Review the results for Social Networking from Tech Survey V

While it’s certainly debatable, many reports suggest online social networking began in 1997, but didn’t gain a strong footing until 2002 when Friendster launched. But since then, countless websites have capitalized on the phenomenon and have changed the face of communication. It’s never been so easy to look for jobs, reconnect with friends, find dates, or even promote products.

Our new Tech Poll illustrates how social networking is experiencing huge growth among Rockers, with Facebook now holding a solid lead. Overall, two-thirds now say they visit and/or have profiles on these sites. Their accessibility on mobile devices like iPhones has triggered explosive growth.

A couple of highlights from this new survey of more than 21,000 listeners of Rock, Classic Rock, and Alternative stations:

• Facebook has now passed MySpace for overall activity. Clearly, its accessibility on mobile devices has enhanced its reach.
• More than 8 in 10 Alternative fans use/have profiles on these sites. And of Alternative listeners who use these sites, two-thirds are involved with Facebook, making it an incredible reach vehicle.
• Better than 7 in 10 Rockers make use of social networking sites; you can reach large numbers of them with either MySpace or Facebook.
• Social networking isn’t just for kids. More than half of Classic Rockers use them, and Facebook has an edge with them, too.
• And the frequency of use is high. Of the large number of respondents who visit these sites, four in ten show up daily, and 8 in 10 visit weekly or more.

These look a lot like radio usage numbers in terms of their critical mass. There has been a paradigm shift taking place with these sites, as a totally new form of keeping in touch has become the norm. Social networking – like music downloading – has become an unstoppable trend, and that has implications for any adjacent medium trying to attract and retain users.

When you have so many radio listeners not only visiting these sites, but spending large amounts of time and emotional energy on them, it creates opportunities and challenges for programmers and personalities.

So, how should stations, DJs, and brands think about the various social networking sites? Our sense is that along with blogs, podcasts, streams, and forums, they can serve as additional touch points with listeners. They are a way to create communities, far removed from the days when stations simply had their transmitters, the request lines, and events in order to reach listeners.

In recent months, we have seen indicators that consumers are using these tools as a way to circumvent station communication or to simply bypass the usual channels of communication. Fred hosted an L.A.B. group last year where a station had recently fired a couple of DJs, without any on-air or online explanation. Respondents told the story of how they networked with one another, and conducted searches, until they came up with information they needed.

This is an indicator that in order to best utilize social networking tools, broadcasters need to think about their missions with more transparency than ever before. For many, this is an adjustment from the days when stations could pretty much do whatever they pleased, and listeners would passively accept it. Today, it’s a discussion. Consumers want to go behind the scenes. They want to know the story behind the story. They want to talk about the music, and hopefully, your station and your personalities. They have less privacy in their own lives as a result of their own social networking activity, and they want to know more about the stations and DJs they spend time with.

Today, most radio stations, personalities, and brands of all types are using social networking sites in a variety of ways to further promote their brands. And the wave of people hopping on the Twitter and iPhone app bandwagon is growing by the tens of thousands each day. The recent competition to see who would acquire a million “followers” on Twitter – Ashton Kutcher or CNN – amplified the top-of-mind presence these sites have generated.

While some use these social networking tools to perfection, others struggle to find the right balance between their primary air sound, and shaping new digital community-builders and touch points. Thus, this memo, which provides tips and strategies to help you avoid the pitfalls, while maximizing your time, resources, and efforts.

We’ve reviewed many articles on the “Dos and Don’ts of Social Networking,” and have busily been working with clients on different strategies. We’ve put together a list of things to consider. Some may sound simple, but are often overlooked. These tips can make a difference in whether or not a brand has online success, and begins to build genuine followings and engagement using these tools.

1. Your image is on the line, period. For starters, once something is posted, especially on sites like Twitter, it’s available to virtually anyone and everyone (unless privacy settings are strict). While it sounds basic, use good grammar, don’t badmouth others, and make responsible decisions when posting pictures, comments, and profile updates. And if you don’t believe us, take the advice of the police. Anything you say can and will be used against you.

2. Quality trumps quantity. Treat your social networking content like you would the decision to play a song or how you’d execute a morning show break. Avoid stiffs or boring material. As a Twitter user, some of the tweets we see from some big names are lackluster and even stupid. Fans expect more from big names, and this includes some radio stations. The result is the watering down of a brand image, and the strong possibility of annoying a fan or P1.

3. Overkill Kills. Don’t over-post or overwhelm people with a never-ending flow of missives. That’s a surefire way to get dumped by friends or followers. One news outlet posted 19 tweets in just minutes this past weekend, and I had no choice but to stop following them because the quality was weak (mostly tertiary stories I didn’t care about, not “breaking news”). Plus, the quantity was overwhelming. They would have been better off choosing the three biggest stories, and leave the rest for their website or TV. Consumers who follow a personality are interested, but it is possible to simply over-indulge.

