Christian Radio’s Super Bowl
Christmas is Christian radio’s Super Bowl, and we’re gearing up for kickoff! In a few months, people who may not normally listen to our stations are going to find us because of Christmas music. That’s a huge opportunity. But are we thinking beyond Christmas Day? If this is someone’s first experience with our station, what are we doing to make them want to come back? And after spending weeks welcoming new listeners in, what happens on December 26? Christmas gives us an incredible opportunity to reach more people. The real opportunity is giving them a reason to stay. Hear what some of our CMB Members had to say about making the most of the Christmas season and turning those new listeners into year round listeners.
If seasonal listeners discover your stations through streaming/social/search, what happens next?
Lara Dykes – Digital Content Supervisor, The Light FM (WMIT)
We put a heavy emphasis on-air for folks to sign up for Advent text messages throughout the month of December. We bring daily devotional thoughts/verses/videos from air talent and artists we play on The Light FM, as well as a weekly (Sunday) devotion, when people opt-in for Advent. After Christmas is over, we invite folks to continue their faith journey with The Light FM by downloading our Going Deeper 365-Day Bible Reading plan. Additionally, we just try to provide the same content year-round. Whether it’s Christmas themed or during any other season, our focus is sharing Jesus, encouraging the audience to follow Him and make them laugh a little (or a lot) while we’re doing it. The question is always ‘how can we lead them deeper?’
Beyond the music, what are listeners actually coming to Christian radio for at Christmas?
Randy Fox – Program Director, KSBJ
I think nostalgia is part of what many people want from the Christmas season. For Christian radio specifically, I think they also want to experience Christmas through a lens that reflects their values. We don’t need to be overly religious about it, but we should convey that Christmas is about more than buying gifts and going to parties.
What reasons are you giving your listeners to choose your station during the holidays? What does that look like?
Brandi Reichert – Director of Strategic Marketing, JOY FM
We LOVE Christmas! Not only is the music different … there are so many amazing Christmas concerts and events to promote and invite listeners to! So, we are very active in the community during this time. In November, we are planning a Home for the Holidays promotion, where someone will be able to fly a loved one home for the holidays! Stories will be submitted online and one lucky winner will win transportation, hotel (if needed) … plus a gift certificate to help with meals and Christmas shopping to make Christmas extra special this year. In December, we go share JOY with places that may not be very joyful … places like the DMV, Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center and Assisted Living Communities. We have also gone to visit big not for profits or organizations who are helping others, but may not be thought of during this time, like Mercy Hospital and the St. Louis Area Foodbank. We bring a DJ or two … a special giveaway or activity that feels intentional and appropriate for each of the different places we go. Plus, we partner with Chick-fil-A for this, so we bring food and the Chick-fil-A cow (which is a big hit)!
This may be someone’s first encounter with your morning show. Are you giving them reasons to connect and come back? What does that look like?
Keith Stevens / Morning Show Host, KTIS
We have the unique position of being the “commercial free” Christmas station in the market! We’ll attract new listeners by offering up top testing familiar Christmas songs 24-7, a large billboard campaign, and playing zero commercials or “marketing partner” spots. Connecting with our new listeners through our “Christmas Blessings” promotion gives them a memorable reason to feel connected locally, compassionately, and emotionally, while hearing songs they love! That’s my aim each morning; providing spiritual encouragement and hopeful stories that make people feel the goodness of God. The pure emotion of “Christmas Blessings” is like no other campaign and truly represents Christ’s compassion through the radio. “Christmas Blessings” is my morning centerpiece, a way of fulfilling the needs of our audience, nominated by our listeners, and connecting the nominator and recipient together on the air. The stories often go viral and are the showcase of the morning show. In addition to Christmas Blessings, we keep our talk breaks concise, obvious, and profound. Along with my co-host, Pam Lundell, we share stories that are Christ centered and inspiring, with real life connection. This strongly creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere for new listeners to return and want more.
Christmas naturally opens doors for generosity and service, but how do you do that without adding to the noise?
