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Stephanie Winans

Business & Marketing Strategy Consulting

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A Producer’s Dream: The Scoop on Scoop.It

March 29, 2012 by Stephanie Winans 2 Comments

Scoop.It is a free publishing-by-curation platform that allows you to curate content based on keywords and sources you provide. It will suggest stories, articles, videos, news for you to scoop. You can also use the bookmarklet to scoop anything you see on the web to your Scoop.It page.

You can curate on your page and on the web, saving interesting content for your show in one place. You choose the keywords and the sources you like. Instead of searching a million websites individually, you add them here. It’s a Producer’s dream.

In October 2011, I signed up for Scoop.It to test it out before recommending to The Randy Lane Company clients. I quickly realized that not only was it worth recommending, but it would also be helpful  in curating show ideas for our weekly client newsletter.

Since October, I have been using Scoop.It daily. While some of the scooped ideas are used for the weekly Content Ideas, many aren’t because they are topical and may be outdated by the time the newsletter is delivered in client emails. Because I scoop the ideas daily anyway, I began sharing my page Radio On-Air Content on Twitter so the show prep doesn’t go to waste.

I now have thirty shows following my topic. Many have created their own Scoop.It pages for show prep where they can scoop their own topics from the web and rescoop mine to their page, as well. The trend has also spread to other radio consultants, who now run their own pages on Scoop.It.

The reason other shows and consultants have taken notice? It’s easy to use and it works.

Here’s how you can take advantage of this free tool for your show:

1. Sign up here.

2. Install the Scoop.It bookmarklet here. This will allow you to “scoop” anything on the web to the page you create for your show.

3. Add keywords for content that is relevant for your show. For example, relationships, sex, entertainment, parenting, family, music, weird. You can add keywords under the Manage tab under Manage Sources on your Scoop.It page (see image below).

4. Add sources. After adding your keywords, click the Advanced Options tab. Add the URL for any websites you normally use for show prep. You can also add social media accounts for any sources or shows you follow for content.

5. Scoop. When you’re prepping for the show, go to your Scoop.It page. Review Scoop.It’s suggestions and scoop the topics you like.

6. Follow other accounts on Scoop.It that produce content you can use on your show. You can follow mine here and check out the other shows and consultants I follow here.  You can rescoop their topics so they appear on your page. You will also get a daily digest showing you recent scoops from topics you follow.

Happy scooping! Let me know if you enjoying using Scoop.It for show prep. Leave me a comment or send me a tweet @StephanieWinans

If this doesn’t work for you, at least check out my page Radio On-Air Content daily for topics you can use for your show. Why not? It’s free show prep.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: morning show, on-air content, online content, prep, producer, Scoop.It, talent

From On-Air To Online: Creating Online Content Around Your Character

June 25, 2011 by Stephanie Winans Leave a Comment

If you’re using your website and social media correctly, I should have a good sense of your character just by assessing your online engagement.  What you do online should reflect your on-air brand.  Does it?

Your character is well defined.  You’ve worked hard to create on-air content that showcases your character.  The content was well executed.  Your show is over.  You’re done, right?  WRONG!

We’re all wearing so many hats in radio; it’s hard not to think of blogs, social media, videos, as one more duty.  Stop thinking of digital as another job.  You’re already doing all the prep; so think of it as the last step to work you’ve already done!

In building content around your character, there are two types of content to consider- the content you share and the content you create.

1.  SHARING CONTENT
Most of you are already sharing content online, but there is a way to share content that reflects your personality.  Anyone can post a link.  Only YOU can post a link, along with your perspective on the topic.

Listeners can get the same content on their own at tmz.com or yahoo shine! What they’re interested in is the conversation (with you!) around the topic.

Use topical stories to define your character online the way you would on-air.  During your show when you discuss a topic, you don’t just state the story in facts.  You give the facts and your two cents on the story.  The same goes online- post the content, along with your opinion on the topic.  Share your opinion and suddenly you’ve started a conversation.

2.   CREATING CONTENT

Put your own spin on a hot topic by creating a parody video or picture.                                                                                                          When you share content, think about how you could take it one step further and create organic content based on a topical story.

For example, Miguel from That Guy Kramer at Island 106/Panama City recreated the viral eHarmony video with Debbie the cat lover.  He dressed up as an obsessed Harry Potter fan and made his own quirky video.

Another recent example comes from Jay Styles and Nick Fox at 97.5 WABB/Mobile.  When fried kool-aid was trending on twitter, they made it on-air, and created a video tutorial for curious listeners.

