2-28-2014
Radio has long had a love affair with the public. For years they?ve loved us in the car and at work. They even sometimes flip us on at home. We?ve been a lot of things to American families over the decades. Everything from live shows to ?fireside chats? from the president to music machines that pump out the hits of the day to local connectivity to things happening right now. And radio has always been a connector for local businesses to consumers. But what about the potential for locals to fall ?out of love? with your station? And how can you save your relationship and love your listeners in social media?
1. Get committed. That?s right. You can commit to making sure you regularly show up in social media commenting on what listeners are saying ? positive and negative ? and growing your connection and relationship with them through being familiar and putting in enough effort for them to notice you in ?their space? validating them.
2. Be more giving. Giving isn?t contesting. It?s giving of effort over things that are important to the people (listeners) you most want to attract. Spend some time and creativity on how you can use your position at radio to help those in your community ? again, the listeners you most want to attract ? and put that content regularly in social media.
3. Seek to reconnect with listeners often in social media. They choose social media as a place to ?chill? or enjoy their life; to escape. So, work to create smart, funny, interesting content that they will find ?share-worthy,? but don?t forget to look for ways to engage them in fun that can encourage a familiar feeling related to your personalities, your brand in social media, and reflecting back to the station when possible. Could be nostalgia, could be something fun or family in the market (if that is your target). It could be making fun of yourself. People relate to people who don?t take themselves too seriously.
4. Respect your listeners. Don?t try to ?fake ?em out? with technology. It?s okay to use technology, of course. However, your listeners crave validation. They are likely to desire ?me time? and they absolutely are looking for respect for themselves and their family. Give it to them. Look for opportunities in social media to give them exactly what they want. That may mean commenting on a post on Facebook from a listener and telling them how you liked it. It may be hitting ?like? on a photo of their kid at a team sporting event.
You?ve heard people say social media can be like going to a party. At radio, we have a natural position and voice for a party. We only have to turn our attention directly to focusing on listeners, what they want, how they feel, and relate to them to create a win for our brands and reconnect them to a deep American love on the local level: radio.
Loyd Ford is the direct marketing, ratings and social media strategist for Americalist Direct Marketing and has programmed very successful radio brands in markets of all sizes, including KRMD AM & FM in Shreveport, and WSSL and WMYI in Greenville, WKKT in Charlotte and WBEE in Rochester, NY. Learn more about Loyd here: http://about.me/loydford. Get his radio-social media content sent directly to your smart phone or email for free here: www.rainmakerpathway.wordpress.com. Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE. Visit his Facebook radio social media page HERE.
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