8-6-2012
"We're crisp and precise about our on-air execution; why aren't we crisp and precise about what we do on Facebook and Twitter?" That's the question posed by Matt Haze, who defines himself as a "comedian, media personality, and recovering radio DJ," who is developing a comedy show to offer to public radio stations. Haze describes radio's use of social media as a "wild, wild West" of content, where "everyone is doing their own thing, or just copying everyone else."
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the people who are filling the new digital sales manager positions. Are we providing any similar digital leadership on the programming and promotion side of the business? Generally speaking, program directors and promotion managers don't automatically understand and embrace our digital resources in a winning way. Occasionally, clusters have a digital content manager; some of these people are riding the cutting edge of integrating broadcast and digital content. Some, however, are glorified webmasters, who know how to run the software but aren't especially strong on branding or content.
At many stations, the on-air personalities are the ones who are responsible for keeping the social media fresh and updating the website too. In the same way that, on the sales side, a few sellers generally produce the bulk of the digital revenue, Matt Haze believes that stations ought to have a social media personality, who keeps content and engagement going on Facebook and Twitter.
"It'd pretty much be a 24/7 position," Haze speculates, but that such a person would be one who can come up with creative content and be engaging with station fans online, while broadcast personalities are focusing on the on-air product.
"I get that people are really busy," explains Haze, who says that personalities don't have time to adequately come up with creative content for social media, and also track what others are saying about the station. His proposition is that an online personality could be responsible for coming up with really compelling, creative, topical, fun content or subjects to chat about in social media. On-air jocks could mention what's going on online currently as a way to move fans from one platform to another. "It's doing what we do on-air, but doing it better online. Interacting, making a connection, creating a die-hard fan base."
Haze points out that much of the content and services we provide on-air can make the switch to online, but would have to be executed differently. This includes the revenue side of our business. "For example, you can do personal endorsements online. You can get a conversation going or get people creating videos [to promote a product]."
"Everyone knows the power of creativity," says Haze. "Nobody disagrees with that. Online, you can offer it for free! Yet, almost nobody does it. We worry more about analyzing and controlling 'likes' and 'shares' without thinking about the real people out there."
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.
For more articles from Chris Miller go HERE.
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