WGN is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. We previously relied on Zipwhip to engage listeners, but we had to find a new SMS platform when Zipwhip announced they were shutting down.
We needed a new platform that could transfer our existing text line. Our station has been saying “call or text us at 312-981-7200” for years, and it was vital to not switch that up on folks. We ended up going with Text Request, not only because they could transfer our text line, but because their platform was the most user-friendly for our hosts.
Our listeners had no idea about the switch in the text services, because the transfer to Text Request was so seamless. The layout on Text Request’s platform also makes it much easier for our host to read and handle incoming texts during shows. The host can quickly search and see what a listener texted in before, so they can acknowledge their loyalty on air.
Engaging with all our listeners throughout the show wouldn’t be possible without text messaging. If our five phone lines are receiving calls from listeners, they text us instead. Our hosts will then read the texts they receive aloud on air. This strengthens our listeners’ bond with us and keeps them coming back.
Our team loves that we can remove users if they leave our company. That was a huge improvement from Zipwhip, which required us all to share the same login info. We receive around 300 texts per show from our fans, and we want to keep their data safe.
When our listeners feel like they’re being cared for and listened to, they’re more likely to continue engaging with us. That’s the loyalty Text Request’s two-way text messaging helps our radio station build.
