3 Digital Platforms Radio Stations Should Consider Investing In

Brian Curee

One of our many tools for building a client’s digital strategy is marketing content through platforms that might seem less obvious. For most radio stations, you might not immediately think of putting your content on channels outside of your medium (like video and written articles), but the fact of the matter is that those large platforms that seem outside of the traditional broadcasting realm still matter to your listeners. After all, some people love the audio format, some binge-watch videos, and let’s not forget about those who would rather read the content. PLUS, it can provide your station with the ability to generate more digital content from one source, which will expand your station’s digital footprint. 👍 Let’s look at three tried and true online platforms your radio station should consider investing in.

Podcast apps

Radio stations have hosts with distinct on-air personalities that allow them to leave lasting impressions on their listeners — they are the original influencers! When a notable host like Brant Hansen talks about something, other people start thinking and talking about it too. Brant has built an amazingly loyal listener base through authenticity, humor, and wisdom. Of course, Brant also has a podcast, “The Brant & Sherri Oddcast“, which means that his listeners can bring his show with them anywhere they go.

This is the kind of customer loyalty we can unleash for our clients, and it’s within easier reach than one might think. At Killer Bee Marketing, we believe that radio stations are already equipped with the best tools to produce and record audio.

With podcast creation apps like Anchor making podcasting easier and more accessible, there are fewer barriers to entry than ever before — and it’s showing in the major increases in available content. In 2018, Apple told its listeners that there were just over 550,000 podcasts on their Podcasts platform, which is one of the biggest in the industry. As of October 2020, there were over 34 million Apple podcast episodes available for streaming!

Jump in on the growth! Put the best-performing kinds of content from your show into a podcast, and invite your normal audience — as well as any new followers you might be picking up.

YouTube 

Get ready for your close-up, and forget the old saying, “I have a face for radio!” Video is one of the best performing types of content, which means you’re missing out on tons of opportunities for engagement and growing your audience when you ignore this platform. 

Set up a camera or your smartphone, invest in a couple of studio lights so you can look your best, and hit the record button. (You might be surprised to know the more polished “perfect” videos aren’t the ones that perform the best! Valuable content and authenticity win the day!)  Then simply head over to YouTube and create a channel for your recorded sessions. Not only is it the second largest search engine on the internet, but it’s free to use and very accessible. 

YouTube is the perfect platform to plant content that will not go out of date — evergreen content that is searchable. 

WAY Nation published a blog on December 1, 2020, highlighting their top YouTube videos. Here is what they had to say:

We have a lot of fun here at WAY Nation making videos that will make you laugh, teach you something new, and tell you a story you haven’t heard.

And apparently, you like watching them! We had more than 1 million views on the videos we made this year.

Jude Hawkins from WAY Nation

In 2020, YouTube monitors user behavior as much as it watches video performance, and then funnels the most appropriate content to individual viewers. All this means for you is that making successful YouTube content is about knowing your followers well and talking about the topics they’re already searching for online. Since you’ve already likely built relationships with your listeners, you know what they’re looking for.

Website

It may seem obvious, but it needs to be said— make sure you have an awesome website! A clear path to your content online may be exactly what you need to grow your following. By carving out an online space that is dedicated exclusively to your listeners, you can create a sort of echo chamber that bounces your content between channels — from your traditional broadcast show, to social media, to your website and back! Now that your radio station has content that’s ready for YouTube and/or the podcast world, you can embed your content directly onto your blogs and begin producing blog posts that are better optimized for SEO! This is a great way to take your listeners deeper and build a loyal P1 audience on these digital channels.

At Killer Bee Marketing, it’s our goal to help you create a custom digital strategy that is clear and on track with your stations’ brand. We believe that an important element of your digital strategy is to connect with your P1 audience through the channels that make the most sense for your followers, including the ones that might feel the most alien, like YouTube and blogs published on your own domain.The goal is to offer value to your audience. If you’re not in a place where you can add anything to your plate, get help from us! Let’s schedule a FREE 15-minute Meet + Greet and see if Killer Bee Marketing is a good fit. We’ll help you avoid these classic marketing mistakes while helping you grow your business.

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