The 2021 Finney Media Why Listen?® Survey talked to almost 11,000 respondents with over a million data points from three different formats including: Music/Teaching (Hybrid) stations, All-Teaching stations and programs, and CCM stations.
We asked listeners about whether or not they gave to the ministry that sent them the survey. And to those who gave, 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 station and Teaching station/program listeners are below. These are the percentage who said that reason is “very important” to their decision . . . a “trigger” for their move from listening to giving:
HYBRID
| 1. Feeling called by God to give | 84% |
| 2. I believe in the mission and vision of the ministry | 83% |
| 3. Knowing God tells us to support those who minister to us | 67% |
| 4. An emergency need at the ministry | 37% |
| 5. A story about someone’s life that was changed through the ministry | 31% |
TEACHING
| 1. I believe in the mission and vision of the ministry | 88% |
| 2. Feeling called by God to give | 88% |
| 3. Knowing God tells us to support those who minister to us | 74% |
| 4. An emergency need at the ministry | 37% |
| 5. A story about someone’s life that was changed through the ministry | 26% |
The no. 1 and no. 2 responses – “Feeling called by God to give” and “I believe in the mission and vision of the ministry”– are crucial. We recommend that you communicate clearly and often, your mission and vision. Both on-air and off-air. Your listener/donor is passionate about listening and passionate about helping. Help your team understand your why—your mission and vision–and be able to articulate it quickly.
Coming in January: The Top Five Denominations represented among Hybrid and Teaching respondents in the 2021 Why Listen? Survey. If you believe making your message multi-denominationally and accessible is crucial, get ready to tackle how to talk to all five in ways all of those listeners can understand.
