The Finney Media Why Listen?® Survey has almost 15,000 respondents with over a million data points from three different formats: Hybrid (Music/Teaching) stations, All-Teaching stations and programs, and CCM Stations.
We asked our respondents about whether or not they give to the ministry that sent them the survey. And to those who do give, we asked about what moved them to make a call, go online or write a check to make a gift. The Top Five responses from Hybrid (Teaching and Music) and all-Teaching listeners are below. These are the percentage who said that reason is “very important” to their decision . . . an “inspiration” for their move from listening to giving.
Hybrid
| 1. Feeling called by God to give | 83% |
| 2. I believe in the mission and vision of the ministry | 83% |
| 3. Knowing God tells us to support those who ministry to us | 63% |
| 4. An emergency need at the ministry | 33% |
| 5. A story about someone’s life that was changed through the ministry | 31% |
Teaching
| 1. Feeling called by God to give | 83% |
| 2. I believe in the mission and vision of the ministry | 83% |
| 3. Knowing God tells us to support those who ministry to us | 67% |
| 4. An emergency need at the ministry | 28% |
| 5. A story about someone’s life that was changed through the ministry | 27% |
The no. 1 and no. 2 responses, “Feeling called by God to give” and “I believe in the mission and vision of the ministry” show how crucial it is that you communicate clearly and often your mission and vision. This includes both on air and off air, and especially through listener stories.
Your listener/donor is passionate about listening, passionate about helping. Making sure that theme is at the center of your giving communication is crucial. Help your team understand your why and be able to articulate it quickly.
Coming in December: The Top Five Denominations represented among Hybrid and Teaching respondents to the 2023 Why Listen? Survey. If you believe making your message multi-denominationally accessible is key, get ready to tackle how to talk to all five in ways all of those listeners can understand.
