Radio stations are always looking for new and creative ways to use social media to engage with their listeners. From time to time, it’s helpful to take a closer look at when a station executes a strategy particularly well. Today, I want to highlight one such example.
A few weeks ago, 102.9 WMGK in Philadelphia created a fantastic social media promotion around a concert with a major artist: A Twitter Takeover with Little Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and The Sopranos. Little Steven logged into the radio station’s Twitter account and answered questions from fans (similar to a Reddit “Ask Me Anything”). The promotion was an overwhelming success, garnering over 71,000 impressions on Twitter. Steven enjoyed it so much, that he returned for a second day of answering questions.
Little Steven Says Yes
Dan Fein, WMGK’s Promotion Director, explained to me that they had tried this promotion once before with George Thorogood, and it had gone well so they wanted to repeat it with Little Steven. The station approached Steven’s manager with a letter explaining how the event works.
There were several factors that made this promotion appealing to Steven: First, he is personally active on Twitter, so he already understood the power of the medium. Second, a Twitter Takeover didn’t require Steven to come to the station — he could log into WMGK’s Twitter account from anywhere — so it was more convenient than your typical in-studio interview or performance. Finally, WMGK broadcasts Little Steven’s syndicated Underground Garage show, so he knew the station was a big supporter, increasing the chances of a successful event.
Steven agreed to do the promotion.
@StevieVanZandt takes over MGKs Twitter at 3:15p. Post questions at #askLittleSteven now 4 the chance that he'll answer your question.
— 102.9 WMGK (@WMGK) September 9, 2016
Promoting the Takeover
MGK promoted the event by designating a hashtag, #AskLITTLESTEVEN, and promoting it heavily on the air, on the station’s website, and on social media. They established a time for Steven to answer the questions on the day of the concert. By promoting the hashtag in advance, they ensured that there would already be questions waiting for him when he started.
https://twitter.com/synnetweets/status/773621293954527232
Dean Martin. James Coburn. Lee Marvin. https://t.co/kNgjpeLTcp
— 102.9 WMGK (@WMGK) September 7, 2016
Executing the Promotion
The station prepared Steven by sending him detailed instructions, including log-in credentials for the station’s Twitter account. They asked him to begin the session by posting a photo of him answering questions. This photo established the authenticity of the takeover. They asked him to answer questions for 20 minutes, but let him know that he was welcome to do so for a longer period if he wished.
Steven was on his way from his hotel to a soundcheck when he began answering questions from MGK’s listeners. He enjoyed it so much that he spent over an hour answering questions, even returning after his soundcheck to continue. Over the course of two days, listeners submitted over 120 questions, and Steven happily answered as many as he could.
@littlesteven_ug When did you realize you wanted to explore acting?#AskLITTLESTEVEN
— kellywallace (@kellywallace) September 1, 2016
I didn't. David Chase decided I was an actor before I realized it. I've worked hard ever since to justify his faith. https://t.co/WR16GUw4Ec
— 102.9 WMGK (@WMGK) September 7, 2016
Follow Up
MGK followed up the takeover by asking listeners to retweet posts to win tickets to see the Springsteen concert. They also compiled the best of these tweets into a blogpost on the station’s website.
I asked Dan Fein what lessons he learned doing the George Thorogood takeover that he then applied to the Little Steven event. He told me about two tweaks the station made: First, they decided to create a specific graphic to promote the Little Steven takeover. Second, they encouraged Steven to feel free to do more than just answer questions; he was welcome to go off script, they only asked that he not curse or get political.
https://twitter.com/cassmagrass/status/771445247142301696
Rival Sons. The Struts. Soraia. And great new singles from legends Zombies, Cheap Trick, Santana, and Jeff Beck! https://t.co/8XTc194ENY
— 102.9 WMGK (@WMGK) September 7, 2016
stevievanzandt #tweets about his #fav #favorite #bands this year on @wmgk @soraiarocks… https://t.co/zKkfONDsMt
— Soraia (@SoraiaRocks) September 9, 2016
Success
The Twitter Takeover was a huge win for the station. Dan said, “It feels really cool to have a key member of the band that is playing two sold-out shows at Citizen’s Bank Park so involved with our radio station.” Congratulations to Dan and the rest of the MGK team on an excellent promotion, and thanks for allowing me to share the behind-the-scenes story as an inspiration for other stations.
Clearly, this proved to be an effective way for MGK to create a unique experience for their audience with a beloved artist. It also highlights their influence as a Classic Rock station. This promotion also debunks the theory that Classic Rockers aren’t very social, especially on a site like Twitter.
Connecting passionate fans with the artists they revere is something that local radio can pull off more than any other medium. Many of the thousands of MGK fans who had a special encounter with a rock n’ roll legend shared that experience with friends, family members, co-workers, and other Twitter followers.
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