A Best Of program is the top revenue, audience, and data initiative of the year for many media companies, but why is the Best Of space still predominantly print?
A huge misconception that we still see today is that Best Ofs are only for print media, and we’re here to debunk that false claim. Broadcast stations are uniquely positioned to run incredibly successful Best Of programs.
The Big Myth
Best of’s are not a print product at all – they’re a community recognition program. And if you think about it, broadcast brands are perfectly built for that with:
- Daily on-air reach (OTT, CTV, Newsletters)
- Strong on-air personalities viewers trust
- Social audiences already engaging with your content
- Built-in promotional inventory
Put simply, broadcast stations have the megaphone. ‘Best Of’ just gives you something powerful to amplify.
Why ‘Best Of’s’ Work So Well
There’s a reason these campaigns keep gaining traction: they hit all the right motivators.
- Audiences love them because they get to vote and support local businesses.
- Businesses love them because they get recognition (and bragging rights).
- Sales teams love them because they’re easy to sell.
And the numbers back it up—these programs are seeing around 46% year-over-year revenue growth on average. That’s not a one-off success. That’s a repeatable model.
Real Results: Case Studies
WMBF-TV’s “Best of the Grand Strand” program shows how a broadcast station can turn a familiar concept into a scalable, high-performing revenue and engagement engine.
Since they began their Best Of in 2020, they’ve seen over 400% revenue growth. And that doesn’t take into account the countless relationships they’ve built with local advertisers and thousands of opt-ins collected through the audience engagement.
The revenue strategy doesn’t stop when voting ends. WMBF extends monetization into the winners phase with premium packages that include features like lifestyle TV segments, giving winning businesses ongoing exposure and keeping the “Best Of” brand active beyond the campaign window. This approach transforms the program from a short-term promotion into a year-round revenue and content opportunity.
Read the full case study here!
Other Success Stories
- KITV-TV (Honolulu): $227K+ revenue and steady year-over-year growth
- Zimmer Radio (MO): Brought in new advertisers, added 5,000+ opt-ins, and drove $40,000 in revenue – read the full case study!
Across the board, the pattern is the same: Done right, this works in any market.
The Data Strategy
Best Of’s aren’t just a revenue play – they also collect quality data and deepend advertiser relationships.
Zero-party data:
- Email opt-ins
- Names, ZIP codes, and demographics
First-party data:
- Businesses voters care about
- Interest categories (healthcare, outdoor services, etc)
This data allows stations to deliver better segmentation, stronger targeting, and measurable advertiser ROI — shifting sales conversations beyond impressions and clicks.
How to Structure
The 3 phase ballot will ALWAYS bring you the best results. It allows your team transition time in between each phase, which means planned times to sell. It also provides you with 3 separate phases of selling, increasing your revenue opportunity.
Nomination Phase:
- Write-in nominations
- Top 5-10 nominees move on to Voting Phase
- Time Frame: 3 weeks
Voting Phase:
- 5-10 Seeded entrants
- No write-ins
- Time Frame: 3 weeks
Winners Phase:
- One Winner
- Four Finalists
- Online Winner’s Directory
- Local Lifestyle Segments featuring winners
How to Sell
The main goal is to keep your strategy simple. If it’s easy for your reps to pitch, it will be easy for your advertisers to understand and value, and therefore easy to sell!
Follow the rules of 3
- Run a 3 phase ballot
- Offer sales packages with 3 tiers (basic, deluxe, platinum)
Be sure to utilize all as areas available within the ballot setup:
- Group Ad: A group ad is a large leaderboard ad that is displayed at the top of each group (e.g. A hospital could own the entire “Health & Wellness” group of categories)
- Category Ad: A category ad is a smaller leaderboard ad that is displayed at the top of each category (e.g. A landscape company above the “Landscaper” category)
- Category Interstitial Ad: Ads that appear in between categories. You control how often they appear. (e.g. every 5 categories)
- Featured Entrant: An enhanced listing allows entrants to show their business’ address, contact info, and direct links to social media pages.
Two Simple Ways to Unlock More Revenue
Include two surefire ways to help your Best Of stand out from the competition:
Self-Serve eCommerce
Let businesses purchase advertising directly online—no sales call needed. One partner saw that 61% of eCommerce purchases came from new customers. This is an opportunity to create new relationships!
Give advertisers the option to purchase at their pace – many will choose to browse and purchase after hours. Allow your sales to scale, even with a small sales team.
Text-to-Vote
Where eCommerce meets advertisers where they are to make purchases, text-to-vote meets your audience where they are to submit votes.
As the Arizona Daily Sun saw, text-to-vote can drive substantial revenue with a huge demand from advertisers. They recorded $50,000 in new revenue and a 25% increase in overall votes, with 17% of votes submitted via text.
It’s simple, interactive, and easy to monetize—especially for broadcasters.
Final Takeaway
The biggest message you should walk away with is simple:
“Best Of” isn’t just a promotion – it’s a community recognition program, and broadcast stations are the megaphones.
When broadcast stations fully lean into it, they can:
- Generate six-figure revenue
- Grow their audience and email database
- Build stronger advertiser relationships
- Create something they can repeat year after year
And the best part? The framework is already proven. All it takes is enacting right structure, smart packaging, and a commitment to treating it like the major opportunity it is.
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Julie is the Senior Customer Success Manager at Second Street and a former client in local media. Her best advice for driving the most success with your revenue and audience engagement strategy is to include promotions in every business initiative.