Stephanie Winans

Business & Marketing Strategy Consulting

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The Do’s And Don’ts of Social Media Teasing

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You spend time each day crafting on-air teases for your show. And why? You create strong teases to give listeners that “I have to hear this” feeling, to keep them listening through commercials or music breaks.

Social media teases are very similar to on-air teases. We want to give listeners that same feeling, except that with digital shutterstock_47693176media it’s “I’ve got to see this” instead of “I’ve got to hear this.”

And instead of enticing a listener to stay tuned, you’re goal is to entice her to click the link you’ve shared or to listen to the station. Here are some do’s and don’ts for successful teasing:

– Do create fresh content on your website. Strong teases start with strong website content. Is each category of your site frequently updated with fresh content? If you don’t have a content strategy for your website, it’s time to create one.

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, show podcasts, music news, concert calendars and videos gives you a stable cornerstone in which to build your social media strategy. If your website is static, you are forced to curate relevant content from other websites 100% of the time. This is a missed opportunity as you are generating traffic (and revenue!) for other companies and not your own.

– Do use the 80/20 rule. Randy Lane and Angela Perelli, my colleagues at The Randy Lane Company, encourage talent to use this guide for on-air teases. It works online, too. Give the listener 80% of the information and withhold 20%. Leave just enough to create a mystery.

– Do consider your on-air tease on the topic. Often the same tease you use on-air works, if the post is related to a show topic, event, promotion or blog you’ve talked about on-air.

– Don’t be misleading. While your teases should be compelling, they shouldn’t be misleading. Think Huffington Post, not National Enquirer. The payoff must be worth it or that fan won’t click the link the next time.

– Craft appointment listening teases differently for each platform. Keep in mind that each social media platform is different, and post your information regarding the ‘appointment’ accordingly.

For example, if you post “listen at 7:35am” on Twitter, the immediacy of the ‘real time’ platform may elicit a response, encouraging followers to listen to the show. By the time 7:35 has passed, the tweet will be buried by other tweets.

On Facebook, though, the post may be visible in your listeners’ news feeds long after 7:35. The way Facebook’s algorithm EdgeRank works makes it impossible to gauge how long this post will be visible. It would be smarter to say, “Listen at 7:35am each day this week” so the post is relevant in newsfeeds after that time passes.

– Do keep it short. You’ll lose their attention with wordy posts.

– Don’t include irrelevant links to the station website in every post. The social media relationship between you and a listener is based on trust. When you attach a link that is irrelevant to the post content, you send your listeners on a wild goose chase to look for content that doesn’t exist. That goose chase might get a listener to click through once, but it probably won’t happen twice. You’ve broken their trust and next time they will know the link leads to nowhere.

–  include a call to action (CTA). What do you want to listener to do? Tune in? Click the link to read more? Make sure you direct the action you want.

Happy teasing!

This is an excerpt from an article written for The Mouth magazine.

Social Media vs. The Station Website: Who Wins Biggest Priority?

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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.

Fish Where The Fish Are

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.

Pinterest and Top 40 Radio: Embrace Her Lifestyle

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There’s a reason so many brands and businesses are creating a marketing strategy just for Pinterest. It’s a huge traffic driver. Recent statistics show it provides more referral traffic to other websites than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined.

Whether you’re a blogger, a retail boutique, or a radio station, traffic to your website is important. Web traffic makes advertisers happy, and your station may gain new listeners both within and outside your market from Pinterest referrals. If your website content is good, those visitors may become regulars. They might listen online, and again in the car when they head to work the next morning. They might even pin your content, increasing your reach yet again.

Almost 70% of Pinterest users are female. 50% have children. The age demographic is varied, with 27% 25-34, 29% 35-44, 24% 45-54. The site receives almost 1.5 million visitors every day, with users spending an average of almost 16 minutes per visit (which exceeds Facebook at 12.1 minutes). See the infographic below for a visual display of these Pinterest stats and more.

Both the demographics and the power of Pinterest as a referral source for websites make it perfect for Top 40 radio.

However, the nature of Pinterest is different than other platforms. Show up and do what you do on Facebook or Twitter and you’re destined to fail. Treat Pinterest as a “what’s in it for her” experience, and you’ll be rewarded with the virality of repins, an increase in web traffic, engaged listeners and happy clients.

Embrace The Top 40 Lifestyle: Get In Her Head

Define your station’s target listener. Go beyond the age and gender to determine what she does during a typical day. What are her interests? What are her problems? Defining these will help you create a content strategy for your station’s Pinterest account.

