Radio may have television firmly beat in ratings now, but TV still rakes in the vast majority of ad spend. With digital competitors also drawing in a significant share of the revenue pie, AM/FM must lean into its strengths more than ever before to survive and thrive.
Radio Ink asked Radio’s Top 20 Leaders of 2024: What is radio’s biggest advantage over other media and how should we be marketing it to attract more audience?
“Radio’s greatest advantage remains its authenticity. Despite the plethora of TikTok “stars” and Instagram “influencers,” research repeatedly shows that radio personalities remain the most trusted voices. We should be marketing that advantage. Likes and follows don’t buy product. People do. We should market and celebrate our personalities. We should remind the public of our personalities’ personal connection with their listeners and the power of that connection.”
“There is nothing like the connection between a great host and a listener. Radio – at its best, super-serves its audience. In any emergency, there is no better place to turn than your local station. I have personally witnessed how radio kept a terrified audience feeling connected during a terrorist attack, a blackout, and two devastating hurricanes. Radio is a lifeline and gets us through some scary and often lonely times. In the case of syndication, it can bring a star into your home and, if done properly, make you feel like they are part of your community.”
“Radio’s biggest advantage is the medium is companion-oriented but 100% locally focused. Radio can inform, entertain, soothe, and heal in your local market with the community’s talents. I believe that as an industry, we must take to the streets in each city to remind the people we serve of the importance of radio. When radio is strong, communities are stronger, so we must be visible with fresh ideas, opportunities, and partnering with local charities. We must continue to commit to being the beacon of telling our local stories.”
See what all of Radio’s Top 20 Leaders said in the next issue of Radio Ink. Plus, get Ad Fontes Media Chief Strategy Officer Lou Paskalis’ playbook for driving ad dollars to broadcast news – it all drops on April 8. If you are not a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Order your digital or print subscription today!
