. Share your idea in the comments and tell us how your listeners got involved. You might give another station something to try this Christmas.
Pic generated by ChatGPT.
Jim Sherwood is a radio veteran turned digital strategist dedicated to helping radio stations thrive online through engaging websites and mobile apps. As the founder of Skyrocket Radio and host of the Better Radio Websites podcast, he shares best practices to help stations grow audiences and revenue in the digital space. With decades of experience in radio and a passion for connecting content with listeners, Jim ensures that every station—no matter its size—can make a lasting impact online.