As consultants, we’ve created and customized station contests for client stations, both radio and TV.  Radio stations air contests that help generate ratings – more cumulative listeners (tune-in) and more listening occasions (longer Time Spent Listening).  Contests also help generate revenue when sold to participating clients.  Typically, listeners participate by calling in on the phone, emailing, or texting, or they participate on Facebook.  Having the listener on the air provides an exciting element to playing the game.

Contesting is an important element of what we call Internal Marketing—getting your present listeners to listen longer. External Marketing generates new listeners when the contest is promoted in other media, like email blitzes, TV ads, or billboards.

We’ve created these Five Rules to Make Contests Work – to attract more listeners and keep them listening longer.

Contest Rule #1:  Hit the Hot Buttons.

Award what listeners want as prizes.  Money is always the best prize, followed by groceries, tech, and gas.  Listeners also like to win things which make their lives better or things they cannot get on their own, the hot stuff … like the new iPhone or an iWatch.

Contest Rule #2: Program to the Vicarious Majority.

Make it easy to play along at home or in the car.  Most stations have an active contest audience of 20-25%.  Another 25% don’t care anything about contests.  The idle group of about 50% may “play along” without actually participating on-air.  Create contests that play to this majority.  Trivia contests are ideal.  Several great TV game shows are designed for the audience at home.

Contest Rule #3:  Keep it Simple.

Watch for too many qualifications or requirements.  The best contests are easy to understand and don’t require reading an owner’s manual.

Contest Rule #4: Create Listening Appointments

Give listeners set times to play your contest, typically three to five times a day.  If the contest is played only in the morning show, it may air twice.  You’ll still get the average listening time per tune-in, but you’ll get more times at bat with that listener with more listening times each day.  And be specific; say exactly the times when the contest is played.  Make appointments with your listeners to tune in and play.

People are busy.  While they can’t listen all day, they can try to tune in at a specific time.  Telling a listener to “listen from 9 to 5 for a chance to win” will have the same success as trying to win Powerball.   But they may tune in at 9 AM, 2 PM, and 5 PM.  So make appointments with them.

Contest Rule #5: Hit the Frequency.

Too many stations don’t get the desired effect from contests because the promos and teases aren’t heard often enough to make an impact.  Major contests should get two to three mentions an hour – in live mentions and produced promos.

Pic from iLixe48 for Envato Elements.

John Lund is President of the Lund Media Group, a radio programming consulting firm with specialists in all mainstream radio formats. Did you find this article useful?  You can leave a comment below or email John at John@Lundradio.com.