The Social Media Santa is watching you to see if you’ve been a good boy or girl. Making a list and checking it twice.
Click here to read my blog for The Randy Lane Company to determine whether you’re on the Naughty or Nice list.
Business & Marketing Strategy Consulting
The Social Media Santa is watching you to see if you’ve been a good boy or girl. Making a list and checking it twice.
Click here to read my blog for The Randy Lane Company to determine whether you’re on the Naughty or Nice list.
If you read my blog, (and don’t say you don’t, because you are reading it right now!) you’re probably interested in the relationship between radio and digital.
Did you know there is a conference that explores radio’s opportunities with digital media? Join me March 4-5 in Santa Clara, California for Radio Ink’s Convergence conference. I will be moderating a panel on social media, and learning about revenue opportunities and relationship development from professionals in a variety of industries.
Check out the agenda here, and let me know if you plan to attend.
You didn’t know Facebook made a change to their data use policy? That’s probably because they sent the email to users the night before Thanksgiving, right when you decided to unplug and relax for a couple of days.
In fact, you may have seen other Facebook users posting a “copyright notice” to claim ownership of content before you even realized Facebook made a policy change.
The “copyright notice” post your Facebook friends are sharing is a hoax. Both Facebook and Snopes have released statements confirming that the post is useless. You “signed” a user agreement when you created your Facebook account, and must abide by Facebook’s policies- changes and all- if you continue to use the platform. No ridiculous post can override that fact.
So what provisions did Facebook change, exactly, to their Data Use Policy?
But What About the Copyright Stuff?
And no changes were made regarding the rights to the content you post, as suggested by the hoax posts. Facebook’s terms of use still reads, “You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings.”
However, the terms also say:
For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.
So, copyright law protects your content, but your privacy and application settings dictate how Facebook is permitted to use that content. If you’re worried, check your settings to ensure you’re sharing what you want, with whom you want.
And if you’re a station or show using Facebook for marketing and listener engagement, make your content a strong representation of your brand, and make it public to increase reach.
Thanks to Don Anthony at The Morning Mouth/Jockline Daily who asked me to ponder this. Read the full Data Use Policy here.
I spoke at the Ontario Broadcasters Association Fall Conference and one of the questions for our panel was “Where does social media fit against where your website sits?”
This question comes up often, as managers and talent alike try to prioritize and determine the relationship between the station website and social media.
So, what is the answer? In the short term, the answer depends on your goals. If your goal is to beat your competitor in Facebook likes, then social media may be your current priority.
In the long term, your goal should be to use social media to support the station website, and to create website content that can be shared on social platforms- by you and by your fans.
You’ve likely heard the statement “fish where the fish are” in support of making social media a priority. This phrase is powerful- it is a visual reminder of the marketing power of social platforms like Facebook, which boasts over 800 billion users.
And the phrase makes a strong argument. We cannot afford to ignore any touch point where we can reach listeners, market to them, and build relationships with them.
Don’t Put Your Eggs In A Basket You Don’t Own
While the engagement we see on mainstream social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (and even SoundCloud, Instagram and Pinterest!) may encourage us to make social media our first priority, it’s important to remember that we can’t control these social networks.
We’re just one irritating change, privacy mishap, or trend away from a shift in social media. Popularity can change at any time- just ask MySpace. Because we don’t own (and don’t we wish we did!) Facebook or Twitter, it is smart to use social media to support the products we do own.
What I mean by “support” breaks down into two arguments:
1. The Content Marketing Argument
Where do you find the content to post on your social media platforms? If you have strong website content that is frequently updated, the first answer is the station website.
Without a robust content strategy, it is difficult for social media managers (or Promotions Directors, or whoever runs your social media presence) to find quality content that supports both the station brand, and the social media strategy in place.
For example, having frequently updated jock blogs and show podcasts, music news and videos, gives you a stable cornerstone in which to build your social media strategy. If your website is static, you are forced to seek out relevant content 100% of the time.
Social media management is easier when you’re website is something worthy of sharing.
2. The Digital ROI Argument
Using social media to drive listeners back to the website should be your second goal. (What’s the first? Using social media to drive ratings by nurturing listener-station relationships and sharing content that promotes the on-air product.)
Why do we care about driving listeners to the station website? Because we like our jobs and our stations are supported by advertisers, many of which are shifting to an interest in digital ads, interactive online promotions, or website feature sponsorships.
Racking up likes and comments on Facebook serves whom? Facebook (unless a client of the station sponsors that post). Using a Facebook post to drive traffic to the website serves both the station and its advertisers.
When listeners click a link you post, they (you!) are increasing traffic to the station website. Whether the specific page you linked to is sponsored or not, the overall traffic statistics are the numbers our Account Executives use to sell digital.
Because I believe driving website traffic is a goal for social media presence (and not the other way around), and because we should never put too much focus on a product we don’t own, I believe social media is secondary to the station website. What are your thoughts? Share by adding a comment below.
“Like this if you like doughnuts, too.” “Share this if you’re single.” “Like this if you’ve ever played football.”
What do these statements tell you about the brand, station, or person who posted them? Nothing. Except that they are desperate for engagement.
Every post, tweet, pin you make is representative of your brand. While studies show that asking fans to take action (by requesting likes, shares or comments) works, pairing the call to action with a post that contains strong content is key.
If someone shares, comments or likes a post, it shows up on their Timeline. If the post is meaningless and doesn’t contain content that brands your station and entertains the listener, the engagement is pointless. No one is tuning in to your station or liking your Facebook page because they saw a post that says “Like this if you like doughnuts”.
Although you may receive high engagement from that post (many people like doughnuts!), it’s empty and won’t help you achieve broader marketing goals. After all, you aren’t a company that sells doughnuts… are you?
Photo credit: SebastianDooris