Momentum Recap

Encourage, engage, and equip--that was the purpose of last week's Momentum 2012 in Orlando, hosted by the Christian Music Broadcasters.  And quite honestly, that was very much my experience.   

Of course, the best encouragement at these types of gatherings always comes from the wonderful fellowship with ministry and radio friends.  The musical performances from Christian artists are the icing on the cake.  

As for engage and equip, that help came from the quality speakers at this event, including these two industry experts ...  

• Media strategist Mark Ramsey who challenged attendees to consider how we might make our brand better--even asking us to identify ways it has impacted one person.  This motivated me to think about what I'm doing specifically that can improve Ambassador's brand. 
• Eric Rhoads (Radio Ink) shared some startling predictions for 2015 (e.g. new automobiles will not be equipped with radios!) and reminding everyone of the need to be where the listeners are--which may not be at the end of a station's transmitter.

Other speaker highlights were ...

• Valerie Geller, broadcast consultant, who encouraged us to make every word count, be sincere, tell the truth, don't go too long, and most importantly, never be boring.  Frankly, that's good counsel for everyone on both a business and personal level.
• Lisa TerKeurst (Proverbs 31) explained that content should 1) meet a felt need, 2) fulfill a promise, and 3) have value ... especially if we expect the female audience to fully engage.
• Paul Jacobs, radio consultant and app developer, gave us 2012 survey results, helping us understand current and future habits in social and digital media.  For instance, 43% of his survey responders check either radio, Facebook, or email first thing in morning, whereas only 2% say the Bible gets their attention (note to self--don't be the 43%!).  And the top three social media sites are Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (in that order). 

The sessions scheduled were designed mostly for radio stations but the principles taught could easily be applied by anyone serving in Christian radio--me included.  Bottom line, those of us working in this industry need to be preparing for the future of radio ... now.