When ratings slip or a show feels stuck, the instinct is universal. We have to do more. Or we have to change something. If something isn’t working, surely the answer is to add something or drop something. Action! Now! It’s almost always the wrong diagnosis. The problem is rarely volume. It’s usually about distribution. You’re generating plenty of content, but aren’t making enough of it matter. You need less content, more promotion.
Stations that grow audiences share a counterintuitive discipline: they create less original content and invest the time they recapture in making what they’ve already created famous. Less content, More promotion sounds like a shortcut, but it’s harder than what most broadcasters are doing now. It’s also much more effective.
The 80/20 Rule, Radio Edition
In 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto noticed that 80% of Italy’s land was owned by 20% of the population. He looked around and found the same ratio everywhere. 80% of the peas in his garden came from 20% of the pods.
Business theorists later formalized this as the Pareto Principle: 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort.
In today’s overcrowded entertainment landscape, some analysts argue the ratio has inverted further and may have evolved closer to 90/10.
As little as 10% of your content drives 90% of your impact.
Think about your station. Of everything that aired this week, what moved people? What generated calls, texts, and social responses? What did listeners mention to coworkers?
It’s probably two or three things. Out of 80 segments (four hours per day, and four segments per hour).
That’s your 10%. And right now, it’s getting roughly the same amount of airtime and promotion as the 90% that has little to no impact.
Less Content, More Promotion: Where Does Promotion Fit?
Before going further, let’s define terms. Promotion isn’t just running a recorded promo at 6:47. It’s every action you take to increase the chances that your best content reaches an audience, and reaches them before, during, and after it airs.
It breaks into three categories:
Anticipation. Building awareness before the content airs is prepromotion or teasing. A well-crafted tease, a social post that raises a question, and an email the night before that promotes a tune-in occasion for tomorrow are good examples. The goal is to create a reason to tune in at a specific time. This also helps build familiarity.
Amplification. Extending the reach of content that has already aired is at the heart of a recycling strategy. Replaying it later in the show makes sense, and posting the audio on demand becomes a ratings weapon in PPM markets. Turning a moment into a social clip and sending a link to listen in an email turns up the volume and attracts additional exposure for someone who missed it the first time. Oh, and since 96.5% of your audience missed it the first time, the opportunity is enormous.
Reinforcement. Sustaining attention and deepening the connection after the moment has passed makes sense, too. Follow up on a story arc, celebrate the winner of a contest or game, and reference a segment to reward listeners who were there. Circling back on social to extend a conversation that started on air reinforces the idea that your content has continuity and staying power
Most shows do a little anticipation (teasing, when they remember), almost no amplification, and virtually no reinforcement. The content airs and disappears.
