Radio Advertising And The Vital Role Of Local DJs.

Local DJs are more than just on-air personalities. For advertisers, they’re the bridge between the community and the brand, according to an article from StrategicMedia, a podcast and radio advertising agency.

“Local talent creates loyalty,” says Emily Holtzclaw, SMI Media Assistant and on-air personality for Cumulus Media AC KPLA (101.5) and adult alternative KBXR (102.3), both in Columbia, MO. “We want the channels we’re advertising in to have a sense of trust for the listeners, so they will try what we tell them to try,” says Holtzclaw, who is known as “Emily Larkin” on the air.

Local DJs don’t just connect with their audiences, they earn their trust and keep listeners coming back regularly. This consistent engagement translates into valuable, reliable listening time, making it a major advantage for advertisers.

“When local DJs establish a rapport with their audience, they grow a loyal following that’s beneficial for the agency, because we know that audience isn’t going to just disappear,” says Senior Media Buyer Josh Knock. “We want our message to be consistent, and we want the audience to be consistent, too. When we’re trying to reach a precise number of people within a market, it’s nice to know we can rely on specific segments on certain stations to provide those numbers that we need on a weekly basis.”

The “audience persona” for Holtzclaw’s morning show on a soft rock station is “a mom in the car before work, after school, who’s doing pickup and drop-off every day,” she says. “So, my morning show is trying to be that friend who sits in the car with you while you’re running errands. We grab our coffee together and just talk about the random things we saw on social media or in the news. The questions we have about our life. We talk about the things that are important specifically to those people.”

Local DJs serve as direct connections between the station and the community, bringing its presence to life beyond just broadcasts. They strengthen listener relationships by hosting events, making live appearances, sharing content on social media, and actively engaging with the audience in meaningful ways. On-air talent, community engagement and programming all work together to foster a sense of community.

“It’s not just the talent that you trust,” says Holtzclaw. “You trust the programming. You know that the music or the sports you’re talking about is going to be covered in a specific way. You know you’re not going to have the songs played too frequently.”