When someone sees a great post from your station, what do you want them to do next? A like or a comment is welcome, but there’s an opportunity to turn that moment into something that lasts longer. I’ve noticed stations putting real thought into their social content while their websites get whatever attention is left over. Sometimes the very content that would make the website worth visiting exists only on Facebook. The effort is there. We just need more of that effort helping listeners build a habit of coming directly to the station.
A recent Social Media Today article highlights research that makes this worth addressing now. Pew Research Center’s 37-country study found that 64% of American adults believe social media has been bad for democracy, the same percentage as in 2022. Negative views increased in 16 of the 26 countries with earlier data. Asked about access to the internet and social media, 81% of Americans said it has made people more politically divided, and 87% said it has made people easier to manipulate with false information and rumors. Yet 68% also said it has made people better informed about current events. People recognize the usefulness while seeing plenty of problems. These findings measure attitudes, so they don’t establish that people are spending less time scrolling. They do give us a reason to prepare for listeners who decide they’ve had enough.
For a radio station, that means making sure useful local information is available somewhere listeners can intentionally visit. Most people encounter your social posts in their own feeds. They may never see the announcement you spent twenty minutes preparing, and they shouldn’t have to see it to know what’s happening locally. Your website can become the place they check for the weekend schedule, school announcements, contest information, and interviews they missed. That takes current content, clear navigation, and a good experience on a phone. Sending someone to a neglected website won’t create a new habit. It may just explain why they haven’t been visiting.
Start with something the station already does well. If the morning show talks about community events every Friday, turn that information into a weekly guide on the website. Share a few highlights on social media with a specific invitation to see the complete guide. Mention the same address on the air, and offer an email signup on the page so visitors can receive next week’s edition. One useful feature now gives people several ways to stay connected, and the staff isn’t starting from scratch for every channel. It also creates something concrete to offer an advertiser: a recurring local feature with website, newsletter, social, and on-air promotion supporting it.
Your app and newsletter should make staying connected convenient enough that people choose to use them. Promote what listeners can actually do in the app, whether that’s listening in the car, entering contests, or receiving relevant local alerts. Show people a sample newsletter and explain what they’ll receive and how often. “Get this weekend’s local events every Thursday” is a much better invitation than “join our mailing list.” Then pay attention to whether those invitations lead to subscriptions, app use, and return visits. A social post that brings ten people onto a newsletter they keep reading may accomplish more for the station than one that collects a hundred passing reactions.
This is why I encourage stations to treat their websites as a sister station, with content, promotion, and someone responsible for keeping the experience useful. Social media can help build that audience right now, while your posts are still reaching people. Use some of that attention to demonstrate what your website offers, introduce your app, and invite listeners to a newsletter they’ll want to open. You don’t need to wait for a dramatic decline in social media use to make this worthwhile. If someone decides tomorrow that they want less time in the feed, give them a connection with your station they can keep.
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