Internet Radio: Focusing on Marketing On-Air DJs or the Overall Station?

In some instances, you might be more interested in promoting your on-air DJs rather than just your radio station and programming overall. In fact, for some folks, this might be a really successful marketing tactic. But, when does that work and when is that not so successful? Let’s talk about it.

When does on-air DJ promotion work?

If your station largely revolves around your on-air DJs (whether you have 1 DJ or several DJs), this might be the right marketing tactic for you. Of course, if you have an on-air personality that already has a following or is known at all, then focusing your attention on promoting your on-air DJ(s) is a must. Even if your on-air personalities aren’t already known or have a following, you can still focus on promoting them, especially if you feel they are a strong suit of your station. Some people are especially interested in hearing an on-air DJ when they tune into a station, so this can be differentiating and thus a powerful marketing approach regardless of whether your DJs are already known or not.

When doesn’t on-air DJ promotion work?

If your station doesn’t have on-air DJs or they are a relatively minor part of your programming, promoting on-air personalities doesn’t make sense for you. This is where a more broad approach of promoting your station is better. You might consider focusing on genres, artists, decades, your mission, and even segments on your station. For more information on writing general station descriptions, see our article here.

What does on-air DJ promotion look like?

On-air DJ promotion varies based on your programming as well as the personality of your DJ(s). When focusing on DJ promotion, it is best to utilize the personality and the general tone of your DJ's segment. For example, if a DJ is very loud and excited, your promotion should reflect that kind of energy, perhaps using capital letters, punctuation, phrases the DJ uses, pictures, and so forth. Or, if a DJ is known for their humor, a joke, funny story, meme, or sarcastic remark might be the best way to promote the DJ. If the segment itself is particularly interesting or unique, aside from mentioning the segment's name, describe it so people can actually understand what makes the segment so special and worthwhile.

With on-air DJ promotion, you might find videos and pictures even more useful in your marketing efforts than anything else. Have your DJ(s) create quick videos showcasing their personality and promoting their segment as well as the station generally. There is so much room for creativity when it comes to promoting on-air DJs because you have one or more personalities to utilize. So, don't get lost in the same old copy and paste social media posts, let the personalities shine!

As a general rule of thumb though, your promotional messaging, whether it be on social media, in a newsletter, on your station profile page, or anywhere else, should mention the name of the DJ you're promoting as well as their segment and the day and time (with the time zone denoted). This should be the basis of many of your posts to ensure people know when to tune in and what to expect. However, you'll want to include the personality aspects as well in all promotional messaging because without the personality, why should anyone be interested in tuning in to hear the DJ?

Regardless of your current marketing strategy, always remember that every station's marketing efforts look different. And, some things work for stations whereas those exact same things might not work for you. The beauty in having your own station is the complete creative control of every aspect. So, get creative, including with your marketing! Try things that you've never done as well as things you've never seen done before. If you have DJs on your station, but haven't tried promoting them in your marketing efforts yet, try it out! You might just find a new approach that is successful for you.

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