Stephanie Winans

Business & Marketing Strategy Consulting

website traffic

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.

Tease Me… If You Want Me To Click That Link!

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Are you crafting social media teases to drive website traffic?

You spend time crafting teases that keep listeners hanging on through the break. Social media is no different. If you want listeners to click through to your website when you attach a link to a Facebook post, you have to craft a compelling tease.

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. Regardless, you should craft a tease that poses a question and withhold the answer. If you post the beginning and end to the story, there isn’t a reason to click the link.

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.

Here’s an example from a client. A jock posted a link to a blog that included a video. The copy said “Should have locked the door, Jack.” He could have said “Check out the video of us busting in on Jack singing his heart out to Adele’s new hit”, but no one would have clicked the link to watch the video. Fans (including me) clicked the link to find out why he should lock the door. Was he caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing? Did someone walk in on him in the restroom?

A strong online tease will compel the listener to click the link, driving website traffic.

Why Requiring Talent To Include Links in Facebook Posts Doesn’t Work

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Some radio companies have created a new Facebook guideline that requires talent to place a link to the station website in every post.

While I am a big believer in using social media to drive website traffic and create strategies for clients to do just that, I am not a fan of this practice.

The social media relationship 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 related 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.


If you want to emphasize the importance of website traffic to talent, create goals and hold your talent accountable. Encourage them to create organic content on the website, so they have content to share on social platforms. Require them to include a link when there is relevant content on the website, but not when it doesn’t make sense.

The small spike you might see in website traffic from misleading links isn’t sustainable as listeners will “wise up” quickly. And tainting the relationship your listeners have with the station is counterproductive to overall business goals.

 

Photo credit: Imnop88a

11 Digital Predictions for the Radio Industry

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Based on the digital landscape in radio today, here are 11 predictions for radio’s future in digital:

1. The fusion of on-air content and online platforms will be seamless.
As radio stations develop strong digital strategies for their on-air talent, the content and engagement of online platforms will be naturally integrated into the on-air show. As the request lines ring less and less, jocks will use texting, social media and website commenting platforms to add more listener interaction to their shows.

2. Air talent social media platforms will be owned by the radio companies who employ them.
Many of the major radio corporations are already enforcing company social media guidelines upon air talent for their individual and show accounts. While some may retain control based on a “grandfathered in” negotiation, many will lose control as they are required to follow specific rules and even give administrative access to corporate staff.

3. Air talent will be held accountable for their online results.
Website traffic and social media success will no longer be measured out of curiosity or used for bonuses only. Air talent will be required to meet quarterly goals set by management, for both the station website and their show’s digital platforms.

4. Stations will budget for social media third party apps.
To achieve results with social media, radio will invest in applications for scheduling, contesting, and analytics.

5. Podcasting will no longer be the redheaded stepchild of radio.
Radio will follow the model of television (think DVR, on-demand), super-serving the core listeners with on-demand listening. Instead of viewing podcasts as a threat to both radio’s ratings and budget, managers will innovate and restructure podcasts to create ROI, regardless of the minimal ratings return.

6. All stations will have mobile apps and websites.
As mobile website usage continues to rise, even the smallest companies will focus on the mobile optimization of their station websites, and will invest in reliable mobile listening apps.

7. Stations will own advanced video equipment.
As the pressure to incorporate video into digital strategies builds, stations will invest in video equipment for use in-studio, at promotional events, concerts, and client remotes.

8. Radio will invest in social gaming for branding and promotions.
As listeners become more savvy to standard online advertisements, digital strategists and sales managers will invest more money for better results, with creative branding campaigns and promotions using social gaming.

9. Radio sales executives will sell the entire brand, rather than just terrestrial radio.
As advertisers seek more creative, multi-platform ideas, radio’s sales superstars will view their station brand from a big picture perspective, creating unique solutions for clients that involve marketing from a variety of platforms.

10. The radio industry will become an early adopter to digital innovations.
We’ve watched the newspaper industry’s struggle to innovate, and we won’t be left behind. Radio companies will be exploring new innovations as they arise, mining them for revenue opportunities.

11. Social media strategists and content curators will be standard positions in the radio industry.  
As radio’s digital efforts continue, companies will hire content producers and social media strategists to create online content, design individual station strategies, and measure results.

