Jacobs clients and those who have seen us speak at conferences over the past couple of years have likely heard us say, “Everybody in the audience has an audience.”
That’s a quote from social media author (and former Arbitron employee) Greg Verdino. Speaking at one of our conferences a couple of year ago, Greg reminded us that listeners aren’t just valuable because they have a diary or a meter. Due to social media’s ubiquity and power, most members of the audience now have communities and networks of friends and followers of their own.
Now Google’s new company, Wildfire, has taken the deep dive into branded Facebook campaigns. And they’ve been able to actually put a number on how messages are shared and spread.
Writer Laurie Sullivan reports that for every 10 fans that connect on a Facebook campaign, 13 new “friends” participate and engage. Wildfire reinforces something that we have believed in strongly at Jacobs Media using our web surveys:
“…the importance of identifying and engaging a brand’s most influential fans. Brands that are highly effective at engaging sharers and advocates, via campaigns, see three times more interaction on pages compared with other brands when it comes to ‘likes,’ shares and comments.”
At a time when most radio brands are doing a reasonably good job of amassing “likes” on Facebook, the missing piece is connecting with these fans to achieve this outreach goal. Keeping in mind that most stations are scrapping for every available marketing dollar (and often coming up short), taking advantage of your “audience’s audience” just makes sense.
How you find these special fans is at the heart of the challenge and the opportunity. Our research indicates they may not be your P1s or the people who play your contests. Creating the optimal filtering mechanism for your database, and then building an ongoing program that supports brand engagement is the key to locating your true advocates.
Our work with databases and web research over the past decade has helped us develop some powerful insights about screening for the right people – those who love to recommend your station, enjoy hanging out on Facebook, and sharing your cool content.
This is Cume Expansion 2.0 for radio, and it’s an area where radio has the ability to build on its brand strengths, and grow its audience and fans.
In the old days, you gave away a house. Or you flew to Nashville, bought a TV spot, and ran 300 GRPs of TV for six weeks. Or you made thousands of robocalls in key zips.
Today, impact is achieved in very different ways, tapping into the networks of our fans.
And now thanks to Google Wildfire, we can even calculate the ROI of brand advocacy and outreach programs.
Thanks to our own brand advocate, Bonneville’s Dave Beasing, for turning us onto this MediaPost article.
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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Stations actually do not need followers with influence. What stations need to do, is a better job of connecting their followers to LOCAL advertisers through their social media channels. Read my full reply here: https://blog.cabradio.com/2012/08/on-fred-jakobs-blog-today-he-talks.html
Charlie, your last name says it all. (And by the way, mine is spelled JaCobs.)
Your comment and blog typifies the problem that radio (and other industries) are having in the social space – defining the goals. There is validity in making money using social media. There is validity interacting with fans using social media. There is validity to growing the cume using social media. Too often, stations haven’t defined those goals, so you have various people in the building with differing ideas about the purpose of these channels and how they should be used. This is a big reason why our company, with the addition of Lori Lewis, starts the process with a day-long brainstorm with all the key players in search of an “umbrella strategy” for social and digital. I appreciate you taking the time to comment, Charlie, and I hope you continue to read our blog.
Hi Fred, sorry about that! I should have proofed better. I have a son named Jakob, so it went right over my eyes. I apologize for my typo and have made the correction. (new permalink: https://blog.cabradio.com/2012/08/radios-social-media-value-or-influence.html)
I agree there is validity to interacting with the fans and growing the cume via social media! That is what makes it fun! However, currently stations are running “commercial free” on their social media. How long can they do that? I use quotations around “commercial free” because I do not propose to add six or ten commercial posts every twenty minutes! But readers will have to stay tuned to my blog (or contact me) to find out the best ways to get that ROI from social media.
Thanks for reading my reply on my site, allowing me a little promotion in your space, and responding.
Not a problem, Charlie. Appreciate that you’re engaged on the topic.