When you type your station's name into a search engine (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) and click "search," you'll likely see a link to your Live365 Station Profile Page in the results. Perfect! People can find your station and tune in. But beyond that, what else do you see?
An online presence is what shows up when someone searches for your station. If your online presence is strong (lots of positive results in the list), it helps to build credibility, establish your station's brand, and draw in new listeners.
The holy grail, if you will, of your online presence is a great website. A great website doesn’t have to be complicated. All you really need is a domain name, a platform to build your site, and basic content.
Domain Name
Start with a great domain name. It needs to be unlike any other web address out there. Keep it short, keep it simple, keep it memorable. The best domains incorporate your station’s name to assist with discoverability and brand consistency. You can choose a traditional domain name extension like .com or .net, or you can really make your website stand out by going with a .fm or .am extension.
Website Builder
Don’t worry if you’re not a web developer or designer! Building a website doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. There are tons of affordable options out there that make it easy to create and personalize your website by yourself, like Wix and Weebly.
If that approach isn’t right for you, you can always hire a web designer to build you a custom website for your station.
Website Essentials
What are the goals of your radio station’s website? Above all, your website should explain what your station is about and encourage people to tune in.
Some things to include on your site are:
- Your station’s name and your logo
- A description of your station
- Links to your station’s social media accounts
- Your Listen Now button directing your audience to your Pop-Out player and/or a link to your Station Profile Page
- Contact information
Website Extras
Beyond the essentials listed above, you may want to include a few extras on your site.
A blog is a great place for your audience to stay up-to-date with station announcements and news. You can even use this space to write album reviews, recap that concert you went to, or promote community events. Additionally, you might consider writing your own news articles on things happening in music, pop culture, etc. or you can compile links to external sites like Rolling Stone and Billboard.
Putting repurposed talk radio content, such as transcripts and show notes, on your website is an excellent strategy for boosting your SEO, reaching new audiences, gaining authority and credibility, developing brand awareness, and increasing the value that you deliver to your audience.
If you're looking to add a more visual element to your website, you can add a gallery. Then, you can post behind-the-scenes pictures, photos from events, and anything else you'd like to share with your audience.
Additional Ways to Strengthen Your Online Presence
If you have an online radio station with Live365, your station is already listed in our directory. However, you can build your presence even more by submitting your station to additional online radio directories beyond Live365. This way, your station will be more discoverable, meaning you'll be in front of more potential listeners.
In addition, social media is an incredibly easy (and free!) way to get your station's name out there on the internet. It's also a great way to interact with your audience. While promoting your station using social media does take a little bit of time, it's definitely worth it.
Setting up a website for your station might seem like a big and complicated task to take on, but when it comes to marketing your station, nothing compares. It helps elevate your station to a brand that's valuable, discoverable, and credible. Long story short, don't neglect your online presence.
See how many stations have joined the Radio Revolution at live365.com/listen. Keep up with the latest news by following us on Facebook (Live365 Official and Live365 Broadcasting) and Twitter (@Live365 and @Broadcaster365)!
Article Image: PhotoMIX Ltd. via Pexels.
