Christian Radio And The Three Run Homer!

Tracy Johnson - Tracy Johnson Media Group

With all respect to Christmas, this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Okay, maybe the second most wonderful time of the year. It's opening week for major league baseball. No, I'm pretty sure it's the most wonderful time of the year.

As an avid baseball fan, I take every opportunity to connect my favorite sport with radio. There are more connections than you might think. But what does baseball, the three-run home run and your radio station have in common? A lot.

Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver of the Baltimore Orioles was one of baseball's great characters. He was once asked the key to his legendary success. He became famous for this response,

"Sometimes it's the small things. But mostly, baseball is all about good pitching and the three run homer."

A three run home run changes the game. It turns a 2-2 tie into a 5-2 lead. It transforms a team that's trailing 5-3 into winning 6-5. A three-run bomb is the difference betweena tight, 1-1 pitching duel and a secure 4-1 lead.

A three-run home run energizes the crowd and changes fortunes.

What's Your Three-Run Home Run?

Christian radio needs more three-run homers. The format is perfect for it. We have avid, passionate and loyal fan base that loves what we do. All we have to do is activate them and give them a reason to cheer for us.

But too often, radio stations become masters of the mundane. We obsess over details that are useful, but not transformational like a three-run homer.

Programmers make sure the music is on target, format clocks adjusted and music beds are just right.

Personalities take care to play those informational promos at the proper time and compile pages of topics for the show. All of these are good things, to be sure.

But as important as they might be,those details don't change the outcome of the game. They're not three-run homers.

For Christian radio, the three-run home run happens when wecreate emotional moments on the air.And those emotional moments are connected directly to radio personalities who know how to relate to listeners in today's world.

Examples of Three Run Home Runs

A three-run homer can be an over-the-top promotion that you become known for. It's changing lives one person at a time the way WCIC/Peoria did with their Been Tipped Over campaign. The station activated their audience to make an impact with waitresses across their listening area.

It's what Life 102.5/Madison and morning show Dave & Candice are doing right now with their Kindness Challenge. Their listeners are hitting home runs every day.

Maybe your three-run home run happens each morning, by developing a segment into a significant momentthat is memorable and shareable. Or branding one segment each that sticks with a listener and inspires them to talk about your mission, your ministry, your station and your show.

When that happens, the three-run homer resonates far beyond your station's reach. It extends into your community and the world.

In baseball, three-run homers can overcome mistakes. Walks and errors are quickly forgotten when a slugger steps up and changes the game. It's the same for radio.

Sometimes It's The Small Things

But a three-run homer doesn't happen without many little things that make it possible. There have to be baserunners or the home run won't deliver three runs. And pitchers have to prevent the other team from building a big lead, or the home run won't matter.

Radio stations need balance. Doing the little things well are important, too. It puts your team in position to win the game. You can't get so caught up in the big idea that you ignore the details.

What can your station do to put runners on base so your home run matters?

Here's a very short list of things you could do every day to build an audience:

1. Return every phone call and email.
2. Send a handwritten card to five people in your database each day. If you have 10 people doing this, you reach 50 people per day. That's 250 per week. And that reaches 13,000 individuals per year. That's powerful.
3. Publish new content to your website and social media sites every day. And not just one piece, but updated content for each time slot. Celebrate your great moments by sharing them with your audience.
4. Send congratulations note to three people in the community who did something special. This puts down roots with influencers.
5. Call every listener celebrating a birthday (you should have the info in your station database) to wish them a happy day.

Do enough of the small things, and you'll have a better chance of having runners on base for your big moments.

Baseball is a wonderful thing. It's even better when you can apply baseball principles to reach your communities with your message.

Execute the small things, and train your team to hit the three run homer.

Set aside time each day for both.

Sometimes it's the small things. Sometimes it's the three-run homer.