March 3, 2023
How would you define compelling content to listeners these days?
|
Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia: Compelling content is relevant, purposeful, timely, engaging, entertaining, memorable, and must make an emotional connection.
R Dub!, Z90/Magic 92.5: Though it’s more challenging to keep listeners engaged than ever before – the key has never changed and remains the same: Make a personal connection with your listener. There is no one-size-fits all answer, but the common denominator in all of this is making your listener feel connected to you; to foster and maintain a one-on-one relationship where the listener feels they are missing something if they aren’t tuned into you regularly. Jeff Hurley, iHeartMedia: Content that cuts through all the clutter and makes a personal connection with the listener. To me, compelling content needs to uplift their mood. Heather Deluca, WSJO: It’s got to be relevant. It’s also got to be something that matters more to the audience than to me. Content has to be what the listeners care about. And always with personality and welcoming listener opinions on topics.
Lee Abrams, mediavisions: Firstly, examining the playbook to see which ingredients are similar to “every other station” which creates a utility rather than fan building perception. Radio’s overall image problem is rooted in sameness. Then reimagine those elements to maximize new and different. Production, features, music, voices etc. Until these characteristics are modernized, compelling radio is an oxymoron. Matt Johnson, WPLW/KUDD: Anything that elicits emotion and resonates. Dom Theodore, Radio Animal Media Strategies: Anything that makes a listener not want to leave for fear of missing out and want to come back for more the next day! |
Jonathan Shuford, WRVW: It comes down to trust and companionship. The audience more than ever wants to hear about the stories they care about and are relatable to them from people they know and trust. Buster Satterfield, WIOQ: Anything that can hold their attention before they move on and decide to swipe up.
Jana Sutter, WXXL: Content has to be entertaining, snackable, and informative, and has to be delivered in a way that grabs your attention but still has meat. You can get content anywhere; radio has a very specific issue where we have to do it without visible media. JB King, KLUC: If I had the clear-cut answer, I’d sell it for millions….LOL….so often it’s just a crap shoot. Mike Klein, WZFT: Don’t over think it and be authentic and real. Be local. Talk about the biggest events in your city.
Adam Rivers, WKCI: Something that makes them want to come back. It doesn’t matter what that is. Just something that will result in them picking us! Mike O’Donnell, WKRZ: Everyone does Pop culture, music news, etc. and you need that on-air, but the content that really connects is relevant, original, and relatable, and your personalities need to make it exclusive in the way they convey the messaging to the audience. Guy Zapoleon, Zapoleon Consulting: Like a great radio station has always delivered, it’s a combination of several factors. It comes from a strong personality who can weave relevant content (news story, listener call, a song, etc.) into an engaging, funny, sad or inspiring story that causes a visceral reaction from the listeners and makes a memorable connection, one your listener never forgets. You do that enough and you build a lasting bond with your audience. |
Bob Patrick, WXLK: I lean more towards things that make people say, “I’ve done that” or “That’s happened to me” during the day. I’ll mention an occasional celebrity nugget but I’d rather relate to our audience than talk about celebrity stuff all day.
Rich Davis, KDWB: Compelling content is content that’s highly relevant to our target audience. It can be funny, entertaining, informative, moving or local. Anything that’s all of those things is a slam dunk! Toby Knapp, WASH: Don’t listen to the bullshit. The stuff which tells you to be “on-brand” or to “remember your format.” You ARE the format. THE brand. YOU are the reason you are where you are. Be you. Tell your stories. Speak your truth. Make sure your friends – fans – aka listeners have a place at the table and are okay to shut you up if you get “me-itis or I-think-itis.” Be a companion. Tell great stories. Listen. Share. Be weak. Be vulnerable. Be honest. Be scared. Be human. Be optimistic and share hope. Above all else, be authentic and have human, and non-robotic conver-liner-sations. Fake gets tuned out. Real connects. Be about connection. That’s compelling. At least to me. Prove me wrong, I’ll wait. But don’t come at me with some dumb-ass-badly done research because I’ll laugh you out of the room. |
Rick Vaughn, KENZ: You need to reflect the local topics and community-driven events and interests and being timely with the stories. You can’t just rattle off TMZ and IG posts. It’s about your unique treatment of what everyone’s talking about today. You need to become a source people go to for how you treat things in a unique way.
Jammer, WEZB: Anything that draws attention or motivates people to participate.
Jagger, KCHZ: You have to do your best to an eye on not only the stories that are Pop culture but also the local events that are meaningful The past few months the Chiefs have been a huge story and we were very involved. We have an amazing new airport that’s opening next week, that’s a hot local story. I also peruse Kansas City local social media for hot stories we should hit on.
Brian Mack, iHeartMedia: Much like a traditional radio show, compelling means strikes some chord the consumer connects with, teaches me something, makes me laugh, makes me want to help! Now ‘reeling’ you in on a device close by!Next Week’s Question Of The Week:
Which on-air personalities influenced you the most during your career and what was that special quality that resonated with you?
e-Mail your responses to: bburke@deanemediasolutions.com
