An ongoing trend in social media is the realization that the free ride is, in fact, over. Maybe it never truly existed, but like many things free, it felt pretty good for a while.
Facebook, and then Twitter, convinced brands (or did brands convince themselves?) that for absolutely zero investment, they could build pages that would attract thousands and thousands of “likes,” “followers,” and fans to do with what radio wanted.
Now you know the old saying about the “free lunch.” There is no such thing. And companies should have figured this out a long time ago – social media isn’t free and it sure isn’t easy. Since joining our team more than three years ago, I’ve heard Lori Lewis utter words to that effect on client calls, in webinars, and at conferences and conventions across North America. And she’s right.
But at a time when radio stations can barely scrape up enough cash (or trade) to run a few bus sides or a direct mail piece, the illusion of social media’s reach, impact, and effectiveness was pretty damn seductive.
So onward and upward, radio brands started to aggregate fans on social pages, and for strong stations and personalities, it came pretty fast. Add in some contest incentives, and it came even faster. And before they knew it, many had built legions of “likes” and “followers” well into the five figures.
But as the analytics improved and Facebook and Twitter started to pull back the curtain to share the ROI of typical pages, it became clear that what is called “organic reach” (that is, “free marketing”) was waning fast. So you post something on your Facebook page, but it doesn’t reach all 11,200 of your “likes.” In fact, it just reaches a couple of hundred people.
Now this has confused many people in radio, while angering others. The nerve of Mark Zuckerberg – after all this free promotion that radio has given Facebook (“‘like’ us on Facebook!”), how is it that their metrics wizards can tweak the algorithm that lessens the reach of posts? It’s unfair and ungrateful.
Nothing of value is free. And no one gives it away. Especially companies that have gone public.
Radio stations don’t offer its advertisers free things (OK, don’t get me going on “added value”) because its inventory has value. And so it is for social media.
So think of something you post on Facebook like running a single commercial on your radio station. Does it reach the entire cume? No, it reaches the average number of people listening during the quarter-hour in which it ran. And that’s a much smaller number.
Advertisers don’t complain about it, because they realize those are the mathematical rules of the road. And yet, some radio operators continue to be mystified by their shrinking impact on their social media pages.
The other variables, of course, comes down to when you post, how often you post, and your creative.
And just like on your own stations, these are big factors. If your post runs during a time when fewer people are even logged onto their page, you reach fewer people. And if you post something dumb, lame, or off-message with your brand, well, you get what you deserve. And if you start incessantly posting in order to reach a larger percentage of your “likes” and followers, there’s a downside to that as well. Just ask anyone who listens to your station and hears the same commercial multiple times in the same sitting.
The reason this issue has become a conversation piece lately is because Twitter has recently retooled its entire analytics package, allowing its users an amazing look at the anatomy of a tweet. You can now see how many true “impressions” are generated, as well as the “active metrics” – things like retweets, replies, and clicks on your Twitter name. Now we can look under the hood and evaluate individual tweets to help better determine why they work – or why they come up short.
Lori Lewis is spending time with Jacobs clients to help them better understand how their social behavior impacts their engagement. For your own brand’s performance, you should consider calling her or finding someone who can help your team better understand these changes so you can adapt and benefit from your TSS – or Time Spent Socializing. Here’s an example of one of my tweets;
My 928 impressions (red circle) represent about a 25% reach of my total followers. That’s nice, but it’s the metrics that fall below – link clicks, detail expands, retweets, favorites, and replies that truly signify engagement (bracket in blue). And that granularity is so much richer than the typical Twitter box on the upper left that tells me virtually nothing about what happened to this tweet.
When you think about it, these social analytics are a lot more useful than what broadcast radio provides its advertisers. There is true learning that can take place from these analytics, if stations take the time to study their social performance like they do their ratings.
And in much the same way we ruminate over individual songs in music tests – how they perform, should they be dayparted, how often should they rotate – we can now more precisely gauge our social impact because in many ways, it could prove to be as powerful as the songs you play or the topics you talk about.
Radio can get better in the social space, but not by whining about how Zuckerberg and Twitter have changed the rules.
Radio must get better in the social space if it hopes to truly engage with audiences that are very much up for grabs in the entertainment and information ecosphere.
Like PPM, the Designated Hitter, or changes in the IRS code, rules changes always mean that the smart players will figure it out, adjust their strategies, make more money, and continue to win. While those who complain and grouse are always left behind.
Which one are you?
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Fred, Thank You!! Real radio broadcasters have always been the content providers. We can all get wrapped up on Face Book & Twitter but radio has the connect, punch and huge numbers of accessible receivers. Smart phones are today’s 6 transistor sisters. Refresh, make it sound great and push FWD!
Clark
Thanks, Clark.