Radio audiences are changing globally and the way content is consumed has evolved in the last few years. A digital revolution has swept across media production and distribution and the Nigerian broadcast media industry will do well to get on board.
If you’re wondering why more people aren’t tuning into your radio station, it may well just be that they are listening to something else, somewhere else. Does it mean radio content is now irrelevant? Absolutely not.
There are several factors to the steady decline of specific demographics of radio audiences, but we won’t get into that now. However, one major reason is because audiences have over time refined their content preferences to specifics and they'll rather go directly to what they want. As I like to say; “audiences follow the content, not the station”.
So what do you do?
It is time to repurpose content from your radio station into new formats and publish it on the platforms that your target audience are actively on. In other words, go to them rather than expect them to come to you.
We are in the age of the Podcast (or as I like to call it, “radio on demand”) Data on Spotify shows Nigeria has over 2.9 million podcast titles available to Spotify listeners in the country, with audiences listening to a mixture of local and foreign podcasts. The growth of streaming platforms has translated to audiences having an unbridled access to the specific audio content they want, when they want it and how they want it.
This is the year to rework, reinvent, and re-imagine your existing radio content with different digital platforms in mind.
Take out your most popular and engaging radio shows and offer them as an on-demand podcast. That way, your audience can catch-up on what they missed out on in their own time.
Now, note that repurposing radio content to podcast is more than simply uploading the off-air dub of the radio shows on a streaming platform and calling them a podcast. It is not copy and paste. You’ll need to develop a unique strategy.
What segments of the show draws in the most engagement? Does it work/sound better with one or more than one host? Do you have rights to the music played on the show (Heads up, if you don’t, it’s best to remove the music) You will also have to remove the ads from the radio recording. If you want ads to go on the podcast, you’ll have to trim them because podcast ads are relatively shorter. You will need to record an intro and outro to add to the beginning and end of your podcast.
When choosing what segments of your radio show you should repurpose into a podcast, try to step into the mindset of a podcast listener. Think about its relevance, whether it’s entertaining, does it generate conversation, and whether it will connect well with podcast listeners.
Another advantage for Nigerian broadcasters is that, having a podcast version of some of your shows, allow you to explore certain subject areas that might otherwise be problematic on-air (Did someone say NBC?)
When you’ve succesfully podcasted your radio show, the logical next step is distribution and marketing.
That’s our next conversation. Stay tuned.