3-20-2012
(by Chris Miller)
After you're done reading this, you won't be able to look at your radio station's Facebook page the same way anymore. I'm going to tell you why people have decided to "like" your brand, according to several studies that have been done.
You're going to learn that people have been following you -- hoping for completely different content than you're probably posting. If your Facebook page is like most stations' pages, this ain't gonna be pretty! Big Reason: Special Deals And Offers
No matter what business you're in, when someone "likes" you on Facebook, the number one reason they do so is to get information other people don't have. For radio station fans, this might mean knowing what's going to be talked about and when on their favorite morning show. It might mean knowing exactly when to listen to play a contest. It might mean getting a hint to get a leg up on winning that contest. It might mean special contests and offers that others don't get, like a link to buy tickets in advance to a hot concert.
They don't care about being friends with you on a personal basis. They like -- maybe even love -- your brand, and they want a backstage pass. There are lesser reasons that fans follow you. They might want to offer feedback, show support for your brand, or be entertained. But these are all minor reasons, overshadowed by the hope for special deals and offers and insider information.
The biggest improvement you can make in your brand's Facebook page is to quit thinking about just providing more content. Realize that people following you are some of you biggest fans. They're the easiest people to invite back to listen more often or to revisit your website. How does your sales manager treat the station's biggest clients? That's how you should treat your biggest fans on Facebook.
Social Media Influences Customer Decisions
We know from PPM data that even our biggest fans listen for 10 or 15 minutes at a time, several times throughout the day. That still leaves lots of other times they could join you.
It's been shown that about two thirds of the people who follow a brand on Facebook consider that brand when making a buying decision. Listening to the radio is just another buying decision. Your fans are your listening customers. When you treat your Facebook page as the place you interact with your V.I.P.-level listeners, you realize the power you're not tapping into yet.
Now you see that it's not just about how many Facebook fans you have; it's what you do with them. You can attract your biggest fans to follow you, then work to get more listening occasions and more website visits. You don't treat them like everyone else you talk to; you treat them like they're special. You don't need a huge marketing budget or tons of strategic planning to start, either. What can you go do today to satisfy your biggest fans?
Chris Miller has been a major-market PD in Atlanta, Portland and Cleveland. He now operates Chris Miller Digital, which he launched. Visit his website at www.chrismillerdigital.com.
Contact Chris via e-mail, chris@chrismillerdigital.com or 216-236-3955.
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