Try this bait

I was at a Programming Conference in Nashville earlier this year, and one of the sessions asked three of America’s best programmers how they aim for Millennials.

Two of the PDs run hugely successful mainstream AC stations, and the other runs one of America’s most successful Christian AC stations.

These are smart people. They’re already winning in their markets.

But, to be honest, I was disappointed in their answers because they really only talked about music.

I get it; AC can be a 30-something’s second choice if the PD is creative with her library. Every tune-in helps.

Still, why would we hope Millennials might be able to stomach our music while they wait for their favorite station’s stop set to end when we have an opportunity to turn them into fans?

Not with music, but with what comes between your music.

Aim at their hearts, not their heads.

Your AC station won’t become their favorite using logic.

Talk to them about things that concern them and use words that make them feel the point you’re making.

Your spoken content has to make them feel something!

They don’t care about your era breadth. They can do that better than you with Spotify.

They don’t care about your contest. They’ve been trained to see contests as opening the floodgates to endless spam.

They care about your purpose.

They care about your commitment to where they live and who and what they love.

It’s about connecting emotionally, something great stations have always done.

You can’t do that with liners.

You need to hire really smart, really sensitive, really curious, really talented personalities…

and encourage them to engage listeners each time they speak.

It’s harder than it sounds but boy, is it worth it.