How Salem Media Group Used Political Surveys to Learn their Audience Demographics

December 8, 2023

Salem Media Group, a media company, focused on audience growth and engagement, recently capitalized on a politically charged issue by crafting a timely survey. Unlike traditional sweepstakes, they chose not to offer a prize but instead tapped into people's desire to voice their opinions. This strategic approach attracted 580 total entries, learning what percentage of their demographic is conservative, independent, liberal, and progressive.

Traditionally, Salem Media has used promo giveaways or sweepstakes as a means of generating substantial customer acquisition in one single campaign. However, the issue with this type of campaign is it cannot be conducted regularly without exhausting audiences or diminishing its impact. To address this, Salem Media conceived the idea of running smaller, more frequent surveys as a way of fostering customer engagement and collecting more data, without any monetary incentives. So, what would motivate someone to participate? There's no better topic than politics and economics to stir up emotions and passion, and Salem Media capitalized on this. They discovered that they could launch quizzes and surveys, knowing that the contentious realm of politics alone is enough to drive participation. To top it all off, they could initiate these activities much more frequently, supplementing their traditional giveaway contests.

Customer Background

Salem Media Group is America's top radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and publisher of Christian and family-themed content with conservative values located in Virginia. Alongside their 101 radio stations with 30 stations in the nation's top 10 markets - and 63 stations in the top 25 markets; they own Salem Radio Network, syndicating captivating talk, news, and music to 3,200 affiliates. 

They have Salem Web Network, a leading Christian content provider, and Salem Publishing, bringing their audience inspiring books and magazines. Their full range of broadcast and digital marketing opportunities ensures a friendly connection for their audience’s brand.

Problem

Is it possible for Salem Media Group to engage and grow its audience without offering a prize by conducting a survey based on a hot current issue?

What was measured?

The Salem Media Group conducted an extensive evaluation of Audience's survey tool to determine its potential in enhancing their engagement and first-party data growth.

Why was this measurement chosen?

The chosen measurements were selected to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of The Salem Media Group “Prices at The Pump” Survey Campaign of enhancing:

Engagement: The number of participants answering questions holds great value for their future campaigns.

First-Party Data Collection: The participants contribute valuable data, including email addresses and political preferences, offering essential insights for in-depth analysis.

Sponsorship Partnership: Once they collect insightful first-party data, Salem Media can leverage this valuable information to provide to potential sponsors.

 Steps:

1. Salem Media Group determined that their new user data collection focus would be on collecting new email address.

2. In partnership with Audience, the Salem Media Group developed targeted tactics to increase the engagement. To achieve this, they asked engaging questions, giving the participants a chance to voice their opinions about a hot political topic.

Salem Media Group had over 500 responses for each question, learning their audience’s preferences.

Outcomes and Results

The outcome of this survey was incredible. Salem Media achieved substantial growth in their data as a result of the survey campaign.

  • Total entries: 580
  • Unique entries (new users): 164

While Salem Media Group predominantly caters to a conservative audience, as John (Salem Media Audience Engagement Manager) mentioned, it's crucial to recognize that not every user falls into that category. John emphasized the significance of gaining a deeper understanding of their audience, as demonstrated by the statistics from this campaign.

  • Percentage of Audience that is Progressive: (2%)
  • Percentage of Audience that is Liberal: (1%)
  • Percentage of Audience that is Conservative: (72%)
  • Percentage of Audience that is Independent: (20%)
  • Percentage that would rather not say: (6%)

Driving Audience Engagement: Salem Media Group's Success in Leveraging Hot Topics for Surveys

Salem Media Group demonstrated their innovative approach to audience growth and engagement by leveraging a politically charged issue through a timely survey. Instead of doing a traditional sweepstake, they recognized the power of tapping into people's desire to voice their opinions, through a survey, resulting in 580 total entries. This strategic move allowed them to conduct surveys regularly, enhancing their understanding of the audience without exhausting or diminishing their impact.

Through this campaign, Salem Media not only obtained crucial first-party data and increased customer engagement but also showcased their commitment to understanding their audience, acknowledging that not every user fits a conservative mold like they may have thought. Salem Media capitalized on the emotional and passionate nature of such topics. Their results demonstrate the worth of this survey-based engagement strategy, solidifying their position as a leading media company with a focus on audience insights and growth.

Details

Salem Media Group used Audience’s Survey tool to accomplish their goals. Connect with us today to learn how Audience’s platform can help you grow, enrich, and activate your first-party data.

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December 8, 2023