Create a Community

Randy Lane • November 2, 2020

Last week, Jeff McHugh outlined several ways to be a  companion  to listeners. As we enter the holiday season, people more than ever are craving companionship, connection, and community.

Rather than being part of an audience, how do you make people feel like they’re part of your  community ? Your show has a great opportunity to make  all  listeners (not just P1’s) feel part of your community. Here are our four simple ways:

  1. Build loyalty
    Sephora’s Beauty Insider  program drives as much as 80% of their sales. The Los Angeles Clippers NBA basketball team has built a big fan base against the popular LA Lakers with their  Clipper Nation  community. Starbucks was one of the first retailers to use a loyalty program simply called  Starbucks Rewards

    Over the years, many shows have created a community that loyal listeners could belong to. KLOS Los Angeles  Heidi and Frank Show  has VIP Members,  Bill and Deanna  at Alice Reno has their BFF’s and  The Ace and TJ  Show  has the Ace and TJ Family.
     
  2. Make listeners feel special
    Listener Profile Promos  are an effective and efficient way to create a community focused on fans. For example, “Hi I’m Kristen from Davidson. I work at Wells Fargo, I love to hike, and I never miss  Riggins’ Week in Review.”
     
  3. Catch phrase caller greetings
    Many shows, including the former  WFAN  New York’s Boomer and Carton Show, have used, “Long-time listener, first-time caller” to greet callers.  Brian, Ali, and Justin  WKQX Chicago are greeted by callers with “Ahoy!”
     
  4. Be inclusive and watch pronouns
    A simple way to make new and non-P1 listeners feel welcome is to use inclusive language that also makes your show easy to follow. Limit the use of “I”.  You, your, we, our, us  make listeners feel part of your conversation. Always use “you” when referring to listeners, and refer to cast members, cast family members, and all peripheral characters by their show name.

Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

Share this article

Recent Posts

By Randy Lane • September 29, 2026
When I start coaching a show, talents often say:“Nobody calls anymore.” Or: “Listeners in this market don’t call radio shows.” My response is, “That’s interesting, because several of our shows get more calls than they need.” The difference isn’t necessarily the market. It’s often how the show invites people into the conversation.  Airing callers and text […]
By Randy Lane • September 21, 2026
Jerry Seinfeld wrote every episode of Seinfeld longhand, on a yellow legal pad, with a blue Bic pen. He still writes that way. He’s said the flashing cursor on a screen makes him anxious, like it’s asking, “So, whaddaya got?” Why Start With Pen and Paper?Writing by hand slows you down just enough for ideas to […]
By Randy Lane • September 15, 2026
In the era of loud, fast-talking announcer DJs, my radio mentor, Todd Wallace, asked my fellow DJs and me, “Would you talk to your neighbor over the back fence like a pukey DJ or just in natural conversation?” Of course we all said we’d talk to them conversationally. Todd concluded, “Talk to listeners on air like […]
Show More