 

Get our your Magic 8 Ball and make a prediction of your own in the comments. I’d love to hear it!

 

Photo courtesy of Sassy-Stock at deviantart.com.

Think Like TV: Tips to Making a One-Way Medium Interactive

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The request lines don’t ring very often anymore. So, how can we make radio interactive without callers? Luckily, social media and texting became popular about the time calling in to a radio show became unpopular.

We have the opportunity to make our one-way medium a two-way interaction between us and the listeners. We also know that radio is a secondary medium. Listeners are doing something else while they listen. Why don’t we take advantage of this knowledge? Television does.


Here are some TV examples and how they apply to Radio:

1. Creating a Generic Hashtag for the Show

Every show on TV advertises its own Twitter hashtag where viewers can talk about the show. Create a hashtag for shows on your station so listeners can tweet their thoughts and opinions.

2. Showing Affinity for a Personality’s Polarizing Opinion

Last season, The X-Factor encouraged viewers to tweet #IAmSimon, #IAmLA, #IAmPaula or #IAmNicole to show their affinity for a certain judge’s comments during the show. The X-Factor generated an average of 94,000 social comments per episode, as recorded by Bluefin. How? By getting creative with hashtags, and promoting them constantly throughout the show.
Follow The X Factor model and also use hashtags for polarizing on-air topics. If you and your co-host have opposite opinions, encourage listeners to tweet who they agree with by creating unique hashtags. Plan this when you’re prepping for tomorrow’s show, so you can promote it before you begin the topic, as well as during the topic and afterward.

3. Creating Specific Hashtags for Real-Time Interaction

According to Carri Bugbee, the #TrumpRoast hashtag was used more than 27,000 times on Twitter during the March 2011 telecast of the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump.

Comedy Central gave #TrumpRoast its own hashtag because they knew this episode would generate a reaction. If you have a hot feature that incites a huge reaction from listeners, create a separate hashtag for that feature. Promote it each time the feature runs on-air, and use the hashtag in your own tweets from the station or show accounts.

Include listener comments on-air in real time to make the show itself more interactive.

4. Developing Promotions Around Their Experience

The Shark Week Photo Frenzy – a call for fans to submit photos of how they celebrate Shark Week, got 600,000 page views and over 1,000 submissions. The Facebook Page accrued 30,000 fans in one day, and 116,000 in one week. The ratings result? The highest number of viewers in Shark Week history.

Dateline did something similar with their “How do you Dateline” promotion. They encouraged listeners to share their experience with the show by sending in video to Dateline producers about their routine around the program or tweeting #howdoyoudateline. They saw a huge response: over a 10 month span, the show’s audience on Facebook has grown to 173,000 users from 47,000. Their followers on Twitter doubled.

Keep your highest-rated show top of mind by creating a long-term promotion around your listeners’ experience. How do they listen? Are they listening at work, at the gym, in carpool? Ask them to share with a video or via Twitter. Award a prize to your favorite each week, and give individual shout-outs on-air. For example, “This song is for Vickie, who says she works out during the show”.

5. Driving Traffic to Your Website

According to to lostremote.com, The Food Network generated 640,000 page views in May from Pinterest alone with a strategy that focuses on both show content and talent.

Create strong website content that’s worthy of sharing. Share it via social media with carefully crafted teases to incite a click through. Measure your results frequently to determine which types of posts cause a spike in web traffic.

6. Listening to Feedback

Rick Haskins, The CW’s Executive Vice President of Marketing and Digital Programs, admits to lostremote.com that they not only listen, but respond to feedback. When viewers were watching CW shows illegally on pirate sites to avoid the three day delay on the CW app, the CW addressed the issue with the introduction of next day streaming on their own site.

Listen to the feedback. Respond with a solution when possible. If you don’t, your listeners might go somewhere else to find the content they’re looking for.

7. Providing Training for Staff

According to Rick Haskins, the CW provides social media training for their shows’ stars and productions staff.

If your Programming or Promotions staff isn’t capitalizing on the opportunities they have with social media, train them. Hold brainstorming meetings to encourage sharing among stations and shows, or hire someone (me!) who can teach them how to create a strategy that produces results.

 

Have you tried these TV tricks on your show? How did it work out?
Also published in Radio Ink Magazine