As a broadcaster, it is incredibly important that you know how to promote your radio station properly. One simple, but extraordinarily important way to promote your station is through your descriptions of your station that you post to various websites. With that said, we've broken down why station descriptions are so important and what makes a description great below.
Why are descriptions of my station important?
As mentioned, writing descriptions of your radio station is an important part of promoting, marketing, and branding your station. Descriptions of your station can appear in the "About" section of your station profile page, on social media, in directories, and in interviews and articles. There are also many other instances where a description of your station could appear for a promotional opportunity, such as at events, on other various websites, etc.
Aside from the fact that your station description is so prominent in a variety of places, station descriptions are a very significant part of a potential listener's first impression of your station. For example, consider if someone is selecting between two different stations and one station profile page is completely filled out with a descriptive, enthusiastic, and differentiating "About" section while the other station profile page is somewhat filled out, but the "About" section includes one sentence that says "(Station Name) plays all the best (genre) hits." Which station do you think the listener is going to pick? If you guessed the station with the comprehensive profile page and well-thought-out description, you're right. While the other station has something in their "About" section, which is certainly better than having a blank "About" section, just mentioning the genres on the station isn't very compelling.
Writing descriptions may seem straightforward, but it is truly not as simple as writing one sentence with the genres that are featured on your station. So, we are going to discuss some of the most important qualities in an engaging station description.
What are the qualities of an engaging radio station description?
Descriptive
Your station description should be as descriptive as possible, including featured genres, moods, vibes, and sounds, example artists, any featured decades, live shows and the schedule for those shows, on-air host(s), and any other information that you can provide about your station to give potential listeners a good idea of what to expect from your station. If you are struggling to get really descriptive, think about your own vision for your station and your niche and aim to put that into words.
Enthusiastic
Having a fully detailed description will likely convey your enthusiasm for your station, but you should ensure you are expressing how excited you are about your station and the programming you are providing listeners. If you showcase your enthusiasm and believe in your station, that will rub off on your listeners. Now, of course, as with anything, you don't want to overdo the enthusiasm, but you do want it to come through that you are passionate, excited, and confident in your station.
Differentiating
Aside from being as descriptive as possible, you should also work to differentiate your station in your description. Things that you can include to differentiate your station are noting your station's origin, station's location, goals and/or vision for your station, values as a station, special things about your programming, host(s), schedule, etc., and anything else that makes your station stand out from the crowd.
Promotional
In your description(s), you may also want to plug your social media, website, newsletter, business, email for suggestions and other inquiries, or anything else that you want listeners to know. The point is not to plug everything you have going on, but this is a great opportunity to quickly mention your most important call to action so it is always there for reference.
Error-Free
This should go without saying, but your description should be completely error-free. This includes being free of spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as factual inaccuracy. Ensure that you proofread your description and comb through it to catch any mistakes before you use it for any promotional opportunity. If your description is mistake-ridden, it will not be engaging, even if it is detailed and enthusiastic.
Keep in mind that you most likely want to have several different station descriptions written up for the various promotional opportunities you come across. Consider creating a short description of about 2 sentences, a medium description of 3-4 sentences, and a more comprehensive description that covers everything about your station. Using those as a base, you can use them as is or slightly alter them as needed whenever an opportunity comes your way. While you want the descriptions to be similar for consistent branding, it is a good idea to have some variation across the station descriptions that are posted in various promotional places. This slight variation helps to avoid the copy and paste feel in order to keep them engaging, but still consistent.
As you can see, writing great station descriptions is a very valuable skill to have as a broadcaster. In many cases, your promotion opportunities rely on your station description, so it is important to really put the time and effort in to write an engaging description. A vague and generic description does nothing for your station, in fact, it can really negatively impact people's first impression of your station. So, don't push off writing your station description any longer. Do yourself a huge favor and take a look at your "About" section on your station profile page to find ways that you can improve upon your description.
Looking for some examples of effective vs. ineffective radio station descriptions? Check out our article here.
If you are a Live365 broadcaster and would like to try your hand at writing a great station description, fill out our Featured Spotlight Station Submission Form for the chance to be a featured station on our blog and social media. (Duplicate station entries will only be featured once. You must have a Live365 Broadcaster account.)
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Article Image: J. Kelly Brito via Unsplash.
