Driving More Financial Support for Christian Broadcasters || Mark Ramsey

This is a time when smart broadcasters are open to new and innovative mechanisms for financial support. But what would you do if your entire source of revenue was suddenly shut off? That’s the predicament our artists find themselves in. The take from licensing and music sales is notoriously paltry compared to revenue earned from touring. And touring has ground to a near halt. So what do you do? Well, you get creative. That’s what my friend Jim Brickman did. Many of you know Jim. You probably play some of his music. The most important season for Jim is Christmas – it’s peak tour time. But this year is going to be different. All the venues are closed. Jim could have simply given up – thrown in the towel. But he didn’t. Instead, he got creative. His tour is still happening, but this time it’s virtual. Virtual, but still LOCAL. What do I mean by that? Watch this to find out. So it’s not just one virtual show. It’s a SERIES of virtual shows, each one tailored to a local market and each one benefitting the local venue that is forced closed by the pandemic shutdown. At once, Jim is continuing his tour, bringing in revenue to support his music, bringing something to his fans they want and expect, AND supporting the local venue which is unable to host his show at this difficult time. That’s a win / win / win / win. AND look at the offerings – they’re much more than show tickets:

• $40 – Includes a YouTube link to watch the concert
• $75 – Includes Gift Box containing a Ticket, Program, Comfort & Joy CD, T-Shirt, Autographed Photo & Goodies PLUS a link to Zoom Room for interactive concert
• $125 – Includes Gift Box containing a Ticket, Program, Comfort & Joy CD, T-Shirt, Autographed Photo & Goodies, a link to Zoom Room for interactive concert PLUS a Meet & Greet after the concert

So if 100 people in San Diego select the Meet & Greet option, Jim has just grossed $12,500 for doing an event which is 100% online. Add in the hundreds who will spend at the lower levels and multiply times the 80 cities (!!) Jim has included in his tour and you have a significant business that literally didn’t exist last year. That’s getting creative. And it’s increasingly something that Christian broadcasters need to understand. Our means of financial support cannot and should not be limited to listener donations to “keep us on the air.” The days of 4% of our audience paying for what 96% hear for free will one day be over. And now is the time when technology offers an infinite menu of solutions to every conceivable financial support dilemma. What’s absent isn’t the tools. What’s absent is the imagination and the will. So do this: Imagine that conditions arise tomorrow that make your existing business model impossible. What would you do then? Why wait? Do it now. Mark Ramsey President of Mark Ramsey Media Mark Ramsey is president of Mark Ramsey Media, strategic research provider to many Christian music stations including K-LOVE, AIR1, KLTY/Dallas, WPOZ/Orlando, KTIS/Minneapolis, and many others. More information about his services is at http://mrmchristian.com. Sign up for FAITHBRIGHT, his weekly email of smart and actionable ideas for Christian broadcasters here: https://goo.gl/2hJMCG. Reach him at 858-485-6372 or mramsey@markramseymedia.com.