From the old bulletin boards of dial up in the 80’s to Twitter in 2009, the social networking phenomena continues. Founded in 2003, MySpace was the big breakthrough in social networking and by 2006 was the most popular social networking site in the United States. MySpace was taken over by Facebook in April of 2008. Today, Facebook has 200M active users worldwide.
While MySpace is popular with Gen Y, college, High School and younger life styles, and built on a music discovery premise. Facebook was the first social network to be embraced by a large demographic cross section which appeals to any social group imaginable.
Using Facebook for your Radio Station
Facebook can be a valuable imaging and marketing tool for a radio station. While radio itself is broadcasting – or one way communication to a vast audience, Facebook can allow the radio station to take on an image that is more personal and interactive.
Personality or Show Facebook Pages
Build a page for a show or personality and get to work inviting everyone in the local community. Talk it up on the air. Post daily bulletins about your show, new music you’ll be playing, contests to listen for, or current events relevant to the listening community, or silly questions to spark interaction – have fun. Don’t over post – it’s the quickest way to have friend hide you on their page. One a day for each personality or show is plenty. Keep building the friends list.
Radio Station Facebook Pages
Build a page for each radio station and get to work inviting everyone in the local community. Invite everyone from a competitor’s radio station. Post daily bulletins about the station, new music you’ll be playing, contests to listen for, or current events relevant to the listening community. Again, don’t over post. One a day is plenty. Keep building the friends list.
Build the Friends List
Invite everyone in the station’s service area. Some of them are tough to tell where they are located. Ask current friends to invite their local friends. Don’t be shy about asking for friends. Invite everyone from a competitor’s radio station. High numbers mean more money.
Monetization
Facebook Friend Mobilization would need to be tied into an event or remote to work best. It’s an extra service that can be offered to the advertiser as an option on top of the remote package, which includes the commercial schedule, personal appearance, swag from the station and dog and pony show that goes along with it. Don’t bonus or give away your Facebook Friend Mobilization power.
You’ve sold the Facebook Friend Mobilization option to the advertiser… post a couple times the day of the event, maybe 3, but make sure that what you are giving your friends, in return for taking time from their day to visit your advertisers place of business, is truly a great offer or of substance to the majority of your friends. Your goal is response and there’s no quicker way to get it than with a killer offer. Don’t bother to post something you know won’t work – you know what won’t work. It’s not doing the advertiser any good, and just bothering your friends.
Once each show and station Facebook is off the ground, the friends list can be used as leverage to mobilize the listeners or for a call to action. Ask the listeners to join you at Bob’s Auto Care for a $10.69 oil change. Many users access their Facebook by mobile phone and are notified instantly. Notify them an hour before the event (… Join me today at noon…), as soon as the event starts (I’m here now and there’s a line forming… get here quick…), and halfway through the event (… there’s still time).
Each personality or show will have X number of friends add all the personalities together for more value to the station, “Join The Eagle 106.9’s Kayla Stone at Bob’s Auto Care for a $10.69 oil change today form noon to 4 pm.” Post to every personality and show’s Facebook. This type of post is a form of endorsement by the talent. Consider offering compensation for an endorsement to the talent. Remember, their friend list is comprised of listeners who like the personality or show and have trusted them to access their personal information on their own Facebook page.
The experience should always be of value to the friend – or it’s not a good offer. Make sure the client’s offer is compelling enough to mobilize a friend. Did I mention the good offer part?
Twitter
Twitter can be used to post on Facebook. If you tweet, it will show up on Facebook. You can tweet from any mobile device, including a regular cell phone. Set up a Twitter account for each show, personality and station. Use Facebook as the basis for monetization, but having Twitter followers has the potential to build numbers as well. Twitter doesn’t seem to have the same ability to personalize the experience for followers, but can be used to send a quick message.
Other Facebook or Twitter Ideas
Use Facebook to acquire news stringers. When you see news happen, let us know on Facebook. They can even take a picture of the traffic jam, fire, or protest.
