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Every radio station is active on social media, but truly connecting with listeners requires commitment and hard work. A new study now ranks industries by their social brand engagement, and it turns out that media companies are dead last. It’s another indicator that it’s not just about how often you post, but how you interact with your fans.

Digital marketing is increasingly playing a key role in the sales and marketing of cars – nationally and locally. And the charge is being led by Facebook, bolstered by a new research study. Today’s post addresses how radio can make sure it stays in the automotive game.

Uber and Lyft have disrupted the taxi industry, while Airbnb now threatens the hotel industry. Rather than always focusing on its direct competitors on the AM and FM dials, radio companies can adopt a fan focus. Today’s post talks about fending off the attacks by radio’s digital disruptors by focusing on its UX – or user experience.

What is radio’s role in podcasting? As the audience for this medium continues to grow, this is a great time for broadcasters to address this question. Jacobs Media is creating and programming an entire track at this year’s Podcast Movement conference in August designed for radio professionals. Here are the details, speaker information, and panel descriptors for our “Broadcasters Meet Podcasters” sessions.

The golden anniversary celebration of the Beatles’ iconic “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is well-deserved. But back in 1967, the album divided Beatles fans and was a source of controversy. Today’s post breaks down why the Beatles’ disrupted themselves and how it led to the growth of FM radio – and eventually, the Classic Rock format.

As technologists embrace Artificial Intelligence – or AI – they are making machines more human-like with names like “Alexa” and facial features. And on the other hand, there’s radio, often trying to make DJs more robotic with voicetracking and liner cards. It all came into play over the holiday weekend with the death of Southern Rock legend, Gregg Allman.

There I was at 35,000 feet over Nebraska when I spotted a Mashable article on Twitter with this title: “Old, boring radio remains strong – but this app wants to change that,” complete with a sepia-tone photo from the 1940s featuring a family listening to old time radio. So today’s post is a message to all those media, tech, and entertainment reporters who just love to take that cheap shot at radio.

A key element in building great radio stations is creating emotional brands. Our Techsurvey, along with a new study and infographic from Customer Thermometer, provides a paint-by-numbers kit for carving out radio brands that strike an emotional chord with audiences.

Change is in the air in the business word – and radio is no exception. It requires executives with transformational leadership skills. A new Fast Company article lists new skillsets that every corporate leader should possess. Here’s a look at how the corner office is changing.

After 146 years, Ringling Brothers is shutting down the circus, one of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands. In the meantime, Cirque du Soleil is thriving. In this entertainment transition, here are 10 lessons for the radio industry about reimagining and transforming the experience.

The Classic Rock and Classic Hits format are on their way to another strong ratings season, but the “hotness” of the format can be measured in many different ways. Today’s post has some obvious – and quirky – indicators of the format’s continued power to impact pop culture in highly visible ways.

A laser focus on your core audience – not the competition – goes all the way back to Pareto’s Principle – or “The 80:20 Rule.” Today’s post looks at how Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has enjoyed amazing success by hyper-focusing on customer satisfaction and doing it over the long haul. There are some great Bezos’ quotes, worthy of pinning on the station’s wall.

We may be in an “iPhone moment” with voice command devices like the Amazon Echo. A Spotify exec, Ian Geller, sees these devices becoming the new Hi-Fi for homes, transforming the way we engage and connect with the music we love. For radio, this is a golden opportunity to re-establish its place as a prime entertainment medium on the home front.

Executive firings are part of business and a fact of life. How they’re handled by management speaks volumes about an organization, whether it’s radio companies or the government. Today’s blog post takes a look at that gnarly topic of layoffs, cutbacks, downsizing, and yes, the fine art of firing employees.