Another sneak peek into results from the Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2025 reveals an opportunity for radio personalities to expand their endorsement opportunities into the lucrative social media influencer field. Data show that more than one in five core radio listeners say they have made an influencer-recommended purchase from social media, and that number is much higher for Millennial and Gen Z listeners.
“Chances are, you’ve heard radio people aver [assert] that radio was the original social media, [and] that DJs and [newscasters] were the original influencers,” Jacobs Media President and Founder Fred Jacobs writes in Jacobs Media’s blog. “They exposed you to new music for the very first time, told you what to do over the weekend, and were often first with breaking news, traffic, weather, and of course, sports.”
Citing current trends, Jacobs notes that “compared with today’s actual social media influencers, radio personalities are either grossly underpaid, or they’ve been limiting their sphere of influence — literally — and taking home a lot less money as a result. Not only are people buying stuff from influencers they ‘meet’ online, for many air personalities, working to become an influencer might be part of [their] ‘side hustle strategy.’”
According to Jacobs Media’s soon-to-be-released Techsurvey 2025, conducted among nearly 24,000 mostly core radio listeners, more than one in five respondents (22%) say they have purchased from a social media site based on a recommendation from an influencer. That number goes way up for Millennial and GenZ listeners, to one in three (34% and 33%, respectively), and to one in four (25%) for GenXers, the latter closely matching the share of purchasing from music station listeners (24%).
“It also is striking that more than half of these social shoppers have made multiple purchases, an indication that recommendations from influencers might be habit-forming,” Jacobs says, “and here’s the kicker: an increasing number of Xers and even Boomers are finding this business model both appealing and lucrative.”
There is indeed evidence showing that older listeners are also on board with either following — or themselves becoming — influencers. Jacobs notes that brands such as General Mills, Progresso and Dove have hired “silver influencers” or “grandfluencers” to spread their messages not only on TikTok but also traditional media such as NBC-TV’s “Shop TODAY” program, which is built on generating revenue via affiliate relationships with retailers and brands.
“The ‘influencer economy’ is real, and as Techsurvey confirms, core radio listeners are open to the pitch,” Jacobs says. “We have to look at radio’s ‘influencers’ through a different lens. Yes, it requires having personalities that matter, especially those who enjoy and value their favorite products and services.”
Jacobs Media, Inside Radio, and Quu will present a webinar in April to report results of the survey. Date and details to be announced.