Hi folks, this week's playlist winner is Sally Martin, host of Jenga (Tuesdays
6-7 PM). Sally played a track from one of two new albums from the Buffalo
Symphony Orchestra (#48 on the playlist) and wins a CD from the promo boxes in
my office.
Keep your eyes open for underplayed and underappreciated albums on the
playlist, and play them for a chance to win next week!
--
For this week's programming tip, we'll talk about promoting your show, and the
importance of promoting other programming on our station.
While our station is small, the listeners to our station are fiercely devoted
to our programming. Because our programming changes every hour, it can be
difficult to make your show stand out from others at the station. Promoting the
station in general is the responsibility of everyone at our station, but
promoting your own show ultimately falls to you. Everyone should be out in the
community, whether in person or on the internet, promoting the station and
promoting their own shows, showcasing what specific programming your show has
to offer and making sure that people know about our station and it's unique
programming.
Start first with using our station's resources. Produce a show promo for your
show. If you have a promo, then other shows on our station will play the promo
and make others aware of your show. During your show, make sure you are playing
other people's show promos to help other shows on the air get a following as
well. Ask station management to help you produce your own show promo if you
don't have one. Use the station's social media to promote your show. Put a note
up on our Twitter page and let people know what you are doing this week on your
show. Use Instagram and post a photo or video about your show. Use our Facebook
page to promote your show. Use the CFBX Volunteers Page to let other hosts know
what you are up to (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1576165279371162). If you
are planning a special show, write up an announcement about what you are doing
and put it up in the booth. Take a direct approach to promote yourself, and
include everyone else at the station in your promotion. We are all happy to
help you make your show better, and to help other volunteers announce what's
going on with your show.
While the station's social media accounts are readily available for you to use,
it's well worth your time to set up your own pages for your show. Use whatever
platform you like, like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads or other
platforms. Post what you are up to this week on your show, post music you might
be interested in, post up your playlists. You might even want to create your
own website for your show. Make sure you keep your pages up to date and
regularly post material so your audience will stay interested in what you are
doing. Announce your social media accounts while you are on the air so your
listeners can find information on your show. Share your social media on the
station's platforms too. Let management know what you are doing, and we can
link your show up to our website and other platforms to drive more listeners to
your program.
Outside the station, there's a lot you can do. Make posters promoting your show
and hang them up around town, or around the university. Put them up at the
station too, show others that you are promoting your show and it may give other
volunteers ideas to promote their own shows. You can create handbills and hand
them out to people, leave them in venues or around the university, or talk to
people at live music shows that align with your own show. Make sure artists
know that you are playing their music and encourage them to let others know.
Talk about your show and the station to people around town. Word of mouth is
one of the most powerful tools we have to promote ourselves and our station.
Lastly, and this might seem obvious, but, make sure you actually have something
to promote before you start promoting yourself. Make sure you have a good
quality radio show offering something unique and interesting each week. Each
show you do should be unique and have something that you can use as a hook to
draw your audience in. When you make your show each week, ask yourself what you
are doing that is interesting, then use that idea to promote your show on your
social media accounts. When you do that show, think about your next show too,
and announce what you have coming up on your next show. This will keep
listeners interested and make them want to show up to listen to you next week.
If you are going to have a guest in, or have someone play music live on your
show, promote that across your social media, and put notes up in the booth so
we can get more people listening. Any time there's something special on the
air, it's something you should celebrate, and invite others to celebrate with
you, through on air promotion and social media. Your passion and creativity
drive your show and our station. The more people who can see your passion and
creativity, the better your show will be and the more people will listen.
Steve Marlow, Programming Coordinator, CFBX Radio
Campus/Community Radio for Kamloops
Ph: (250) 377-3988
http://www.thex.ca
