Pat Welsh has written about new media technologies and ideas many times before, but more stations are asking for the essentials and a short list of things that they should be doing right now. This week he offers up a list of ideas that constitute some of the low hanging fruit of new media.
Pat Welsh
By Pat Welsh
I’ve written about new media technologies and ideas many times before, but more stations are asking for the essentials, the short list of things that they should be doing right now. Here then is a list of ideas that constitute some of the low hanging fruit of new media.
Facebook
Facebook is now the #1 social network in the US, finally surpassing MySpace. On a global basis, Facebook became #1 months ago. However, for a radio station to have a presence on Facebook has been somewhat controversial. Many stations and companies preferred to investigate the possibility of developing their own social network. Unfortunately, except for a few visionaries like Skyrock in France, few stations or companies acted fast enough and Facebook (as well as MySpace, Bebo, Orkut) passed them by.
A station Facebook will, in some way, mirror the station website, but Facebook is a more personal medium. You want listeners/users to get the basics of what you’re doing on the air, but there should be more personal touches, as well. If you’re not using on-air blogs for your personalities, this is the perfect opportunity to get a more intimate (if not irreverent) view on what the station and the personalities are all about.
The demographics of Facebook have mainstreamed a lot as even Baby Boomers are now participating in large numbers. That means that talent in almost any format can look at this as a way of reaching out to listeners.
There are two primary drawbacks to using Facebook. First, you’re sending listeners to somewhere other than your own website. But, let’s face it, listeners are already spending significant amounts of time with Facebook, so why not fish where the fish are biting?
The second drawback is a potential loss of control if air personalities promote their own Facebook pages. Where do you draw the line between business and personal content? How do you make sure that someone doesn’t step over the line? There’s no easy answer, but each PD needs to discuss some basic guidelines for what is and is not appropriate content on a site in any way viewed as representing the station.
Twitter
Twitter is the lowest of the low hanging fruit. The awareness and usage of Twitter has increased so dramatically over the past few months that all stations should be using it right now. It’s easy to use, it doesn’t take much time and it’s tailor made for any media outlet, brand, celebrity, organization or anything else with a possible fan base.
Twitter is a terrific promotional tool. Radio stations are never short of activities to talk about, nor are they shy about promoting them. Users/listeners can follow the station, receiving all of its updates anytime they log on to use the service. There’s a steady stream of twitter content streaming from virtually every radio station: concert announcements, contests, morning show updates, station news, music updates, etc.
Of course, Twitter can be used by individual air personalities also, making another connection with listeners, although, like everything else, this requires constant updates to keep people interested.Interestingly, lots of data has come out recently indicating that many of the individuals who join Twitter spend little or no time updating their own activities or profiles. However, most of them do find people or other entities to follow and come back to use the service, even if they feel self conscious about answering Twitter’s basic question, “What are you doing?”
Text Messaging
Texting is a big business and a ubiquitous technology, especially with those under 40, but many radio stations in North America ignore it. However, SMS does not count as low hanging fruit outside of North America; most stations around the world have adopted this as their primary means of communicating directly with listeners. Or, should I say, the listeners have adopted SMS as their preferred means of contacting the station.
Specific applications include all forms of on-air contests, telling people the name of the last 3 songs that you played, sending traffic or school closings alerts, sending special offers to the station’s most loyal listeners, participating in morning show bits, etc.
Ironically, although stations overseas have been using texting extensively for years, the tools for stations to use in North America are generally superior to those that I’ve seen stations overseas use. A number of companies have created easy-to-use, web-based software that enables stations to quickly create robust campaigns, i.e, on-air giveaways, long-form promotions, programming features, etc. Some of these companies will also work closely with the sales department to train people to sell mobile campaigns.
It’s hard to imagine anyone denying the power and pervasiveness of texting, or even to say that it’s just done by kids. The big complaint is that there are up-front costs. Most of the systems require some up front or ongoing costs. However, mobile marketing can be a lucrative business.
Texting is widely recognized by marketers as an excellent means of reaching customers. Redemption rates on mobile promotions have been outstanding. Stations that have done sponsored, call-to-action promotions have generated considerable revenue.
Website Archives
Heritage is a double-edge sword for radio stations. We’re justifiably proud of our consistency and excellence, but we have to be careful on air to not sound like we’re living in the past. On-air celebrations of milestone anniversaries have to be handled carefully to avoid this problem. But on the web, there are no such problems. The web is pull medium, not a push, so only those who are interested will check it out.
On the web, you should embrace your heritage. Some stations have produced a history of the station section that includes a recap of the station from its beginning to the present, complete with airchecks, old charts, etc. This is especially helpful anytime the station has a milestone anniversary coming up. Use this as an excuse to build a stickier web site and get listeners involved.
Encourage listeners to contribute their own thoughts and memories about the station. Ask for them to submit any rare memorabilia or photos that they might have. Let them reconnect with the station on a deeper level. This helps remind people that they’re fans of the station and its personalities, not just consumers.
As a twist on this idea, some relatively new stations have co-opted the heritage of a long-gone competitor on their market, linking the new station to the powerful memories, sounds and images of a predecessor. A good example of this is KSWD in Los Angeles with their tribute (on and off the air) to former LA rock legend, KMET.
Summary
In discussing anything about radio these days, there’s an obligation to answer the question, “What does all this mean in the PPM world?” The short answer is that all of these technologies allow you to develop a more personal connection with listeners. People expect to participate and give opinions; they’re not content to just passively consume media. Loyalty still counts for a lot with the PPM. We still need to make our stations the top-of-mind choice if we’re going to win.
Pat Welsh, Senior Vice President/Digital Content, Pollack Media Group, can be reached at 310 459-8556, fax: 310-454-5046, or at pat@pollackmedia.com.
