Is It All About Content, or Being Found?
By Ken Dardis
Audio Graphics
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Content is King.” Jack Benny, Edward R. Morrow, Paul Harvey, and Dick Clark found their content floating to the top at a time when each spoke into a microphone reaching millions. Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern, Rick Dees, and Don Imus began their rise to stardom when the radio industry was one of the big four media. Each talent transitioned to being, in various portions, one piece of a much bigger media pie.
A radio talent’s new main problem is not finding a station to work for; it’s acting on what it takes to become a superstar now that there are tens of thousands of content factories.
People seek content they perceive to be different and more to their liking. Familiarity comes quickly after a new station or talent is found.
With the internet being reality (endless channels of news, entertainment, and talk), being found there or stumbled across is now a new worst nightmare.
Although it is the most effective way to reach millions, network promotion is no longer the only way to the masses. Acknowledge that there will always be networks reaching a large audience. Advertising relationships will keep these floating. There’s politics in business, which is a reason why it is still very difficult for an independent to get part of a national advertising buy.
Now, with the public looking in so many different places for content to suit their needs, a program must be located to grow an audience. With mobile internet access and plug-in to car-system ease, audio content competition will soon become intense. How well positioned are you to being found?
The radio industry should take a lesson from its own play-book here: A record is just a record until it gets enough airplay to become a hit.
There’s not one talent who doesn’t think they offer a uniquely interesting radio program. In the past, a talent was only required to get one other person – the program director – to agree. They’d then get an on-air position and would be exposed to the market.
To become major market talent online today (or through mobile), thousands of more ears need to be convinced. Those ears then need to continue to be convinced everyday after that first encounter.
Creating good content is difficult, but it’s easier than getting your content found by a widely-scattered audience – even if those people are looking to find new programs to follow.
