Radio Believers & Non-Believers In 2025
Loyd Ford
"Ideas are the new technology." We solve problems, create opportunity, help grow higher ratings + help our clients grow revenue. Affordable Growth Partner: [email protected].
Radio is whatever we say it is.
"The past is the past," they say.
It's not the past anymore. Today radio can be part of any discussion that involves helping advertisers connect with highly mobile customers that business owners crave to have for themselves. We are the media most likely to be cost effective and powerful to help advertisers really reach their goals.
But There Is A Problem
There are a lot of people who don't believe in radio, but many of them are inside the radio business.
If you think radio has a perception problem with advertisers today, how can a non-believer convince them otherwise? Here is the short answer: They can't.
The truth is that local radio delivers effectively like no other media.
I sometimes wonder what the psychological impact might be if radio clusters created a program where they invited kids and others into their local studios once a week. They might see wonder.
Radio is imagination.
Creativity.
Being relational.
When you take those things away, what do you have? Not much.
But what is the opposite of non-believers and how can you tell the difference?
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I used to be slightly confused when I saw competitors work super hard to avoid serving the public. Don't get me wrong; I knew they were making a tragic mistake. But what I saw a lot of - unfortunately - was a mad scramble for profit and a misunderstanding that serving the community is the way to profit.
It always ended poorly for them.
People who believe in radio have seen it work. They know that advertising schedules have to involve a professional level of frequency. They also understand that radio is more than over-the-air product in 2025.
The believers know that local radio has to self-educate and invest in digital advertising so they can be in those conversations.
Believers know that they have to have key local personalities. It doesn't have to be every show on the air. There is certainly space for voice tracking and syndicated shows. But the real winners in local radio know that you have key local personalities that can stand in front of clients, in front of listeners and in front of community to make a real difference in the lives of local listeners.
That's real radio.
What About Digital?
Radio without digital products in 2025 should expect to lose revenue. Believers don't want that.
Believers know that radio today is over-the-air, endorsements, social media strategy, digital, events and sponsorships of all kinds. And anything else that helps local businesses build reputation and pull customers.
Influencers
It is easy to say that radio is an original old school influencer and that is true. However, today - right now - we have something that social media influencers wish they had; we have relationships to our communities, our listeners, to local businesses and we have our reputation. We also have a megaphone along with our creativity and ability to innovate.
That's radio.
What is local radio? Whatever we want it to be.
Whatever we are willing to be.
Whatever we are willing to learn that can positively impact our communities, our listeners and the growth of local businesses.
At Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC), we are believers in local radio. We are believers that local radio is a growth producer for local businesses and others. We know that local radio is all about relationships. We know the value of your local relationships determines what you have that is a brand and what you have that is a commodity. Guess which one of these you can sell for a better price and use to produce more revenue?
You know the answer. Do you know how to create those things in today's environment?
We also know that if you own local radio stations that you have a sales business attached to a content and relationships provider.
Local radio seems like a simple business, but today it requires proper strategy, including brand-building strategy and sales strategy.
If you want to grow your local radio business - really grow it - you have to have a different sales recruitment strategy than you may have used in the past. You have to "circle the wagons" around key local personalities and programming strategy and process that makes your station or stations stand out and grow audience (relationship) in your local market. You must have a better strategy for leveraging every asset you own to grow revenue by serving more advertisers properly today.
This is the work we do. We offer an affordable hybrid consulting practice that works with both sides of your business - programming and sales - to help you grow your revenue and the value of your assets.
But it all begins by separating the believers and the non-believers.
We're not for everybody and that's okay, too.
What do you believe about local radio in 2025?
Brand + Relationship + Great Products + Consistent Problem-Solving = Higher Revenue.?
- Loyd Ford, Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC)
A lot of people are talking about radio's ability to keep revenue and grow revenue. We focus on growth. Join us.?
Catch my weekly radio sales column each Monday @ RadioInk.com.?
P.S. When you’re ready, there are two (2) ways I can help you.
Everyone needs revenue, but we ask clients to think about what happens when you yourself come to represent growth in your market. 864.448.4169.
This is such a compelling and insightful take on the future of local radio! ??? The distinction between believers and non-believers is spot on—radio's true strength lies in its relationships, community ties, and ability to evolve with digital.?Thanks for championing growth and innovation in radio, Loyd!