5-1-2012
While I'm not a big fan of trying to see how many "likes" you can get on your radio station Facebook page, (I'm more focused on having radio use Facebook to drive relationship, engagement, and activity back to our actual brands), clients ask this question all the time: How can I get more "likes"? They also want to know how to make social media easy, quick, and profitable.
So, here are the easy takeaways when you just don't have a lot of time to invest:
1. Put the Facebook widget on every communication. Put it in your loyal-listener email, your website and blogs. I'm sure you've already done this, right?
2. Specifically invite listeners on-air, on your website, in blogs, and in your own loyal-listener database to "like" you. Sure, it's a little like pandering, but some listeners will do it. Radio works. Don't make people crazy with this, but you can do it on a limited yet regular basis.
3. Add a link to all personality personal pages for the station page. You can do this in the space where people click on the highlighted blue word "About" under your photo. This should be done with every employee as well. Opportunity and influence are everywhere. Use them.
4. When you participate in concerts or station events, take tons of photos and video, post them on Facebook, and ask loyal listeners/fans to tag the photos. This, of course, pushes you to their walls so their friends see the content, too.
5. Be helpful to listeners, comment on their profile pages, (as your fan/station page and as personalities), respond to their needs and their comments, and include your station page in your signature.
6. Get visual the way people are visual. If you don't post a picture or video with every post you execute on Facebook, you are cheating yourself out of additional exposure. That means less people will see you and less will "like" you.
7. Since you are marketing your radio station, you should look to partner with others in your market who have assets, in terms of generating print material that can include your Facebook fan page. In fact, your Facebook station page should be on all printed material you generate. This means everything from flyers to disclaimers. Every. Printed. Piece.
While something like less than 10 percent of Facebook active users may even participate with "liking" a brand page, radio has an advantage because of the kind of relationship it has traditionally enjoyed with listeners (although that is changing in many markets). If you've done a good job with listener relationship, you should use this advantage to gain access to more "likes" for your station Facebook page to build your Facebook footprint.
Just remember: Being successful on Facebook isn't about how many "likes" you have. It's about how much engagement and relationship you have with your core active listeners or fans. There is nothing wrong with pumping up your Facebook "likes." However, if you build a proper strategy for Facebook (and all of your social media), you're more likely to get real-world results that will matter for your core business, generating additional non-traditional dollars, and improving your future business.
Loyd Ford is the direct marketing, ratings, and social media strategist for Americalist. He has programmed successful radio brands in markets of all sizes, including KRMD-AM and 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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