Last week, Kim Komando delivered the keynote address at the Radio Luncheon at the NAB Convention in Las Vegas. Kim hosts a successful syndicated talk radio show that focuses on consumer technology. She can be heard on nearly 500 radio stations by over six million people. She explained to her fellow broadcasters how they could use their websites to grow their audiences:
“Your website must offer unique, original, engaging content that’s not a repeat of something that you have broadcast earlier, or just a whole bunch of links to other things.”
Kim is, of course, explaining how Content Marketing works. Content Marketing is the digital strategy used by thousands of companies around the world to attract customers. It takes all of the different digital tools — from social media to email to analytics — and pulls them together into a single coherent plan. (This short video shows how it works.)
Not surprisingly, at the heart of Content Marketing is content. What we’re really referring to is a blog — a section of your radio station’s website that is regularly updated with new content. As people discover this content on social media, find it in search engines, and hear about it on your airwaves, they will come back to your website. Once they are there, you can encourage them to take an action, such as sign up for your email list or enter a contest.
The reason that, as Kim says, your digital strategy must be more than just providing “links to other things” is because you can only encourage people to take these actions (like signing up for your email list) if they come to your website. You can’t grow your email database by sharing a link to TMZ on Facebook.
Nope, you’re going to have to create your own content.
Your station needs to produce a blog.
But how?
Last week, I gave a webinar on how to launch a station blog in 12 simple steps.
Spoiler alert! Here are the 12 steps:
- Create a “blog” section on your website.
- Envision your audience.
- Write content guidelines.
- Establish an editorial process.
- Develop a list of blog topic formulas.
- Implement a content calendar.
- Set achievable goals.
- Set up your analytics.
- Adopt a proactive social media strategy.
- Optimize your blog for search engines.
- Promote your blogposts on the air.
- Hold a weekly digital strategy meeting.
Even if you are successfully publishing a blog on your station’s website, you may want to check out the webinar for ideas on how you can improve the process.
To help you implement these steps, I’ve also created a printed guide: 12 Steps to Launching a Successful Blog.
More Digital Tips
- You’re a Radio DJ. You’ve Lost Your Job. How to Take Control of Your Online Presence.
- 5 Tips for Writing Better Headlines on Your Radio Station Website
- How to Create Square Videos for Social Media
- Podcasting: Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems. Mo’ Problems, Mo’ Rules.
- A Core Artist Just Died. Here’s How Your Radio Station Should Handle it Online.
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