Matt Wall – President & CEO, Carolina Christian Radio
The team at Life 90.5 in Wilmington, NC looks at the Christmas season as our time to shine the light of the gospel into our community. We run a huge billboard campaign beginning the last week of November that attracts the eyes of the whole family during the busy start of the Christmas season. Moms, dads and grandparents are looking for the best Christmas experiences for their children and grandchildren. Life 90.5 goes 100% Christmas including Rudolph and Frosty and O Holy Night from the Bing Crosby / Nat King Cole / Elvis classics to the new CCM modern Christmas hits. This presents such an awesome opportunity to provide these experiences for the kids and families and share the hope of the gospel between the songs to those who are lost and broken. During this season, there is also the opportunity to invite listeners into generosity as a way to spread the hope they are experiencing. But how do we invite without disrupting the message? Our team has developed a unique on air fundraising calendar that has proven to enhance the experience rather than disrupt it. The 3- week on-air fundraising calendar begins the Monday after Thanksgiving in the form of “pop-up” fundraiser hours with heart warming stories of spiritual impact mostly voiced by listeners. There is 1 pop-up hour of fundraising per daytime daypart. This has proven to prevent listener fatigue as well as create the right amount of urgency… “Only 1 hour to fundraise this morning / midday / evening.” Also, this has worked so well to prevent the host fatigue that can so easily come across on the air with the traditional consecutive hours approach.
We asked everyone the same question, “You’ve spent weeks bringing in new listeners. What is your plan for December 26? How are you turning Christmas listeners into year round listeners?”
SOCIAL & DIGITAL
Lara Dykes – Digital Content Supervisor, The Light FM (WMIT)
The Light FM’s main focus during the Christmas season is telling the Christmas story through our own Christmas memories. We retell our favorite memories and the emotion behind them! Then – the rest of the year, we do the same thing (just without the Christmas part and a little less jingle bells). We try our best to tell such authentic stories both on air and online, that folks feel nostalgic and want to keep that feeling all year. December 26 is back to regularly scheduled story telling – we just want to tell whatever Jesus story we have and invite our listeners and viewers along (and give them space to tell their stories, too).
MUSIC & PROGRAMMING
Randy Fox – Program Director, KSBJ
Throughout the Christmas season, we’ll run imaging that highlights what we offer all year: hope, encouragement, and music that’s not just Christian, but powerful, uplifting, and fun to listen to. We’ll also launch our 7 Day Challenge, encouraging those listeners to stay with us beyond Christmas and experience the difference listening to us can make. I have some great stories from people who first started listening because of the Christmas music. It is a great way to bring in those who would normally never listen.
MARKETING
Brandi Reichert – Director of Strategic Marketing, JOY FM
In January, we will kick off the new year with More JOY Everyday on JOY FM. As listeners come back to normal schedules, they will be invited to tune in every day for a different prize package that will help bring more JOY to their days! The contest runs for three weeks. Each day’s giveaways are valued at over $500 and are created to help people spend more time with family and friends (or even just treat themselves) … concert tickets, packages of sports tickets, staycations, jewelry and more!
ON–AIR
Keith Stevens – Morning Show Host, KTIS
On the morning show, I’ll share a “key word” daily during Christmas programming for “new listeners” to text! When they do, they’ll get an opportunity to reply with their name, information and tell a little bit about why they listen and how they found us. After Christmas, I’ll call a new listener each day, welcoming them to the station, and invite them personally to listen every morning. As a surprise and delight, not mentioned on the air, we’ll send them some welcoming swag in the mail and hope to begin a new relationship with them. I’ll select a new
name each day throughout January. And of course, the fabric of compelling stories, and spiritual encouragement they enjoyed in December, will continue throughout January and beyond. Consistency and authentic delivery is Key! I’m so excited to see what God will do!
FUNDRAISING
Matt Wall – President & CEO, Carolina Christian Radio
Immediately after Christmas and into the New Year, the pivot goes to an opportunity to engage in the community impact of spreading the hope of Jesus through our Valentines from Jesus program where hundreds of listeners sign up to participate every year. They are invited to sign up for a number of Valentine balloons with a small heart shaped box of chocolates and a printed Valentines card from Jesus with John 3:16 printed on the card. Listeners are engaged and spreading the joy and hope of Jesus on Valentines Day. The team at Life 90.5 has witnessed year after year of great momentum with this Christmas / New Years / Valentines Day cycle.
