In case you’re wondering, today’s blog post acronym means “What Would Anita Wadd Do?” And if you don’t know, that was Lori Lewis’ air name when she was on the Bubba the Love Sponge Show back in the day. Yes, it’s Throwback Thursday here on JacoBLOG, a perfect excuse to run this old picture of Lori, but to use it as an object lesson about how today’s radio personalities have some amazing tools – if they put them to good use. So Lori sat down and thought about how her old morning show might sound reimagined through the lens of today. Hope you enjoy. – FJ
Last week while chatting with Fred, I mentioned something that I’ve often felt but never really said out loud. We were talking about talent and all of the opportunities in front of radio personalities today.
I said, “If I would have had what today’s talent has when I was a jock – I would have…” and the laundry list of ideas began.
When I was part of the Bubba the Love Sponge on 98Rock in Tampa, we made some amazing radio that always had the listener in mind, long before there was social media, apps, and podcasts.
But with today’s tools…well, there are lots of things I’d do if I were still on the air.
Twitter would be the first place I’d glom onto. I would have created a community for the purpose of exchange with the audience, along with behind the scenes stuff that only Twitter followers would be privy to. It would have a real purpose and an intimate feel.
Facebook would serve as not just the one great outlet to strengthen the worth of our website, but I’d do it in a way that’s indirect and showcases the fans. Facebook would never be about us – it would be about the audience.
Instagram would be a visual outlet for the fans of the radio station, and for us to tell our stories around what was talked about on the radio each day using pictures.
Snapchat would be used to remind the much younger end of the audience that I’m willing to use the platform they love the most, too.
Vine would be used at all music events – but only to have presence there. I’m not very creative with video. I would mostly “revine” the fans that are more creative – to elevate their talent.
As you see, each social outlet would serve its own unique purpose to increase the value of connecting with the show on all kinds of platforms beyond the one or two they prefer.
There would, of course, be control room cameras for the voyeur portion of the fan base – most of them! Even though many jocks bristle at the idea of video cams, I’d see it as a window to the show, and something that would set us apart.
And our weekly email would consist of one message. Just like the “one thought per break” philosophy on the air, fans would trust our emails because we would never “blast” them.
We would communicate as a show the way the fans behave socially. That means that if I had to jump on the ‘selfie’ trend or #ManCrushMonday dialogue, so be it. What’s important is that I stand out against those I’m competing against.
That includes Pandora and Spotify that offer instant gratification that a personality can’t always deliver. And the growing problem that listeners may not have a working radio in their home. But I do know what’s always there where they live:
Their phones.
So mobile would complement everything I do on-the-air because that’s where people are. I would be relentless in the quest to make sure my app or our station’s app was on the first screen of their phone, tablet, and connected car.
And all of this social and digital outreach would enable better connections when I visit charities and participate in fundraisers and events to make our local community stronger. Our social fan bases would grow because I strongly believe that the only thing that matters is that we’re making the fans feel like they matter.
The principles that make up the culture of our brand would be revisited every six months because things change. And because my ego lies, I would invite people I respect to tell me the truth about my social behavior and learn how to be even better.
Yes, all of this takes time, especially when you’re on the air 4-5 hours a day, and everything needs to be prepped. But the value we put on our time needs to be put in perspective. Is the idea of keeping your brand in the hands and the hearts of the fans worth it?
Only you can answer that.
In the meantime, I’m no longer on the air. But there are many days when I see the amazing potential all these tools bring to those of you who perform, entertain, and inform on the radio.
2014 is a great time to be an air personality.
Fred and I will be presenting at Morning Show Boot Camp in Chicago on Thursday morning, August 7 at the Renaissance Hotel. Our “What 347,325 People Made Perfectly Clear About Radio” will track back ten years of Techsurveys to help air talent understand how to better serve their audiences. We’ll see you there. – LL
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