Latest from Kristie Mercer at NAB Radioshow.
Gone are the days of radio shows just being radio shows. There was a time where once the microphone was switched off after the show, so too did the interaction with the audience. Those days are long gone! Social media allows fans 24/7 access to the shows they love.
Steve Reynolds from The Reynolds Group coaches eight top morning shows in the US on how to better interact with their online audience and I found out exactly how every station in Australia can do the same…
“Have you ever asked yourself why people ‘like’ a radio show’s social media page? For the same reason that they listen…they want to feel part of something and to be included.” Reynolds explains. “Life is a popularity contest and social media is no different. We all share funny posts and pictures online in the hope that our friends will ‘like’ them and in turn, like us. People follow radio show social pages so they can share funny content with their own friends.
“The BIGGEST mistake a radio show can make on their social page – speaking in their ‘promotional voice’ rather than their ‘show voice.’ People don’t want to constantly be sold stuff! Don’t loose sight of why people ‘like’ your radio show’s page – they want to be entertained and engaged,” says Reynolds.
Here’s an example of both…
Promotional voice – “Sam’s live at Harvey Norman from 10-2 today. Go and check out their new store”
Wrong! There is no way your audience can engage with this post. These kind of posts act like those annoying ads on YouTube – all you want to do is watch the funny cat video, but you’re forced to sit through a 60 sec commercial first. All your followers want to do is be entertained by your posts, so don’t sell them stuff they don’t want. Constant posts like this one will only result in the worst possible outcome for a station’s social page…scrolling past. Don’t become newsfeed clutter!
Show voice – “Sarah got naked to win tickets to see Maroon 5. You NEED to see these pictures. Check them out here…” Correct! It’s still okay to post about on air promotions on social, but make sure the listener is getting something out of it too!
With radio stations realising the power of social media, it’s common for ‘online posting schedules’ to be created. I asked Steve Reynold’s whether these are a good idea or not: “Yes and no. On one hand, it’s important to have your daily social plan mapped out so you can focus on the most important part of your job – being on air. However, be careful when setting a high quota for posts because this can lead to talent posting just to meet their daily target. It is better to make 2 strategic posts instead of 100 irrelevant posts.”
It’s also commonplace now for shows to post a topic online to ‘test the waters’ before running it on air. “This is okay to do too,” insists Reynolds “but you need to be aware that just because something works online, does not automatically mean that it will work on air.”
We all know radio needs to be a reflection of society and in particular a reflection of our listeners. Shows need to watch what everyone else is watching, talk about what everyone else is talking about, and be where everyone else is. But how do you be there all the time? Through your social pages!
For example – a massive new show is premiering at 8 pm on a weeknight. Obviously nobody is listening to your radio show because they’re all tuned into the TV show. But they are all online tweeting about the episode during the ad breaks…make sure you’re there too. Social pages allow shows to have constant involvement with their fans even when those fans are not listening to the radio.
As I’ve discovered throughout this conference, American’s love take away’s and not just of the edible variety. Here are 5 x takeaways you can implement at your station TOMORROW to improve your station’s social media pages from Reynolds…
- Brand extension or brand expression? – what will your social media strategy be? Will you be promoting YOURSELF the whole time or will you be ENGAGING and ENTERTAINING your audience? It’s all about balancing the types of posts you make
- Feed the beast – social media is unavoidable for a radio station, so be where your audience is
- Be careful about volume of posting – setting a limit can be dangerous if it makes you post for the sake of it
- Emotion in life makes everything sticky – make people feel something. You do this on air, so do it online too. Radio is a personal one on one connection with your listener, so ensure your social page is just an extension of this
- Prep to stay strategic – know your game plan, have posts ready to go, but be prepared to pull them if something bigger and more relevant arises
Kristie Mercer, breakfast announcer on The Border’s Star 104.9, is reporting for radioinfo at the 2013 USA RadioShow.