11-30-2011
(by Loyd Ford) Radio?s social media efforts are focused largely on advertising to listeners. Stations assign a person to deliver content designed to get people to ?like? your brand. That's largely considered a ?win.? However, the mission in social media should really be more focused on connecting with emotion to personalize those connections with ?actives? or enthusiasts who always provide the 80 in the standard 80/20 rule (the 20% providing the 80). In turn, those actives will help spread message, activities and connection to the passive listeners who can add to your overall success. Moving these two needles can have significant impact on your brand.
Here is how to make social media more personal so you can grow your own loyal tribe (and cheerleaders):
1. Put your personalities up front.
You?ve heard a lot about live and local. How about personal and connected? I highly recommend that you don?t have the person responsible for your social media post all your content as the radio station. Engage your personalities in connecting with listeners. After all, people identify with other people. We live in a technically disconnected society that craves personal contact. Put your personalities up front and have them deliver relevant content.
2. Put the fun in your product on display.
Radio has a fun and easy to use product attached to other fun and easy to use products. Focus on bringing that fun ? personally ? into your social media activities to engage listeners to read, view and share your activity in social media. By making personal connection to what is happening in your format, for your listeners?you will bring listeners (and especially actives) in more direct contact with your brand. That?s meaningful because activity breeds engagement and that expands contact and ratings.
3. People believe in causes.
If your personalities are not involved in relevant sincere causes and sharing actionable information, opportunities and activities related to those on your social media platforms, you have failed. Consider what loyalty comes from a local listener relating to a personality who is passionate about their own cause? Personalizing a relevant cause that impacts your target audience has more powerful impact than you might think ? and longer loyalty benefits for the personality and station brand.
4. One person does not develop a social media strategy.
In other words, your personalities should all have some level of involvement in your social media. Sharing the load and sharing the impact is a great way to grow your brand activities and real opportunities on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. Don?t let this slide. If your personalities are not able to engage and present in social media in a way that represents your brand well?you have the wrong personalities.
5. Have your personalities respond, comment and engage listeners.
It is not enough to post something once a day. When someone comments on a post you made, respond to them publicly and also in private email (yes, you can find email easily these days in social media). People want to be validated. They want to be seen. They want to be important. Give this to your actives in social media and encourage them to be a part of your brand.
The opportunity to be personal and actually build your own social media tribe that translates into loyal listener ratings is there for you every day. You only have to build a plan, engage your personalities and focus on listeners to take advantage of it in social media to bring activity (listening) back to your on-air brand. Do this and you will look like a genius.
Loyd Ford programmed very successful radio brands in markets of all sizes for years, including KRMD AM & FM in Shreveport, WSSL and WMYI in Greenville, WKKT in Charlotte and WBEE in Rochester, NY. Learn more about Loyd here: http://about.me/loydford. Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE Visit his Facebook radio social media page HERE
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