Although many people are focused on podcasts, the truth is that there are still loyal listeners of a specific type of media: radio.
In fact, due to the more widespread use of the Internet, there are several stations that even operate via virtual connection, making it even easier for people to create their own radio station.
After all, who hasn’t pretended to be a DJ? Today, that is available to everyone! However, for a radio station to survive, it is essential that listeners are connected to it, meaning they regularly listen to its programming and are interested in participating in that radio.
If you want to create your own station or have already created one but don’t know what to do to attract more listeners, check out four simple strategies now.
What is engagement?
Before teaching what to do to engage people with your radio, it is crucial to understand what engagement is. In fact, this is a term that people are constantly hearing, especially with social media.
What is engagement? It is nothing more than the way people interact with your radio, how much they communicate with it, how much they participate in the programming, etc.
For example: when a DJ opens the phone lines for listeners to request a special song and no one calls, that indicates a lack of engagement.
When the radio's social media has no comments and few followers, it also means that engagement is low.
There are many reasons why people stop engaging with a radio station: because they don’t like the programming, because they can’t easily contact the station, because the marketing representatives don’t respond on social media, etc.
To help you overcome these obstacles, we have prepared four important tips for your radio to achieve the ideal engagement!
Make it clear how people can contact the radio
It is important that people can quickly contact your radio, meaning they should be able to reach out via social media, email, or WhatsApp.
Some radio stations still insist on using the phone, even to have real-time conversations with their listeners. However, it is clear that if a listener calls multiple times and is not answered, they will not engage again.
Always consider that people have busy lives and cannot keep trying to contact the radio if it is too difficult.
Additionally, it is essential for the radio to have a WhatsApp number where listeners can send audio messages and texts, and that someone is available to respond to these listeners, including for song requests or opinions.
Regarding contact methods, it is very important that the WhatsApp or phone number is clearly repeated several times during the programming.
Run promotions for your audience
Many people come to know a particular radio station because it has run a promotion related to their idol, for example.
Let’s suppose someone really likes Harry Styles: it is very likely that this person will start following a radio station that offers ticket giveaways, t-shirts, or any other items related to the artist.
Of course, nowadays, prizes need to be a bit more elaborate: few listeners will engage with a radio station just because it gives away a CD, as almost no one listens to CDs anymore.
Therefore, it is important to allocate a budget for promotions and invest in giveaways of more expensive items, such as a mobile phone, for example.
It is also worth making it a condition that the person listens to a specific song three times and reports the times: this will “force” the listener to follow the programming, and as a result, they may end up connecting with your radio's style.
Another important recommendation is that during the promotion period, it should be heavily publicized, even with sponsored posts on social media like Facebook.
Know what the audience likes
This is one of the simplest tips when it comes to attracting an audience: offer what they like. However, it is clear that you cannot play absolutely everything.
Therefore, the ideal is for the radio to have an identity: is it an axé radio? Is it an informative radio? Is it focused on sertanejo? Once the style is defined, it is important to offer variety.
For example: if it is a sertanejo radio, it is necessary to keep in mind that not every listener only likes the latest songs. Including sertanejo songs from the 90s might be a way to attract more listeners.
It is always best to ask for listeners' opinions, which can be done by allowing messages on WhatsApp, conducting polls, and many other ways. Additionally, it is certain that following what listeners request is very important.
Trust in the use of social media
Nowadays, you cannot talk about engagement without mentioning social media. Even if the radio operates on an FM or AM frequency, it should always be linked to social media, especially in interacting with people.
Making posts about what will be new in the programming, creating live streams for people to see behind the scenes of the radio, conducting polls, and taking advantage of current memes are ways to help the radio's engagement using the Internet.
If possible, having a collaborator who can focus solely on the radio's Social Media is very worthwhile because this professional will pay attention only to virtual demands.
If you want to know more about how to improve your radio, come check out our available plans on the website! You can contact us to clarify any doubts by clicking here!
Ready to take your radio to the next level? Visit the BRASCAST website and check out our plans! With our solutions, you will have all the support needed to transform your radio into a true success.
