Calling All Speakers.

6-17-13

Speaking proposals are now being accepted for the 2014 NAB Show, held April 5-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The deadline for speaking proposals is October 18. Full information on NAB Show educational programs along with instructions on how to submit speaking proposals is available here.

NAB Show seeks presenters with fresh ideas in the areas of media and entertainment technology, content and management. Case studies in new audio/video production and post-production workflows, social applications, content discovery tools and advanced voice and data communications are highly valued. In addition to topics related to broadcast technology, trends in media advertising, consumption and new business models are sought for all content owners and platforms in sectors such as film and motion pictures, retail, religious institutions, military and government, education and live events.

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Rush Apologizes For Calling Woman Slut

3-3-2012

It doesn't happen much but Rush Limbaugh has admitted he made a mistake. He has apologized for calling a woman a slut. The furor over his choice of words reached the point where his syndicator Premiere Radio Networks had to send out a press release. In it Rush said " In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke." Rush called Sandra Fluke the "S" word while discussing the issue of contraception which has gotten a lot of attention in the Republican race for President. His show on Monday will certainly be interesting.

More from the Limbaugh statement: "I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress.  I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability?  Where do we draw the line?  If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow?  Will we be debating if tax payers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?  In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.  My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir.  I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.?

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SALES - Social Media Has Revived Cold Calling

12-7-2011

by Theresa Merrill

Cold-calling is thriving?thanks in part to social media.  The parallels are impressive.  Effective cold calling is about engaging the prospect with a valid business reason.  Social media is about brands trying to make meaningful connections with consumers.  All contact with a new business prospect is cold whether it?s via social media, networking, email or the phone.  Even with Inbound Marketing, there is always going to be a need for prospecting to develop new customers. 

When properly executed cold calling is an integral part of any seller?s repertoire. Leverage social media sites to support the most important aspect of cold calling?targeting and preparation. Choose your prospects wisely.  Quality of prospects equals quality of return. Only proceed when you?ve uncovered a need/problem for which you can provide a benefit/solution.

Intelligence gathering is available across many platforms.  Set-up Google alerts for target accounts.  Identify news blogs/apps that cover their industry.  The benefit of this is two-fold.  You can warm the prospect up by sending an email mentioning something relevant to their business, while gaining knowledge on what?s key to their success.  Don?t just visit their website, but immerse yourself in the blogs and press releases.  Blogs are open windows into the philosophy and focus of the company.  Comment on them.  Share them on other social media/network sites.

?Like? their company Facebook page.  Follow them on Twitter.  If you don?t have a LinkedIn profile, set one up immediately.  LinkedIn suffers from an identity crisis?it?s not just for job seekers.  It?s an invaluable source of information on individuals and their companies.   Build your connections, but even without many connections there?s much to gain. 

Join LinkedIn Groups?there?s a group for every type of business and business concept.  Don?t limit yourself to ones in your industry, but join ones that your target accounts might belong to.  Ask engaging questions and use this as an opportunity to showcase your business expertise.  Remember social media is about ?giving to get.?  Share your beliefs and people that value them will connect. 

Follow companies on LinkedIn.  You?ll see who in your network is connected to them and gain access to activity updates that provide valuable information about internal and strategic moves.  Follow individuals, you?ve targeted.  Once armed with the knowledge as to what benefit you can provide this prospect, send an InMail or ask a mutual connection to introduce you.  InMail is an under-utilized tool on LinkedIn, due to a fear of intruding on someone?s privacy (cold calling). 
With all the talk about Social media being the new cold calling, one thing holds true for both?executed poorly they can be a enormous waste of time.  By doing your homework, proceeding with a plan and integrating the two platforms into your total marketing mix they will help you, and your sellers, achieve your new business goals.

Theresa Merrill is the Director of Business Development for Anovick Associates. She has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in NY, Boston and Atlanta working for Katz Communications, CBS, Tribune and Cablevision and can be reached at 201.444.2991 or by e-mail merrill.theresa@gmail.com

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Hello. This is Taylor Swift Calling

21 years ago Don and John Zimmer were told by the experts they'd go broke if they went forward with their plans to put a country music station on in Columbia, Missouri. Yesterday the telephone rang in the studio of KCLR while morning team Scotty & Carissa were doing their show. It was Taylor Swift with news that not only the morning team had won the CMA for small market personality of the year, but that the station KCLR had also won for small market station of the year. It's the first CMA award the station has ever won and it doesn't get much cooler than getting a surprise call from Taylor Swift.

LISTEN TO THE TAYLOR SWIFT CALL TO THE STATION HERE

Ror the Zimmer's it's sweet victory. They've never second guessed their decision to go country back on Labor Day weekend in 1990 and in typical Zimmer fashion, they give all the credit for their success to ?We have been fortunate enough to have great people on our team. We try to find people that share our values. The values of leadership and respect. I think managing those core values, we are able to attract good people that share those same values. They are passionate about our stations.?

We have a 2-page profile on the success of KCLR in Radio Ink on November 7th. To subscribe CLICK HERE
Send congratulations to Zimmer Market Manager Carla Leible HERE

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Facebook Video Calling: To Seize or Squander?

July 7, 2011

by Mike Stiles

Facebook?s new Video Calling feature was announced with much fanfare this week.  It allows for real-time, face-to-face video chats within the Facebook  environment.  Sure Skype has been around awhile and gained significant traction.  But this incorporation of its video communication power into a social network that?s already an astonishing hub of interaction is worthy of the buzz it?s getting.

You, as radio managers, will have to contend with this new communication tool, which you will do in one of two ways: 

You could incorporate it.  Your jocks are taking video calls as well as phone calls.  Your listeners are getting to know your jocks better, and the bond  between listener and talent is getting stronger?harder to break should some other station or show come along.  Your receptionist is answering video calls  and interacting with your Fans as if they were standing in your lobby.  You?re meeting with your managers in other markets via easy group video  conferences.  You?re video-calling your clients on a regular basis and are strengthening those relationships, building their trust in you. 

Or you could dismiss it.  Listener Facebook video calls to the jock wouldn?t work anyway, because there is no jock.  You?re mostly voice-tracked and  automated.  The few jocks you do have stay fairly unpresentable.  Your receptionist isn?t in the lobby because she?s also the Promotions and Traffic  Directors.  PD?s in other markets that you manage continue to misinterpret your emails and build resentment.  And your clients have never seen you.   You don?t have to worry about them severing their relationship with you, because you have no relationship with them.

Granted, the above example is taking it to the extreme (or God forbid, maybe it?s not that far off the mark), but the point is, amazing tools, technologies  and innovations in social networking are coming every day.  Are you going to jump on them to enhance and empower your radio business?  Or has the  manic drive to operate with as few humans as possible cut you off at the knees and eliminated your ability to capitalize on them?

Takeaway: if radio approaches every tech advancement as an annoyance, or if it views social networking in its entirety as an annoyance, inevitable  innovation will continue to stack up against it and leave it by the side of the road.

Mike Stiles @mikestiles is a writer/producer with the social marketing tech platform, Vitrue, and head of Sketchworks comedy theatre. Check out his monologue blog, The Stiles Files.

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