Use Facebook for News and Sports updates. Quick updates – Knews Updates – Knews Sports Updates – have someone who is going to the big game update the site by text.
Use Facebook for an exclusive site to introduce new music, movies, shows and entertainment.
While MySpace is popular with Gen Y, college, High School and younger life styles, and built on a music discovery premise. Facebook was the first social network to be embraced by a large demographic cross section which appeals to any social group imaginable.
Using Facebook for your Radio Station
Facebook can be a valuable imaging and marketing tool for a radio station. While radio itself is broadcasting – or one way communication to a vast audience, Facebook can allow the radio station to take on an image that is more personal and interactive.
Personality or Show Facebook Pages
Build a page for a show or personality and get to work inviting everyone in the local community. Talk it up on the air. Post daily bulletins about your show, new music you’ll be playing, contests to listen for, or current events relevant to the listening community, or silly questions to spark interaction – have fun. Don’t over post – it’s the quickest way to have friend hide you on their page. One a day for each personality or show is plenty. Keep building the friends list.
Radio Station Facebook Pages
Build a page for each radio station and get to work inviting everyone in the local community. Invite everyone from a competitor’s radio station. Post daily bulletins about the station, new music you’ll be playing, contests to listen for, or current events relevant to the listening community. Again, don’t over post. One a day is plenty. Keep building the friends list.
Build the Friends List
Invite everyone in the station’s service area. Some of them are tough to tell where they are located. Ask current friends to invite their local friends. Don’t be shy about asking for friends. Invite everyone from a competitor’s radio station. High numbers mean more money.
Monetization
Facebook Friend Mobilization would need to be tied into an event or remote to work best. It’s an extra service that can be offered to the advertiser as an option on top of the remote package, which includes the commercial schedule, personal appearance, swag from the station and dog and pony show that goes along with it. Don’t bonus or give away your Facebook Friend Mobilization power.
You’ve sold the Facebook Friend Mobilization option to the advertiser… post a couple times the day of the event, maybe 3, but make sure that what you are giving your friends, in return for taking time from their day to visit your advertisers place of business, is truly a great offer or of substance to the majority of your friends. Your goal is response and there’s no quicker way to get it than with a killer offer. Don’t bother to post something you know won’t work – you know what won’t work. It’s not doing the advertiser any good, and just bothering your friends.
Once each show and station Facebook is off the ground, the friends list can be used as leverage to mobilize the listeners or for a call to action. Ask the listeners to join you at Bob’s Auto Care for a $10.69 oil change. Many users access their Facebook by mobile phone and are notified instantly. Notify them an hour before the event (… Join me today at noon…), as soon as the event starts (I’m here now and there’s a line forming… get here quick…), and halfway through the event (… there’s still time).
Each personality or show will have X number of friends add all the personalities together for more value to the station, “Join The Eagle 106.9’s Kayla Stone at Bob’s Auto Care for a $10.69 oil change today form noon to 4 pm.” Post to every personality and show’s Facebook. This type of post is a form of endorsement by the talent. Consider offering compensation for an endorsement to the talent. Remember, their friend list is comprised of listeners who like the personality or show and have trusted them to access their personal information on their own Facebook page.
The experience should always be of value to the friend – or it’s not a good offer. Make sure the client’s offer is compelling enough to mobilize a friend. Did I mention the good offer part?
Twitter can be used to post on Facebook. If you tweet, it will show up on Facebook. You can tweet from any mobile device, including a regular cell phone. Set up a Twitter account for each show, personality and station. Use Facebook as the basis for monetization, but having Twitter followers has the potential to build numbers as well. Twitter doesn’t seem to have the same ability to personalize the experience for followers, but can be used to send a quick message.
Other Facebook or Twitter Ideas
Use Facebook to acquire news stringers. When you see news happen, let us know on Facebook. They can even take a picture of the traffic jam, fire, or protest.
Use Facebook for News and Sports updates. Quick updates – Knews Updates – Knews Sports Updates – have someone who is going to the big game update the site by text.
Use Facebook for an exclusive site to introduce new music, movies, shows and entertainment.