I certainly didn’t make up today’s blog post headline. But following up on yesterday’s post about the inevitable rule changes on Facebook, it’s a great lead-in to the new priorities for radio in the social space.
And instead of blathering on with opinion, let’s go right to the data. That’s because in Techsurvey10, one of our goals was to quantify the impact of social media on radio listening. After participating in umpteen meetings with broadcasters over the past few years – especially since hiring Lori Lewis – the amount of misinformation about social media continues to proliferate.
So today’s post – and of course, TS10 – aims to help settle some of the questions about why social, where’s the ROI, and how do stations benefit from a commitment to this space?
While TS10 is loaded with great information about the “cume” and “TSL” of social media – the platforms they’re on and the ones they use every day – the real bottom line comes down to the net net of this space. And so we included this agree/disagree statement in this year’s survey:
While there are reams of great data about Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms, this chart alone may tell you all your station needs to know about why everyone in your social sphere deserves to be acknowledged.
I have listened to programmers and so-called digital experts these past few years explain that it’s laborious and even impossible to acknowledge every person who reaches out via text, email, and in the social space. That may be logistically true but the reality is that if radio expects to succeed socially and truly grow its engagement – and even its ratings – a commitment to doing this right is necessary.
This means staff training. It means to stop treating social like a hobby. And it means research to help better understand the dynamic of your audience in this space. At this juncture, we are nearing that point where the gap between those using radio and those who have social profiles is narrowing. And use of these platforms is as personal and habitual as anything that people do during the course of a day or week. Social media has become part of the fabric of many lives. It hits home, and it the courtesy of acknowledgment means a lot.
Just as radio managers research their music and is always committed to knowing the ins and outs of its rating methodologies, it is time to take social media understanding just as seriously.
To not do so is to risk being left out of the consumer conversation, and to become even less relevant in people’s lives.
And there is opportunity here because so many media brands that now compete with broadcast radio are even farther behind.
In the social space, Lori’s mantra is proving to be right on the money:
“The age of entitlement is over. Welcome to the age of earn.”
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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Great point Fred , hopefully the trend starts to go outside of the industry for solutions because they are really smart social media companies that get it and are making real dollars with it
Nice read man
Fc
Appreciate it, Frank. I think it is more about radio perceiving value for social and putting more resources into it. There are some good thinkers inside radio but too often, social is viewed as an afterthought. Appreciate you taking the time.