Is there an easy way to boost my ratings? (Part 1)

June 22, 2012

If there was an easy way to boost your ratings, every station would be doing it (duh).  That said, start by making sure you understand the fundamentals of your Average Quarter-Hour audience.  Two things impact your AQH: cume (how many people come to your radio station) and time spent listening (how long they listen).  To grow your AQH, you need to either have more people come to your radio station, or get those who are already listening to stay tuned longer.

Today’s post addresses the first component of AQH…

Cume

Growing your cume comes down to one word – awareness.  People will only visit your radio station if they know that it exists.  Most importantly, you need to make sure that the people who are most likely to become loyal listeners know about your station.  Once they know, they can make the choice to check you out.  Exposure by these new listeners results in higher cume.

Okay, that makes sense.  But how do you build awareness?  The simplest, albeit most expensive, way to build awareness is through advertising.  Given today’s tight radio budgets, this can be a difficult proposition.  However, you can build awareness without breaking the bank by making a concerted effort to be where your listeners are.  Have the station van visible in your – or your competitor’s – Hot Zips.  Participate in events that match the lifestyle of your target listeners.  By getting involved in the community, you can simultaneously expose people to the station and build a solid reputation.  Sometimes, a simple on-air announcement can get you a great spot at a local event.

So if you don’t have the advertising budget to grow your cume, hit the road and make some noise!  Just make sure your location or event is appropriate to build exposure to the right target audience.

-Charlie Sislen, Partner

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