by Loyd Ford
Even if you?ve been under a rock or two for the last couple of years, you know that a very large and mainstream audience in America is frequently using social media. You?ve even likely seen the reports that one of the largest segments of growth on Facebook is 35 ? 54. You might even think you are doing great if your radio station has a Facebook page and your station uses Twitter, but you are missing a lot of success and audience interaction if your radio station is not using video to get attention and share content (and have your content shared with others again and again).
If you think making video is too difficult or too expensive, check out the Video Flip. You can get one for under $100 (and probably less if you go to Craig?s List). As long as I am talking about spending some money, should I mention that your team should be considering ways to incorporate video into your social media and make money from it? Yes, you should.
Here are five tips to really make your video rock in social media environments:
1. Find the person or persons on your staff that you know are good at presentation. You are probably thinking about this person while you read this. Personable people can make the most engaging videos that listeners will love. They can also be very helpful in creating your overall plan for social media and what you can accomplish using video. Make sure they have some basic guidelines and know it is important to represent your station in social media and video the way the station is represented on air. If you don?t have this person on staff, you need to be thinking about how you will get them.
2. Make your videos personal. Chances are if you have a job in radio, people think you have a fun job. Let?s face it. This isn?t accounting and your listeners think you are much more likely to meet the stars in your format and have fun opportunities they don?t have in their job. Give them a personal view of that fun job that they will enjoy. Let them into your life a little (as always, make sure you are representing the station in a way that reflects your company goals).
3. Give listeners content they want about the entertainers on your brand. If you work for a country station, consider using video by interviewing an up and coming star when they come to town. Don?t have access to that? Create a country gossip minute produced with your logo directly behind you. Think short content. Make your videos a minute if possible, but no more than four. No matter what format you are in, you can think of content that will excite your listeners. Give it to them in short video form on social media.
4. Consider contests where you ask listeners to compete for backstage passes or some other substantial ?experience? prize. Make it a rule that the video must involve stars in the format and a station logo, but make it fun. Don?t make it only about the logo. Don?t make them the same contest every time. The more fun and interesting you make these types of contests, the more listeners will share the video with others. And you never know when something will go completely viral. If it represents what is fun about your station and it goes viral, your boss will say, ?You?re brilliant!?
5. Put a call to action at the end of your video. This can be as simple as simply saying, ?To get more on your favorite artists now, go to?.? and give them the dot com of your radio station. Remember: We always want to lead them back to us because we are broadcasters first.
You should always be looking to include listeners in your videos. This can be done at a concert or station event or when prize winners come and pick up a cool prize. This is showcasing why it is cool to be involved with your radio station.
A little effort can bring great results with video. With just a person or two on your staff you can make great videos and create new levels of success for your brand.
Reach out to Loyd via email HERE
Visit the free Social Media Group for RADIO here
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