Take show features one step further by adding an online element.
When prepping for the show, ask yourself “What online element can I add to this feature?”  You don’t have to create new material, but add a visual to what’s been said on-air.  It only takes a minute to take a picture- maybe 20 to create a video.

You’re already doing the prep, so a few extra minutes can multiply your mileage out of a topic!

For example, The Dave Ryan Show at KDWB/Minneapolis did an on-air bit called The Summer Bucket List.  Dave and Lena talked about things they wanted to do before summer is over, and encouraged listeners to tweet their lists, too.

It went viral, and two weeks later, the online content is still going, with content being added by the show and listeners as things off the list are crossed off.  Dave took video of himself grilling a steak and Lena took video of herself in dance class.  This went from a one-break bit to two weeks of serial content, all thanks to the addition of an online element.

Let them behind the scenes of the show. 
It’s no secret that listeners love seeing what goes on off the air.  Share stories, pictures or videos to give them a peek “backstage”.  This will make them feel like they’re part of the show!

You can also let them in on what you’re doing when you’re not at work.  Listeners feel like they know you from listening to the show, so posting about your personal life enhances that “closeness”.

Help showcase your co-host’s character. 
Help each other by making posts that accentuate the character of another show player… This will in turn highlight your own character.  It’s a very natural way to showcase your brand, and the show brand as a whole by emphasizing the dynamic between characters.

The Dave Ryan Show hosts are great at this.  For example,  Lena googled “ugly shirt” and found a site that sells ugly shirts (Dave’s fashion is a character flaw).  Dave ordered the shirt and surprised them by wearing it to work.  Lena took a video, and asked listeners to send in jokes about the shirt to win concert tickets.  The video not only tells us Dave is unfashionable, but that Lena is fashionable.   The content is about Dave, but we’re laughing at Lena’s humor.  By showcasing Dave’s character, Lena has reflected both her own character qualities and the dynamic between her and Dave.

BE SOCIAL
The thing to remember is to be social.  Respond to listener comments and questions.  Treat social media like a cocktail party, where your focus is on conversation.

For example, don’t post content asking listeners for their opinion and fail to respond once they give it.  That is the equivalent to meeting someone at a party, asking them a question, and walking away after they answer without a word.  It’s rude!  Facilitate the conversation-  it only takes a second to respond.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF
For the next month, challenge yourself to do one thing each day to extend your brand online. If you do it for 30 days, you’ll realize it’s not hard.  It’s fun, it’s addicting.  You just have to make it a habit.  The results will surprise you-  you’ll get more mileage out of your bits,  you’ll connect with your listeners and learn what they like.

Focus on:
-Taking Show Features 1 Step Further
-Putting Your Own Opinion Or Spin On Hot Topics
-Showcasing Someone Else’s Character
-Behind The Scenes Sneak Peek

No rules- just do it.  Be Real.  Be Social.  It will give you what Dave Ryan calls the addiction factor, and make you Irreplaceable, putting you at Randy Lane’s ultimate level of morning show performance.

 

-written for the Randy Lane Company panel at Morning Show Bootcamp 2011

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: character, morning show bootcamp, online content, prep, social media

Using Twitter To Create Topical On-Air Content

June 15, 2011 by Stephanie Winans Leave a Comment

Most of you have a Twitter account, tweeting to connect with your listeners.  You can also use Twitter as a prep source.  When you’re planning tomorrow’s show, consider these three ideas:

Use Twitter Lists to organize the accounts you follow.  You can create separate lists for current events, entertainment news, other stations, and local news. While on your home screen, choose the lists tab to create lists.  When you see an account with good content, click the avatar icon and choose add to list.  This is a fast way to see the content you need without getting distracted by personal or unrelated tweets.

Use Twitter Trends to see what topics people are talking about.  On the right side of your home screen, you will see the Trends listed.  Click the links and you’ll see what other people are saying about the topic.  Sometimes the #topics and tweets themselves are bizarre, which could lead to an entertaining on-air topic.

Use Tweet MeMe to see which articles from around the web are hot on Twitter.  You can sort by category (entertainment, comedy, lifestyle, etc.) and by time (most recent, last 24 hours).  Click the links to read the article, as well as the actual tweets to see what people are saying about it.

Because sharing links and information is such a big part of Twitter, it isn’t a bad idea to “listen up”.  Stay ahead by identifying viral topics before they reach their peak.

Do you use Twitter in other ways to create content?  Leave a comment and tell me about it.

While we’re talking about Twitter, follow me @StephanieWinans.

 

-written for The Randy Lane Company

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: on-air content, prep, twitter, twitter lists

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