Perhaps the most exciting thing about embracing new media are the numerous new sales opportunities, in addition to reinventing the relevance of your brand to the listener. We need to empower our industry to take control of these new platforms and use them to supplement the great product we’re putting out of the speakers today!
Robby Bridges
By Robby Bridges
Every time I stare at my blank laptop screen to write a column for you there at FMQB I find myself first and foremost feeling the need to say “Let’s cut out the pessimism!” We’re still recovering from an awful economic downturn at a time a lot of radio owners were already worried about costs and revenue reports to shareholders (or in some cases private equity holders). Yes, there are fewer jobs and those remaining are often asked to do more with less. And, I concede radio is just not quite the be all end all it once was as far as music goes and all media being splintered by usage of new technology and the generally more hectic lifestyle of a 18-49 year old in the 21st century. Radio still garners listening from 93% of the country; it’s still the number one source for new music discovery; TSL figures and cume (and yes that includes young people) have increased in PPM data and private research study findings. So, while it’s not the best state we’ve ever found our industry in, it’s not the end of times. It’s a new beginning for a medium perfectly suited to expand its horizons in new media platforms. Let’s stay positive, innovative and in so doing empower ourselves to do the best we can with what we do have control over.
A programmer, obviously, doesn’t have the power in most situations to get the budget, staff or promotions they’d like especially in the present environment of the corporate sector. A programmer can, however, tighten formatics, focus content and extend the brand to new platforms. First, social networking. If your station and each of your jocks do not have a Facebook page, change that right away. It is absolutely critical to use this tool to a) extend the on air product to where your listeners are and now this site in particular is that place online. Secondly, most people receive personal email notifications when they receive a Facebook message so it can be a major tool in driving listening occasions. All PPM data shows setting appointment listening times for contesting, events (such as a benchmark feature, AM show, announcement, new music debut) causes major listening spikes and why not promo these occasions directly to listeners and not just over the air? It can be even more effective when individual air talent do so on personal pages. Radio has always been a personal medium and creating this kind of brand loyalty and one connection in this new way endears jocks to listeners as friends in a new way. Of course, a station/jock Facebook friend list serves essentially as a loyal listener database. Status updates, applications, audio, links can all reinforce station/format benefits in a more personal way than visiting a traditional station website and complement the content on air. Be sure the station and talent use Facebooking effectively and for the most engaging content and listening appointments or the risk is to appear to be spamming.
Twitter is a similar tool in creating a deeper bond between your air talent and your audience and reminding (particular heavy P1 users) to tune in more often and for longer periods. A Twitter update or Facebook status message might be “Tune in the Morning Zoo in one hour at 8:15 AM for a major announcement how you could meet Coldplay and see them play!” Or for a talent “Interviewing Dane Cook…hear it tomorrow at 5:13pm after we update the traffic caused by that bridge closure! Grr.” You get the idea. Be sure to include online listening links and podcasts of content in case listeners want to have the experience a second time or to encourage those who miss it over the air that they are truly “out of the loop” if they forget to tune in. Applications for station logo wallpaper, downloadable jock pictures, “Fan of WXYZ-FM” all are appropriate to connect with listeners on this new platform.
Most companies have embraced HD-1 signals and many have introduced supplementary programming on HD-2 and HD-3 subchannels which is great. However, the number of listeners in amongst your cume whom own an HD radio is still small and some research shows respondents thinking if they own a new radio or have a new car they must be getting your signal in high def. It is as important, if not more imperative, to make your signal available on iPhones, Blackberry’s and other mobile/wireless internet devices. These applications make it possible for listeners to receive your station on the go and many wireless service providers do not recognize web based stream media players. Working with your station/cluster’s web provider (or with corporate’s) ought to be effective in making this possible. Make sure to place the link near the top left of your homepage or station social network site profile for easy mobile device navigation and download.
Perhaps most exciting about embracing and utilizing these media are the numerous new sales opportunities in over the air promotion, web/mobile only ads, web stream banners, sponsorships, added value spot buys, remote broadcast real time updates…in addition of course to reinventing the relevance of your brand to the listener (and yes this is true of upper demo heavy stations too, not just at CHR). Let’s empower our industry to take control of these new platforms and use them to supplement the great product we’re putting out of the speakers today!
Robby Bridges is host of the Ride Home Show on WEBE-FM Bridgeport, CT. He is also President of BBOR Productions, developing and marketing syndication, music and production pieces nationally. Previously Bridges has worked in various capacities at WCTK/Providence, Z100/New York, Q102/Philadelphia, WODS and Mix 98.5/Boston and elsewhere in New England. Robby can be reached at 203-333-9108 or bridges@bborproductions.com
