10-24-2012
You might be surprised when you find out that the social media you thought was being done well for your team isn?t. Let?s take a look.
1. If you don?t put care into understanding your audience and how they use social media, you will likely fail. Just like when you launch a radio station, focus your efforts on what listeners get from your social media and your role as it relates to what you want your brand to own in the listener?s mind.
2. Make sure you and your entire team understand why listeners use each social media platform. The more you know before you truly begin to develop your social media strategy, the more successful you will become in your efforts.
3. Do you have an actual written social media plan? Do the members of your team (anyone who posts, comments, or engages listeners in any social media platform or even on the street) know the plan and have a copy of it?
4. Does your morning show or other high-profile personality have a blog that is focused on elements that listeners are passionate about and that will also bring listeners back to your actual on-air as well? Are they posting pictures and sometimes video on their blogs? Is the content value strong for listeners?
5. Is there a Facebook ?like? button on your radio station website and if listeners like it can they do so without leaving your website? Remember: If they leave your page, they are going away from you. They are not coming to you. So, everything you do should involve planning for them contacting you; to come toward your radio brand (not away from it).
6. Keep your content highly focused on the listener you most want to attract and keep your activity level (posting and commenting on listener posts) high and consistent as well. Are you providing social media activities for your listeners? Remember this: The more activities you have on social media, the more listeners will see you and the more likely they are to be influenced by you.
7. Use content focused on preview or anticipation of events and/or opportunities that will come along on your on-air or that your brand is launching in your market (this can include concerts, special events, or even non-public opportunities that you can only attend with the help and/or invitation of the radio station).
8. Are you using YouTube? Are you putting the fun of your radio station (or the seriousness of your station) out there for listeners to see, engage and join in?
If you have a specific plan for social media, your team knows the plan, and you use these eight points to really make sure you are focused in the right place and doing things that will help your engage listeners and encourage them directly to participate with your on-air brand, you will see your influence grow. After all, we don?t get extra points for making Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or any other social media platform more successful. Our opportunity is only to engage listeners, bring them closer to our brands on radio, and monetize the relationship. Do that and everyone in your company will want to talk to you about how you came to know so much about making social media really work for radio.
Loyd Ford is the direct marketing, ratings and social media strategist for Americalist and 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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