Guest Post: 10 Social Media Lessons Learned From Radio

Andrew Steeley is a Burbank, CA resident (by way of Harrisburg, PA) with a strong passion for radio/music and an eye toward breaking into the record industry on the west coast. Most recently, he served as Programming Assistant and Midday Host at 92.9 & 96.9 ‘EHM on the east end of Long Island from May 2008-February 2010. During his tenure with the station, he was active in launching and nurturing its social media campaign. I met Andrew a few years ago while he was in Harrisburg, and our common interests formed the basis of a friendship that has continued via Social Media more recently.

“Net-ward expansion” — one of my first missions when I joined WEHM on Long Island in May of 2008. Of course, my superiors immediately confronted me with the ultimate question: “Why?” At the time, I was not equipped with a copy of Trust Agents or any other reliable literature to help my case in favor of using social media to help expand our station’s brand. In fact, I didn’t really know “why” myself. But here I am, almost two years older and wiser. I give you 10 Social Media Lessons Learned From Radio.

1. Old Media vs. New Media is NOT the argument! References to new media AND old media co-exist in the very title of this blog, and they can easily co-exist in reality and in your station’s media mix. Reject the dichotomy between “old” and “new,” and you’ll find yourself with quite an attractive marketing plan.

2. Broader Outreach – Social media affords “old media” outlets with limited signal range to reach those beyond that arms’ length. The larger your network, the greater your opportunity for success. Imagine all the musicians, music fans, and potential clients who don’t know you…yet.

3. Visibility — See & Be Seen – 400 million. That’s how many people the world over are on Facebook. And that number is growing every day. 400 million potential fans of your station. 400 million potential evangelists spreading the word about your station. So what if they’re not all wearing PPMs. There’s an incalculable value to boasting an army of global fanatics. Now more than ever, you can expose yourself to these fans and in turn see what they’re saying about you! Remember, you’re up against an internet full of other stations and music blogs. So, what are you doing to separate your station from all the other music outlets out there? Are you confident enough in your station to have millions of people talking about it? Why should some of those 400 million people choose YOU?

4. Convergence – Facebook has helped facilitate the convergence of several facets of the typical radio station. Now, a good chunk of our station’s functions happen all in one place. Our mission statement, online stream, artist lists, event schedule, photos, contests, and most importantly, communication channel with fans are at our fingertips – AND at our fans’ fingertips. And thanks to the Twitter application for Fan Pages, even our updates have converged! Convergence has also changed the way radio stations deliver music. No longer do radio stations just play music. Now, the opportunity exists to SELL music, too. Which brings us to my next point.

5. Monetization – Yes, social media can help your station grow financially! Do I have your attention now? Is it because your station’s wallet is a bit…lacking…these days? Social media is pretty affordable. In fact, it’s pretty much free. And yet it has tremendous value. Educate your sales staff and let them know that there’s more than just airtime to sell now! Why not leverage your social media presence as icing on your sales cake? But that’s only the beginning. Thanks to FBML (Facebook’s version of HTML) and affiliate programs, we are able to provide fans with the opportunity to buy music from essentially every artist we play on the air. And here’s a little hint for program directors — the more interesting, compelling artists you play, the better your chances of selling tunes. But wait! If we’re selling the music to fans to have and to hold, then what’s the point of listening to our station? Ah, but if you build a reputation for introducing artists to your fans and if you continually build a strong sense of trust between station and fan, they’ll keep coming back for more. Here’s how you start achieving that sense of trust.

6. Radio As a Two-Way Street – Radio, in its traditional sense, is a broadcast medium. Translation: We speak, you listen. Sure, fans could call the request line or e-mail the host. But phone calls can be ignored and e-mails can be deleted without a response. Social media has leveled the playing field, whether or not radio stations care to acknowledge this and take part in the conversation. When you step into the world of social media, you are putting yourself “out there” and making yourself vulnerable. But whether you like it or not, people are talking. Talking about YOU. Ignorance may be bliss, but transparency earns respect. Expose your vulnerabilities, learn from your mistakes, embrace the compliments, and evolve into a better station for it. And hey, you might even start some amazing relationships in doing so…

7. Relationships – Who do you trust more – a dear old friend or a complete stranger? Thought so. If you’re in charge of a radio station, why not ask this question in everything you do? Why should people trust you and your station? Like it or not, the days of viewing your fans as “demographics,” “P1s,” or even as “listeners” are pretty much over. Notice I haven’t used the word “listener” until now. Here’s a challenge. Try eliminating the word from your vocabulary. Why? Because your “listeners” are doing the talking now, too. They’re your fans, your friends. Like a good friend, shouldn’t you be listening to them too? Get to know them on a personal level. Find out what they really dig. Find out what makes them tick. After all, they’ve been listening to YOU all these years…

8. Culture – No relationship is an island. The sum total of all the interconnected relationships your station builds equals a community, or a culture. And the strength of your culture’s foundation all boils down to the sense of trust you establish with the individuals involved in the conversation. At WEHM, music is our focus. We update our social media outlets several times per day, providing friends with station updates, music news, contest info, song requests, responses to posts, etc. Think of these posts as ice-breakers, conversation pieces not just for you but for your fan base. And we, like our friends and fans, are humans beings. We add our personal takes on certain stories and sometimes talk about topics that have nothing to do with music (let’s just say I’ve taken a lot of flak for being a Phillies fan) to add our voices to the conversation – all while staying focused on our identity and message.

9. Instant Gratification – To an on-air host like me (we really don’t jockey discs these days), social media has offered a completely new outlet for our personalities. While the microphone is a powerful tool, social media has proven to be a reliable co-host. On average, I speak on the air for a total of 3 ½ minutes per hour. The other 56 ½ minutes are packed with music, commercials, and imaging. To create a truly interactive experience for our fans, I complement those 56 ½ minutes of on-air programming with some off-air programming via social media — music news, polls, upcoming contest info, music videos, song facts, and just idle chatter. And, God forbid, should the station go off the air or our online stream go offline, we can update our fans instantly! Keep your fans engaged with compelling content both on the air and off the air and – believe it or not – they might actually hang out with you through those pesky commercial breaks.

10. Humanization/Personification – You could have the strongest signal, the catchiest slogan, and the coolest station name since Marconi walked the earth. Good for you. But don’t forget that beyond your killer logo, people make your station happen. Social media provides an outlet for EVERYONE at your station to have a voice – not just the on-air staff. Interns, sales staffers, street teamers – everyone on your staff has a microphone now. Strive to incorporate that human element into your business, via social media. Your fans will appreciate it. After all, they’re humans, too. Would you rather talk to a logo or to a human?

Tagged as: facebook, Marketing, radio, Social Media, Twitter