Managing the life cycle of a radio spot buy is foundational to radio revenue operations. Highly experienced traffic managers guide these tasks, but current trends in the industry are upending the typical model of having dedicated professionals on-site.
Radio faces several new and emerging challenges. First, there are fewer skilled traffic managers now than perhaps ever. Second, the industry must identify ways to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. Third, some software providers haven’t kept up in terms of new features and innovation, which means users encounter challenges with optimization.
Radio is at a crossroads. With a desire to consolidate and streamline, radio faces a changing dynamic in the traffic ecosystem.
It’s a trend deserving of analysis, and as a provider of radio traffic software, Marketron has witnessed just how much the landscape is evolving.
The state of talent
Many factors contribute to the dilemma of hiring and retaining the position. Fewer people are choosing this career path, and many traffic managers are retiring.
It’s a specialized skillset that isn’t something someone can learn in a few days or weeks. It’s also not a role someone can just figure out as they go, as any issues with accuracy can cause a rise in makegoods and credits.
Demand for the role has not decreased, and those stations in rural areas may struggle to attract employees. It’s leaving some stations to call on other staff to wear the traffic “hat” as needed. When a less experienced person runs traffic, efficiency and optimization of workflows don’t get attention.
Is there a more effective way to ensure consistency without compromising control or damaging your brand?
Faced with uncertainty, stations have now begun to outsource traffic management. There are limited options for this, as it’s such a specialized skill. However, a new model, traffic as a service (TaaS), has emerged as a solution.
Traffic as a service
What if your software provider could also be your traffic manager? This model has advantages, but you may not know it’s even an option. Marketron introduced TaaS over 10 years ago, staffed with our experts.
The experience these professionals bring is unmatched, as no one knows the platform better than them. The partnership starts with an analysis of the current setup to identify ways to optimize it that will streamline tasks and improve workflows.
With this approach, accuracy and consistency are strengthened, and you have “always-on” coverage with a dedicated traffic manager. Contacting them is simply a click away.
By choosing this path, stations also don’t have to recruit, train or manage employees, which comes with challenges and can disrupt operations. GMs can take this heavy lift and delegate it to a trusted partner.
In-house and efficient
For those committed to keeping traffic management in-house, you can achieve greater operational efficiency in several ways.
Larger organizations can create “hubs” to manage traffic operations from a central zone. To achieve this, stations will need sophisticated technology designed for multiple markets, a feature not always present in software.
Other tips to realize greater efficiencies start with having a system that adapts as the industry does. Those investing in innovation provide a modern platform that supports automation, integration and unification.
Automation embedded in systems reduces manual work and streamlines daily operations. Integrations connect all your systems in an ecosystem, including digital, payment processing, automation systems, production management and more.
A modern solution makes this easy with open APIs, which support end-to-end workflow integrations and data sharing. Legacy systems can be limiting, as they typically rely on asynchronous APIs, which only request information and await a response, which leads to unreliable results.
These features may already be present but overlooked. In our traffic software study earlier this year (see tinyurl.com/rw-traffic), many respondents said they did not have these capabilities in their systems. However, many times, the features were present, but a gap in awareness was noted. If you haven’t done a deep dive into your traffic system lately, you may find it has much more to offer.
The traffic management landscape is evolving, and we remain steadfast in delivering the best solutions to meet the industry’s needs. No matter radio’s future, we’ll be there to support it.
