How to get listeners over the air in your area

1....You have to let people know you are there. Put a poster on the local community mailboxes. I also a while back made little self made flyers and sent them in the mail addressed to"homeowner" to every residence in range of my signal that could be received on a *good* radio. Spent about $100-$125 in stamps. They will open it and read it.

2.... The majority don't have radios in their homes these days or not one good enough for weak signals so I give out a radio to anyone that will be a listener. I have given out a couple.

3....Don't just program what the commercial stations do like playing synthesized pop or news and talk. You are just competing with them. Be different. Offer something that is not heard on mainstream radio. I do OTR shows from the 1930s to the 1960s and oldies but not just hits but all kinds of stuff that was not mainstream big hits. Where on commercial terrestrial radio can you hear do-wop or blues? I play everything not just what was top 10.

4....I know that in the USA FM is flea power and AM is the band of choice but AM is very hard to get listeners and you are trashed at night by the skywave. My listeners listen in the evening. And in winter its night most of the time. It doesn't matter you are getting a mile or two range in the daytime outside but are you getting into homes through the interference from the power grid and all kinds of other things and how far do you get at night? And I never hear of anyone getting listeners with that 2 mile range. AM is a hard sell. Fortunately in Canada we have more allowed FM coverage than what the FCC allows and FM is much easier to get listeners. And FM is the same day or night and has better penetration into homes without the bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz all over the band that your weak station has to get through. The local commercial stations have a hard time getting through it.
Kinda hard to convince a potential listener when they hear this....

or this....

or this....

I don't have anything against AM but for listeners, it's not the way to go.