How Radio Stations and Podcasts Can Expand Their Reach With a Mobile App

Do you run a late night radio show on alien contact or a podcast that outlines the best books for romance lovers?

Regardless of the genre and size of your broadcast, every radio station and podcast thrives on one thing: listeners.

The Internet gives you various tools to connect with listeners and find new outlets for attracting new followers. You may post on your Facebook page that a new podcast episode is released or share new songs or talk shows on your blog. These distribution outlets are crucial to the success of any radio station or broadcast, but the world is going mobile and it seems as if everyone who listens to music or talk radio is listening to it on their phones or tablets.

Does you radio station have a mobile app so your loyal listeners can tap into a broadcast while jogging or riding a bus to work? Is it more useful for listeners to select the content they want to listen to instead of settling for whatever is on the radio? Think about the wide range of people who surpass the FM/AM buttons on their car radio and go directly to their iPhone.

Radio stations and podcasts need mobile apps to stay relevant with the times. It’s foolish to think that radio is irrelevant, but it needs a more accessible means of communication to reach listeners.

How can your radio station, podcast or other broadcast connect with listeners and expand its reach with the help of a mobile app?

Music or Talk Content

The mainstay of any radio station or podcast is its content. The smooth jazz or up-to-date political debate is what keeps listeners coming back. Mobile apps give stations a way to share their content with listeners through a simple click of a button.

Your mobile app could include a button that leads people to all of your podcast episodes or a page that includes samplings of new music. The best thing about a content page is that you can immediately showcase the type of content you offer to customers. You weed out people who have no interest and engage those who enjoy what you have to offer. They simply click a button and stream talk radio or a music channel through their headphones or speakers.

Lead Them to More

Maybe you want to give your listeners content that leads them to your actual station? Provide clips of music or talk shows, and include a button or information page on how to access all the programming. This may include a radio station for them to tune to or a website that includes more links to streaming music or podcasts. Use your initial teaser content as a taste of what is to come, and provide a call-to-action to get them listening to more.

Contributions

Does your radio station or podcast run on contributions? Maybe you hold fundraisers that allow people to win stuff or voice their opinion if they contribute? Give listeners a chance to share their appreciation directly through a mobile app. You can place a Contribute button in your application and accept credit cards for contributions.

Get creative, and ask for customer information so you can send them freebies or promotions in the future. Maybe each contributor is entered into a raffle for something cool?

Advertising

The majority of radio stations keep the content flowing by accepting advertisements. Connect with local businesses, and give people an opportunity to contact you if they want to advertise their business on your station.

Imagine a business owner listening to your radio station on the app, considering your station as a viable advertising outlet and then noticing an advertising information button in the application. You can help them connect with mobile listeners and provide advertising through other distribution outlets as well.

Your Niche

Each successful radio station or podcast has a group of niche followers who tune in everyday or week to learn about something specific or listen to their favorite music. When someone stumbles upon your app you want to show them exactly what you have to offer and how you can make their life more enjoyable.

Create a Mission or About Us page on your mobile app to immediately grab the attention of interested listeners. Does your Christian rock station have a mission to share positive music with morals? Are you trying to educate people on classic movies or music? Share your niche, and target market the people who care.

Events

Does your radio station plan on posting out at a mall or community event soon to give out freebies and interact with the public? Maybe you are running the music for a New Years or other holiday party and you want to make sure everyone is there? A mobile app gives you a chance to create an events page so people can receive push notifications whenever a new event is coming up. Keep your listeners up to date, and improve the turnout at future events with an integrated Events page.

Create Interaction

Interaction is everything when it comes to radio. People call in to request songs, post on blogs to express political opinions and send in emails to ask about current events or promotions. A mobile application gives you the power to push people to your social media pages, blog and contact information to encourage them to speak with other listeners and ask for requests.

Include items such as your phone number, email address and even a feed of your blog. Some of the best interaction comes from a live chat area or forum where your listeners can discuss a current song that is playing on your radio station or express their opinions on fashion or current events.

Let us know in the comments what other ways radio stations and podcasts can use mobile apps to better connect with listeners. Have you created a mobile app for your station? If so, share your experience.

Get started on creating a high-quality mobile application for your radio station or podcast at iBuildApp.