For this week’s Programming To Win column, Pollack Media digital content expert Pat Welsh digs into the multiple digital options that radio currently has at its fingers. Be sure to prioritize and possibly repurpose your digital content, but not at the expense of what is going out over the air.
By Pat Welsh
SVP Digital Content, Pollack Media Group
Pat Welsh
Gordon Borrell, the guru of radio digital initiatives, has forcefully made the point that the best way to maximize digital revenue is to have a separate digital sales staff. The same could be said for the content side. It could be said, but few people will. There are some places where clusters have digital content directors, but they’re still in the minority. As companies are demanding more effort on other platforms with an eye on increasing their digital revenue, in most case, it still falls to you, the on-air PD, to orchestrate your station’s digital content strategy.
The realities of the current situation demand some ways of coping with the additional responsibilities. The dirty little secret is that it’s still the Wild West in digi-land. There’s a wide disparity in terms of digital competence at radio. Some smaller market stations do an outstanding job of producing content and inducing page views, Likes and Followers. Meanwhile, some larger market stations do a poor job.
Generally speaking, it’s not that way with on-air programming. The learning curve that you expect in terms of on-air programming does not hold true for digital programming. This means there are still opportunities for you to get a big advantage over your competitors in digital content, engagement and revenue. Study the data. Unlike the on-air portion of your job, the digital assets will give you clearer information and more precise results about what works as you move pieces around, try different types of content and create new partnerships.
Here are some other ideas:
Digital is the New Production
What is digital other than another form of production? Make it clear to everyone on your staff that they have digital responsibilities. There’s no reason to separate these areas. Everyone needs to be a content creator and distributor. If you have recalcitrant staffers who still don’t want to participate, make sure it’s in their job descriptions. In most cases, their reluctance is due to fear of using new technologies, not an unwillingness to work harder.
One of the prime motivators that I’ve found is to stress that social media allows for lengthier and more detailed contact with listeners. So, just as on-air content is scrutinized more closely in the PPM era, the online and digital content is expected – and encouraged – to be more expansive. In other words, we’re telling people to cut back on the air; digital is where they can really express themselves and where they can be as creative as they want to be.
All Things Are Not Equal
Yes, digital is the fair-haired child, but some platforms are more equal than others. Nothing is more important than on air. This seems obvious, but with increasing pressure coming from above to “get the digital thing right,” there are times when priorities get turned upside down.
The flip side of the situation described above is when the air staff is enthusiastically participating in social media to the detriment of their on-air breaks. This can’t happen. On-air has to be prioritized and that message needs to be reinforced.
Repurpose…But Be Aware of the Subtle Differences Between Platforms
The path of least resistance is to repurpose on-air content for the other platforms. There should be no walled garden between on air and other platforms. The same piece of audio can be used on the air, on the web and linked across social media site.
Still, even with the same content spread across various platforms, each must be handled in a unique way. I read an outstanding interview a few months ago with the digital editor of the LA Times. She made the point that each different platform required a different headline. The printed paper got one, the website got another, Facebook required a different approach and Twitter was different still.
I saw one great real world example recently at a client station. The station was set up to automatically post Facebook posts to Twitter. One of the on-air personalities tended to write his Facebook post as he spoke. One day he opened with something along the lines of “Hi everybody, it’s a great day today. I’m feeling good and I’m going to give away a pair of tickets to…”
The problem was that by the time he got to the ticket tease, he had used up his 140 characters (the limit on Twitter). The Facebook post looked fine, but Twitter automatically truncated his lead-in so that users never got to see the name of the act that he was giving away tickets for…otherwise known as burying the lead.
Push (on-air) vs. Pull (digital)
We push the best music and other content that we can out over the air. Listeners can pull that material, or other content that we produce form the web or other platforms. But we can provide additional and/or extended content for the listeners to pull, if they choose. You have to constantly look for opportunities. Interviews with artist or other celebrities are obvious examples. If you record phone or studio interviews, you can post the full version on your website for listeners to grab.
Another opportunity comes from behind-the-scenes videos. Peeking behind the curtain is a common theme in the media these days. You can easily produce a “Day in the Life of the Morning Show” video. What other opportunities are there to give the listeners a look at the secret life of radio? How about a backstage experience? Or what goes into music decisions?
Curation
Curation is an important concept in media circles. There is so much content available that people are becoming overwhelmed. Don’t you have too many sites, blogs and updates to view? The curators are the trusted sources that you use to make your life easier. What can your station curate for the listeners?
Music is the obvious starting place. We don’t have to apologize or the fact that we can’t play everything. But why not use our expertise in this area to provide listeners with more options for things they might like? Make suggestions for other music they might like, link to a few trusted sites that you believe will maintain that trust.
Summary
Programming doesn’t get any easier with budget cuts, doubling up on stations and heaping new digital responsibilities on analog assets. Make it a collaborative effort. Look for input from anyone who seems creative and who gravitates towards new technologies. Most of all, look at the array of new digital platforms as a filter to ask yourself some fundamental questions: What does your station brand stand for? What do your listeners rely on you for? And most importantly, how can the digital assets be used to do a better job of delivering those benefits to the listeners? 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
