Promote Local Identity in imaging.
Besides the weather, traffic, and commercials, the station’s local identity is promoted in the imaging and live jock comments. Localize with mentions of landmarks, roads, shopping areas, neighborhoods, and major employers. Put your imaging in your listener’s shoes: what activities are they doing while listening to you at work? Desk job, driving a UPS truck, preparing for a meeting, working at a construction site? Include those activities in your imaging.
Promote digital listening.
16% of all radio listening occurs digitally. Promote listening to the station on smart speakers (Alexa), the app, cell phones, the stream, and the website. Schedule at least one, if not two, digital liners an hour. Your listener may not have a radio accessible at work, but they have a smartphone and computer. Informing them through imaging that they can access your station’s online stream at work can improve TSL at work.
Sweepers need a sense of humor.
Depending on your format, poke fun at general lifestyle, work, recreation, pop culture, jocks, and the station, but not the music. These liners make the station fun and not so serious. But, of course, nobody wants to hear the same joke every day. So instead, have many liners in rotation. Then, with humorous imaging, track the frequency and freshen to avoid the imaging going stale. Updating with topical humor is best as it keeps the station sounding “fresh.”
Have listener endorsements in imaging.
Don’t use the “I love this station” comments from production services; they sound phony and not local. Instead, ask your listeners to voice their endorsements. These are easy to capture. Record them when doing remotes and appearances. All people should say the station name and exude emotion! They should sound passionate about the music and the station. Have them give their city of residence or employment to help with the local identity.
Frequently promote the morning show.
Your morning host should record a fresh promo or two daily promoting one element of the show for tomorrow. Promos should not be a laundry list of all the benchmarks. Instead, the fun/funny promos should sell one benchmark or routine and when it’s heard tomorrow or Monday. It’s OK to run the promo in the middle of the stopset. Feature a highlight from a previous show, bantering with guests, sidekick or listeners, or a funny exchange.
Promote your big contest more often and more effectively.
Major contests sometimes don’t have the expected impact because they are not promoted often or with excitement. Even text-in contests need the voices of winners. Don’t waste time with contest details – sell the prize and especially “you can win.” Be “cinematic” by putting the listener into the experience of winning the prize. Instead of “we are giving away,” say “you can win $1,000 cash.” The “You” word engages more people by focusing on the listener. Put “you” into all your promo copy. “$1,000 can be yours.”
Photo created by DC Studio for Freepik.com.
John Lund is President of the Lund Media Group, a radio programming consulting firm with specialists in all mainstream radio formats. Did you find this article useful? You can leave a comment below or email John at John@Lundradio.com.