Yes! Talk Radio Is Still A Great Venue For Public Relations

A day in my life usually involves phone or email conversations with prospective clients. They always have questions about how they can better their position to promote their personal or business brands.

But one line of questioning I find mystifying deals with talk radio, a medium I love and we’ve made great use of for our clients.
The question: “Does anyone actually listen to talk radio anymore?”

Now, from my own experience, I could answer with an emphatic “absolutely!” But I decided a higher authority from the world of talk radio would be more credible. So I checked with my friend, Michael Harrison, publisher of TALKERS magazine, the industry’s top trade magazine.

Michael is even more emphatic than I am. Since the modern era of talk radio began in the late 1980s, he says, its detractors have been quick to point to every blemish or minor ratings downtick as indicating the death of the format. They could not be more wrong.

“If no one is listening to talk radio, then no one is listening to radio at all,” Michael says. “With the normal ups and downs inherent in any format of the medium, talk radio (and country music radio) remain the two most-listened-to genres of radio, ratings period after ratings period.”

Is talk radio important and influential? Michael says you might as well ask if voters are influential and if consumers are influential.

“Research continues to indicate that talk radio is where a high concentration of voters and active consumers are indeed listening,” he says. “Talk radio also puts the spotlight on important issues that, for reasons of ratings, circulation or sizzle, the rest of the mainstream media often tends to ignore or simply bury.”

I’ve been a fan of talk radio for nearly my entire adult life. That love actually spawned my business, and I was even more thrilled when it eventually led to me hosting my own show.
Here’s why you should be a fan, too.

First, know that there are a few types of radio stations. The conventional ones are referred to as terrestrial. That’s your AM and FM stations. AM is home to most talk shows and it’s where we book clients most often. FM is primarily music but carries some talk shows; you’re probably most familiar with those on National Public Radio.

There’s also satellite radio that people subscribe to, such as Sirius and XM. In addition, traditional radio stations often stream their shows on the Internet so you really don’t even need a radio to listen to talk radio.

Here are some reasons we love talk radio for promoting your brand:

• It’s an easy, effective way to get your message out. There’s no travel or special equipment involved. As long as you have a landline, you can be interviewed from the comfort of your home or office. (Producers don’t like cell phones because the signal is unreliable.) If you give a compelling interview, you’ll impress listeners with your expertise and personality. It will also prompt hosts to plug your work and offer your website address.

• Talk radio audiences are educated and engaged. TALKERS magazine periodically profiles news/talk listeners. The numbers show they read books, buy products, care about issues and participate in the political process.

According to the most recent TALKERS Talk Radio Research Project:

• 72 percent of listeners are ages 35 to 64.
• 70 percent are college graduates or have attended college or graduate school.
• Men comprise 58 percent; women 42 percent.
• 69 percent earn $40,000 to $100,000-plus a year.
• 79 percent of those eligible to vote do.

• Shows in smaller markets can be just as helpful as big ones. Some clients tell us, “I don’t want to waste my time on small market shows.” But, here’s why they are valuable: Smaller markets have devoted fan bases because listeners have fewer shows from which to choose. It’s also likely your interview will be longer than in a larger market. That gives you greater potential for making a strong impression and driving home your points.

• It can live online for you to share. Your interview can be saved so that you can share it on social media and your website. The radio interview’s return on investment is not necessarily just new customers or clients who find you because of the interview. The ROI actually is that these interviews help build your credibility as the go-to expert in your field, and that can lead to people choosing you over competitors down the line.

If you haven’t done any publicity, talk radio could be a good first step in building your personal brand. It’s a one-on-one conversation with the host on a topic you know and are passionate about.

Besides the publicity potential, I love talk radio because it’s easy. When a show host wants to interview me, I simply close my office door for 15 minutes and get on the phone.
There’s simply no better way to have a live conversation with a dedicated audience tuned in to hear what you have to say.

Let’s talk!
Marsha

P.S. If you want to be a guest on national and local talk radio shows across the country, give us a call at 727-443-7115 ext. 215 or click here to get your Free Media Analysis.