When describing the role of social media in a radio station’s digital strategy, I often use the analogy of the station itself: Your website is the radio station. Just as you put songs, DJ breaks, and other content on your airwaves, you put blogposts, videos, podcasts, and other content on your website.
Once you’ve got content on your radio station’s airwaves, you go out and promote the station with advertising. For example, you might put a billboard up by the side of the main highway that runs through town because you know lots of people will see it and (hopefully) tune in.
Think of social networks like Facebook and Twitter as busy highways. You want your website to be seen there because its desirable for lots of people to click a link and visit your site.
Unfortunately, many radio stations use their social media posts to send visitors to other websites: YouTube, TMZ, Rolling Stone, etc. This doesn’t hurt your website’s traffic, but it doesn’t help it either. It’s like putting a billboard alongside a very busy highway encouraging people to watch YouTube.
(Want more info on the right mix of content to share on social media? Here’s an explanation.)
I encourage radio stations to avoid sharing links to YouTube videos directly on their social media accounts. Instead, take an extra 60 seconds to embed the YouTube video on your radio station’s blog, and then share a link to that blogpost on social media.
This short video shows you how:
Website Goals
Why is this so important? Because your radio station should have specific goals as part of its overall digital strategy, such as encouraging people to stream the station, sign up for the email list, or enter a content. You can only accomplish these goals if you can get them back to your station’s website. Listeners can’t stream the station from YouTube or sign up for your emails on TMZ.
Additionally, by adding a couple of paragraphs of extra text to introduce and comment on the video, you can add your brand’s personality and your radio station’s perspective to the mix. Now, the video appears in the larger context of the radio station.
Always take the extra time to embed a YouTube video on your own website before sharing it on social media. This small step will help your radio station achieve its larger digital strategy.
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