BUILD YOUR CUME

Researcher Richard Harker's recent blog that was featured at All Access.com rings so true.  Stations are spending way too much time on TSL and not enough on cume.  Want to win in PPM?  Focus more on cume.

What's the best way to build cume?  IMHO, here's a few of my thoughts:

1) MARKET YOUR STATION.  I know that's nearly impossible for many radio stations, but doing consistent and focused marketing campaigns is the easiest way to build audience.

If you are lucky enough to have marketing money, make sure your station is dead on and tuned up before you do anything.  That will help with TSL.

But, most likely you don't have the budget to consistently market your station.  There are still ways to building cume.  Read on.


2) BE COMPELLING.  Have compelling, relatable and entertaining content all the time, not just in the morning show.  This goes beyond the music you play (they can get that anywhere).  Your station and personalities should always be compelling and entertaining.  Make the listener talk about you and the word will spread.


3) HIT THE STREETS.  Be everywhere.  When you are at an event, look great.  Hang tons of banners.  Have the van in the most visible area.  Get your logo on everything.  No event or appearance is too small.  You never know who may have a meter or a diary.


4) USE SOCIAL MEDIA.  Use social media to get new listeners to check you out.  Travis Moon at KAJA in San Antonio is really mastering Facebook and how to get shares, fans and likes with the station's posts.  KAJA's ratings have been huge in PPM. Their cume is up to 658,000, which has gone up every month since April.  Same with their share.  They are #1 6+ with a 9.5.  I was with Travis a few week's ago and watched him work Facebook all day.  He defiantly has a strategy and it looks to be working.


4) INVITE LISTENERS.  Sounds basic, but it works.  Think about politicians asking for votes.  When you meet people face to face, ask them to listen.  Give them your business card.  Spread the word in a grass roots sort of way.


5) CONSISTENCY.  Your station and show needs to be consistent.  People go back to Starbucks because they always know what they are going to get every time.  Same thing should be true for your station.  Give the listener what they expect from you 100% of the time.


6) HAVE BIG PROMOTIONS.  Design your big promotions and contesting to get people talking.  Use your listener to spread the word to build cume.  Promote and sell your promotions relentlessly on the air.


Richard Harker sums it up best in his blog, "do you want to gain share?  Do you want to beat your competitor?  The only way to do it is to grow your audience.  Focus on cume."

You can read Richard's full blog here.  http://www.radioinsights.com/2012/09/beating-ppm-easier-than-you-think.html