Grow Your Listenership In Three Days

by Bill Scott, ShareMedia Services

It's been a few weeks since my last blog. I've been zig zagging across the country doing fundraisers. I am spending two weeks at home now trying to catch up and then off to Australia for three weeks doing more fundraisers. You can be certain on the long plane ride to Australia that a few more articles will be posted.

So, from reading the title you are thinking, Bill has lost his mind. Well, you might not be too far from the truth after all the fundraising I've done this Spring. Grow your audience in three days seems something that is impossible. It's like watching a late night informercial where they promise you a full head of hair in just 48 hours. We all know it's not going to happen. Ok, believe it or not I've been expected to do that from radio stations during their three day fundraising events.

There have been some fundraisers over the years that have not gone so well. It's during those events I begin to ask the station manager or program director some hard questions. I always want to know why the phones are not ringing. First lets get this clear, your fundraiser is for a time of harvest, if you haven't planted seed all year long, phones will not ring at the level you are hoping for. With that in mind here are some of the questions I always ask:

1. Have you been involved in the community? This would include food drives, showing up at concerts, being seen at church events, family events, hugging and kissing babies etc...
2. Have you connected with your listeners? How are you meeting the listener needs beyond playing music? Perhaps you have Prayer Works where they can be prayed for. Some stations have a station Chaplin, others meet the needs of their listeners in other ways.
3. Is your on-air talent touching the hearts of listeners between the songs? Laughter, stories, news are all great but there has to be a spiritual connection as well.

The major question is why should your audience give to your station? If you are only a glorified jukebox then don't expect much. If your station has been coasting for years, then why would your audience invest in what you are doing? Listeners are smarter than what you give them credit for.

Now is the time to plant seeds so when you do your next fundraiser you'll see the harvest you are looking for.

Connect with Bill at BillScottGroup.com