If you haven't been living in a cave or under a rock, then you are probably aware of the latest buzz about online music, radio streaming, listener sites, etc. Sites like Pandora, Spotify and Rhapsody have become popular names for the pure-play subscription model. Terrestrial stations and internet stations have taken to the internet airwaves and continue to expand the listener market. There are so many choices today, with desktops, mobile devices, internet-TV, and internet radio devices taking center stage when it comes to online streaming of music, talk radio, TV and other rich content.
If you are not already embracing social media, it's definitely time to take a hard look at the benefits of using it to promote your station or broadcast. Why? Because everyone else is doing it and it's proven to increase listener loyalty and expand market reach. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn really lend themselves well to this end of the entertainment industry. The latest studies and research show that stations that use blogging and social media to supplement their online presence gain more in listener loyalty than stations that do not. The use of social media sites can be very creatively used by any radio station today to not only instill listener loyalty, but to drive branding as well. As a matter of fact, by not embracing social media and blogging, you are telling today's progressive online listener that you do not care to cater to their demographic requirements.
Over the last couple of years of streaming, there has been a noticeable shift in terrestrial listeners to alternative modes of listening; namely, desktops and mobile devices. The facts show that most of what terrestrial broadcasters have feared is not happening; that they were losing market share to internet streamers. In fact, it is just the opposite. Sure, there are millions of listeners that have Pandora accounts or listen to SiriusXM in their car, but they still listen to terrestrial radio, just at diff
erent times of the day, using a variety of new and different means.
On-site banners and buttons: Don't make your online player link hard to find, or it will never be heard. Create engaging banners/buttons that aren't lost down below the fold of your website. On-air mentions: Have the DJs consistently mention your online streaming as part of station ID and promos. Run :15 second promos and special news updates ROS. Run contests and promotions, like having weekly drawings to win concert tickets displayed only on your player, or chat live with the DJs on air, promote song requests via your players
