I’m sure we’ve all had this happen to us lately. We’re talking to our significant other or a friend about something and then we jump on social media and see a steady feed of content and ads containing the specific thing we’re talking about. Even though we haven’t typed any of that into a search engine or anywhere else online. On one hand it’s incredibly eerie and dystopian, on the other hand it’s personally curated and perfectly targeted. That’s because, sadly, at this point our devices know us better than many of our friends and family do. Which begs the question, how can radio compete for attention with things that find out exactly what people want and serve them nothing but that over and over? Here are a few thoughts on that.

Radio has little chance to compete with on-demand digital competitors like Pandora, Spotify and Apple music if we continue using antiquated processes to decide what music we play. We have to step up our game on music selection and stop basing our decisions on what other radio stations are doing by leaning so heavily on Mediabase charts. Instead, we can use their data against them by looking at market level data that tracks exactly what people within our markets are already listening to on their own across all platforms. Something I discussed in more detail on my “Streaming Data VS Mediabase” episode of Radio Influencers. At Radio Station Consultant we look at market level streaming and sales data for all of our clients’ markets and use that to help them stay on par with digital and miles ahead of their in-market radio competitors who are either forced to play the same thing as every other station with their format within their company or are just using Mediabase. 

To compete with algorithms our on-air talent have to work on improving our content selection process. My social feed knows I’m a Cowboys fan, I have a dark sense of humor, what type of movies I like, my taste in music, exactly how I lean politically and where I land on most issues. So, when I pick up my device I’m served a steady diet of that so our digital overlords can get as many ad impressions out of me as possible. That’s what we’re up against and yet many on-air talent still walk into work and say ‘What should we talk about today?’ Then they look at the same prep service they’ve been using for a decade, choose a couple topics they want to talk about and crack the mic and hope for the best when the ratings come out months later. Meanwhile digital creators are tracking how every topic they discuss does through a flurry of short clips spread across the internet. Then using those real-time stats to focus more on the topics that are getting traction and less on the ones that don’t. Radio talent following this model is how digital can fine tune terrestrial to attract an audience full of people who are more distracted than at any other point in human history.

What do you think? How else can radio compete with algorithms? Comment below or email me at Andy@RadioStationConsultant.com.

Pic designed by DC Studio for Freepik.com.