4. Benefits and content, not advertisements. In the eyes of social networkers, it’s taboo to cross the line that leaves them feeling like they’re being sold or marketed to. It’s the kiss of death. You don’t want friends feeling as though they’re being forced to watch a non-stop reel of commercials for your brand. There’s a fine line between offering a benefit and coming across as a self-promoter.

DO:
DON'T:

Tweeting a generic message that says “Listen to my show today” has no consumer benefit. Texting the crew that you’ll soon play the new U2 song you’ve played 300 times already is an advertisement. And telling the cume you’re hung over and wearing sweats is unprofessional and boring. But posting an update that you’re going to give away $100 or front row tickets in minutes can be effective, as is sending a link to where one can download the new Dave Matthews song.

5. It’s a two-way street. When social networking really works, it’s not just a push-out process. Let users enter your world, and in the process, enter theirs, too. When someone follows you on Twitter or becomes a friend on Facebook, recognize them for doing so. This does not mean you have to follow everyone that follows you, as that could be unwieldy if you have thousands of them on Twitter. But paying attention to your friends is important. Post comments on their sites, answer their questions, wish them a happy birthday, respond to their tweets, or even compliment a picture or a new blog they’ve written. Treat them as you would a real world friend. That’s how a true (and potentially viral) relationship is built. Obviously, the process is by nature, time-consuming. But if you’re willing to commit the time, energy, and thought into social networking, you can truly build relationships that go well beyond, while complementing what you’re doing on the air.

6. Update frequently. While quality trumps quantity, keeping your presence fresh is as important as the Selector or Music Master rules you follow for scheduling music. And updating isn’t a difficult task, as there’s plenty of new music, videos, or even music news or pop culture information that can be posted or Tweeted about. We recommend getting the DJs involved in the process of keeping the presence fresh, but stay organized with it. There’s even a new app called Future Tweets, which allows for pre-scheduling messages on Twitter. While this may go totally against the ‘real-time’ tenants some believe social networking is all about, you can understand how such an app could be helpful.

7. Content 101. It’s understandable to want to overload profile pages with content of all types, but remember to keep things brand-focused. Content basics include “pinballing” – the fine art of moving listeners back and forth between your airwaves, and some of your digital platforms. Smart vehicles that can facilitate “pinballing” include:

• Music news
• Breaking news
• Local bands
• Audio from interviews or great bits
• Concert listings
• Listener voting
• Online-only contests and topics
• Music/station videos
• Station videos or those that are ‘must see’ from other sites
• Podcasts
• Entertaining DJ blogs
• An open forum for friends to communicate
• Commentary about what’s going on in the community
• Charity & public service activities
• Photos, caption contests, etc.

But there’s more that can be done. Personalities can post real time updates from concerts or upload pictures from shows and events. And social networking sites can even be helpful in finding callers for the morning show or seeking-out a local band to record a theme song.

8. Personality plus. While it is obviously desirable for personalities to genuinely participate in social networking activities, there are also two important rules to bear in mind:

a. Don’t let social networking screw up your show. We’re finding more and more DJs who are spending way too much in-studio time on Facebook or Twitter, and not focusing on what’s actually much more important – what’s coming out of the speakers.

b. Represent yourself as an entertainer. Sure, it’s natural to be natural, but we’ve all heard the mantra, when in doubt, leave it out. Not each Tweet or post needs to be funny or controversial, but thinking before posting is often a forgotten principle. Refrain from posting banal, uninteresting material that is sure to elicit a “Who cares?” response. Every time a celebrity posts something about getting a haircut, working out, or putting the kids to bed, the more their image takes a hit in the end-user’s mind.

9. It’s its own brand. Social networking profiles should not be viewed as just online business cards for a station or a DJ. They must be brands of their own, with unique content. An ineffective Facebook page will result in a negative perception by users. Most stations don’t have the resources to maintain multiple social networking sources, so pick your battles wisely and determine where you can have the biggest impact. And remember that while social networking is here to stay, online trends come and go quickly. Look at how quickly MySpace went from being “it” to being surpassed by Facebook. Twitter’s timeframe of obsession may be even shorter. That’s not to say Twitter and MySpace will become passé or won’t be effective tools, but the lesson for brands is to always think consumer first, and then determine which features and utilities will be of the greatest benefit.

Social networking can work. Those who are pulling it off have a big advantage in all areas. Ashton Kutcher has a Twitter following of 1,400,000 and CNN is on his trail. Those are huge online cumes that can be tapped, nurtured, and entertained.

All of us at Jacobs Media have been paying close attention to this for years, and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have or work with you on your strategy. We’ll leave you with this screenshot of WXPN’s homepage. Notice how this non-comm station is offering numerous touch-points for their listeners. Social networking and effectively using it isn’t where we’re headed, it’s where many brands and the listeners already are.

See you online.