Time flies. Especially as we’re sitting here on the Wednesday after Labor Day. This past three-day weekend signified many things – the end of summer, perhaps a family vacation, the beginning of school, and the start of many different football seasons.
It also is the “third half” of the year. After the first six months and then the summer, we’re left with September through December as a time to finish strong, but to also take stock of how we’ve been doing so far.
This year, Jacobs Media made a strong move into the social media world – and we’re glad we did. The acquisition of Lori Lewis has strengthened our company, our brand, and our services. In just the last few months, Lori has run the circuit, appearing at All Access’ Worldwide Radio Summit, Conclave 36, and in just a few days, The Radio Show in Chicago, followed by the Public Radio Program Directors Conference in Baltimore.
We will also have some great social sessions and speakers planned for our joint Client Conference/Jacobs Media Summit with Arbitron in early December because this space is so important to our business.
Everywhere she goes, Lori is delivering a strong message about best practices for using social media channels. And in a humorous and somewhat cynical way, she’s created a cartoon short that summarizes some of the “growing pains” that radio is experiencing in its effort to integrate social media into its traditional broadcast fabric.
>EMAIL RECIPIENTS: CLICK HERE TO VIEW ANIMATED VIDEO<
If you see some of your station, staffers, or others you know in radio in this animated short, the intent was not to offend or embarrass, but to bring some of these “speed bumps” to the surface.
Check it out, and then let’s start talking about how your station, cluster, and company can best leverage your brand to make stronger audience connections that are meaningful and lasting.
It’s about developing a strategy and not just doing “random acts of digital.” Here’s to a productive close to 2011.
What’s your End Year’s Resolution?
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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Lori is a GREAT addition Fred. I’ll never forget hearing ten years ago at a conference “Today the station supports the website. Eventually the website will support the station.” I think that time is almost here.
Blogs, facebook, twitter, web page etc…treat them like a break on the radio. Make it count. Boring post? Boring content. Boring content? I’ll go look elsewhere to get engaged.
Thank you for saying so Danny. And I agree with “making it count.” We have such opportunities with this social space – if we just slowed down a bit and thought it out, we could be making a difference rather than pimping Lady Gaga fly aways. 🙂
This piece is perfect – so on the money that its barely parody. The takeaway seems disarmingly simple to me – the people making decisions at and about radio stations are not fluent with social media, so they often use it in a way that disconnects listeners, rather than connecting with them.
I wrote an article that I never submitted for publication about this called “No Country for Old Men” – I thought it was too grumpy so I relegated it to personal catharsis. People making these decisions kids are loading the music on their iPods, don’t know that they don’t need iPods anymore (their phone can now act as one) and have no real understanding about Facebook/Twitter/Google+, Foursquare, etc.
The answer isn’t to put 30 year olds in charge of radio – its for the people in charge now to get with the program. This stuff isn’t complicated and once you get used to the platforms, they’re pretty intuitive. My wife is a digital disaster, yet she’s getting quite good at promoting her clothing line via social media and permission marketing. She’s become the resident expert in her company at using their digital tools and she’s the last person you’d expect to take on that role. She understands their value to her business and has made it a priority. Why can’t radio’s decision makers do the same?
If I were hiring GMs/PDs these days, before I asked them how many local buyers they were tight with, I would make them show me that they could set up and use Pandora, set up and update a Facebook page with embedded video/pictures, do the same with Twitter and demonstrate fluency with one of the platforms like Tweetdeck that updates them all simultaneously. Then I would present them with some analytics and have them explain what needs to be improved, how and why.
Here’s a case study – most college students don’t own a radio, unless they have a car.
Welcome to 2011. Radio is no country for old men.
Very well said Bob in regards to if you were hiring GM’s/PD’s these days. Those would be excellent steps to request they execute in front of you. Thank you for being part of this conversation. -Lori
Great comments from top to bottom. This stuff isn’t that hard. It’s intuitive, it’s logical, but it IS different from the way we’ve done it before. It can be learned, and we need to do a better job as brand managers and entertainers. It starts with respecting the listener, providing a great customer experience, and a willingness to engage with them. For some broadcasters, these are foreign concepts. It shouldn’t be that way. Thanks, Bob.
I had a similar conversation from a different angle recently. In explaining how wonderful the social networking tools can be for engaging listeners and building relationships, the “DJ” was not unlike the one in the video…just plain didn’t ‘get’ engagement and relationship building, reasoning that “I can talk to them at remotes and the request lines (which were always put on ‘BUSY’) instead of wasting my time on Facebook”. OK, then…good luck with that.
This feels all part of the mindset American car makers went by (“well, they need us more than we need them. They’ll always come back to US!”) and that, sadly, far too many of our radio colleagues live by. I also addressed this a few days ago in my “Denise” piece at http://www.JJDuling.blogspot.com. If you don’t want to be replaced, don’t sound detached or ‘automated’. KEEP ROCKIN’!
You are right on JJ! “Don’t sound detached” is great advice for everyone. Always fun to read your blog and your comments. Lori
You are correct, J.J. But today, the automakers are doing some of their best work in social media. It can be done, but it requires a mindset change and commitment.