80% of pins are repins, meaning Pinterest users are browsing to curate content from pinners they follow (and not always to create organic pins from the web). This could be thrilling or damaging, depending on the strength of your station’s content. The pro: There is a strong chance your content will be repinned if it’s good, expanding your reach and website traffic. The con: Station-centric content can’t be your focus. You won’t gain any followers, as only the most devoted P1s will repin a promotional image or DJ blog.

Users are looking for content they can identify with to repin as a form of self-expression or content they can come back to later like household tips, recipes, or products to purchase.

The most popular categories on Pinterest are Home, Arts and Crafts, Fashion, and Food. Use your listener profile to expand your strategy beyond these.

If 50% of Pinterest users have kids, and many Top 40 listeners do too, create content for Moms. For example, pin family-friendly events from your website’s event calendar to a Pinterest board for your Mama listeners. Or create a fitness board to help new Moms lose weight. Follow the example of Star 94/Atlanta and pin cute kid pics.

Use Pinterest to engage listeners on topics they enjoy. Use it to drive traffic back to your website, too. Create boards that represent features on your website. For example, a Sleaze board where you can pin entertainment and pop culture news from the station website, and other sources, too.

Add content to your website with the Pinterest mindset to ensure stories, promotions and events have an attractive image to pin. Use teases to ensure your followers will read the full story on your site.

While it’s essential to pin like a listener, don’t forget to include content expected from a radio station. Create boards for music you play, concerts in your market, personality blogs, and more.
Need help? An intern (ahem, ‘pintern’) in your demo might not be a bad idea.

 

 

 

Source for statistics and image: medianewsinpics.com
Image created by Modea

8 Quick Tips for Better Air Talent Blogs and Morning Show Websites

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Blog smog. You aren’t a blogger. Why should you worry about improving your writing skills?

As radio companies put more emphasis on digital growth, you are now responsible for website traffic and social media engagement in addition to on-air ratings.

Becoming a better blogger will give you organic content for your social networks, increasing web traffic as users are enticed to click through. Better blogs may also forge stronger relationships, turning casual listeners into P1s.

Convinced? Read on. (Unconvinced? Keep reading!)

Before we get into the tips, let’s define “blog”. According to Google, a blog is “a website on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis.” For radio, that includes your talent blogs, as well as the content you add to your website to reflect that day’s show topics.

So your entertainment buzz, stupid news, phone topics, and audio clips count as blogs, too.

Here are eight tips to improve your talent blogs and the content you post from the show each day:

1. Focus on Your Headline. When you plan your show, you write teases to keep people listening. With blogs, you write headlines to keep people reading. It’s really not that different.

2. Include your opinion. Often you blog about pop culture, music, or current events. Listeners can find these stories anywhere, but they found it on your website because they have an affinity for your brand. Along with Gotye’s new video or news about John Travolta’s massage misbehavior, include your opinion the way you would on-air. Don’t blog just to meet a corporate requirement or to provide listeners with strong content. Use the opportunity to showcase your character and create a connection with listeners that will keep them coming back- to your website and to your show.

3. Define your goal before you begin. Are you writing to inform, entertain or inspire? Read your blog when it’s done and make sure it cuts through in the way you planned. Will your readers learn something (about the subject, or about you)? Will they laugh? Will they be entertained? Will they be moved (to tears, or outrage)?

4. End with a call to action. Write to Done has a great blog on this that says “you need to make the reader take action”. Ask your reader to leave a comment, or to tune in to tomorrow’s show to listen to the topic on-air. For example, end your blog with:

  • “Are these masseurs telling the truth about John Travolta? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.”
  • “Listen tomorrow at 7:20 when we talk to Gotye and ask him about the ex that inspired this song.”

5. Respond to blog comments. Your blog is an opportunity to engage listeners. Call listeners by name. Continue the conversation with your reply. Be personable.

6. Craft Your Social Media Tease. An enticing on-air tease often makes a great tweet or Facebook post. Like on-air teases, your social media teases should pique the reader’s curiosity. Ask a question, develop a creative headline, and use images to increase traffic to your blog from your social profiles.

7. Be Enticing, Not Misleading. As this blog by Daniel Sharkov suggests, make sure you can back up the claims you make. Writing headlines that are enticing but misleading will only annoy your listeners and keep them from coming back. Follow Huffington Post on Twitter for a good example. Their tweets are creative and intriguing, but never misleading.

8. Measure. Don’t wait until your contract is up for renewal to find out how you’re doing online. Track your website traffic. Use Facebook Insights (or other third party measurement tools). Let the analytics guide your content. Listeners will tell you which blogs they find interesting. You just have to listen (or study the stats).

Have other tips to share? I’d love to hear them. Leave a comment below- I promise I’ll respond.