05 Sep The Magic of Localization
Many stations today lack the ability to sound local. Not long ago, many stations promoted being “live and local.”
But now, with digital automation, satellite programming, syndicated shows, and out-of-market voice tracking, stations sound less local, even though it is easy to do. How do you make your station sound local?
Claiming a local identity can be accomplished with a little know-how and ingenuity beyond imaging liners and nationally show-prepped talent bits.
Create your localization strategy. Localism keeps our audience connected and engaged. How?
+ Source the localisms. Create a timely events calendar that lists what’s happening and other local attractions/activities for talents to use on their shows.
+ Establish a quota system so every talent delivers two or three localisms an hour.
Talents should prep what’s going on locally. Whether they tracked a show from a thousand miles away or recorded the tracks in your studio last week, they need timely localisms that help connect the station with the audience. This is a benefit of radio that differentiates us from XM-Sirius, iTunes, or Apple Music.
Share something fun or interesting to see or do today, tonight, or this weekend. Here is the Lund system to sound live and local.
While AI can help localize your station, create localizations about your area and research these elements for air talents:
> Cities within a thirty-mile radius, and what they are famous for (like a park, lake, restaurant, employer, etc.).
> The area’s top employers by employee count and what they do. Healthcare (a hospital) is typically first.
> The names of convenience stores, specialty stores, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, clubs/bars, and shopping centers.
> The names of local high schools and colleges, their teams, and associated mascots.
> Parks and what they offer locals – running, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, picnicking, and dog walking.
> Local area museums, galleries, gardens, and zoos.
Result: You will have a great list of local touchpoints you can use when writing your imaging and for live talents to mention as local relatables. Reflect localisms on your website, social media and mobile app.
You can bond with your local audience on an hourly basis by sharing the above relatables. You’ll likely be the only station in the market with this unique quality.