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Everybody Has A Story ... And An Audience Too!
September 13, 2011
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This past weekend, there were live feeds on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus, along with blog posts were filled with personal stories - at times, heartbreaking memories of where people were and what they were doing on September 11th, 2001.
Perhaps the most moving tribute lived on the website of KLUC/Las Vegas.
Many in radio did a great job evoking emotion with breathtaking tribute pieces and asking the audience to share their memories. Of course, there were a couple of awkward moments on these social sites on Sunday that occurred during the 9/11 ceremonies such as this tweet (and I’ve done some cropping because this is not about naming names):
But for the most part, radio played to its strengths over the weekend by tapping into the power of sound, words and validating voices by allowing the audience to share their memories on the air and online.
Another platform that offered a pretty special way to commemorate 9/11 this year is an app called “Broadcastr.” It gives you the opportunity to hear first-hand stories from 9/11 survivors, responders, rescue and recovery folks, while adding your own story - which is, of course, key.
The founders of Broadcastr weren’t about creating content for content’s sake over 9/11. They simply tapped into today’s cultural trends and consumer needs and built a platform for the consumer to create the content. Broadcastr allows you to share your story -- not listen to theirs ... an example of the essence of this “social space.”
Social media has offered your audience the ability to get used to having their voices heard. They are enjoying the recognition they get from their own “audiences” responses. As a result, they are becoming increasingly less tolerant of self-indulgent people and brands.
The video shared here on Merge last week, “Radio DJ Meets Today’s Listener,” inspired smart, passionate comments and conversations about radio’s growing pains with social media. One of the lines people quoted was the “listener” explaining to the “DJ” that if the radio station truly acknowledged her socially, she could recommend the station to her “audience.”
The “radio jock” responded with “What do you mean your audience? I’m the one with the audience.”
Sure, the radio station’s audience size may be bigger than that of any single listener’s following, but with consumers trusting their friends’ social recommendations more than they trust ads these days, size may not matter as much. It’s relationships that count.
More and more, social platforms are revealing the authenticity (if any) behind the brand.
Everybody has a story ... and now an audience.
For radio stations that continue to talk about themselves and not do research (no matter how informal) to find out what their audience really wants to hear about, they are chipping away at the brand relationship social platforms were designed to help foster and create.
It’s time to wean ourselves off ... of ourselves.
Keep asking your audience: What’s your story?
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The NAB Radio Show is this week in Chicago. If you’re there, it would be a pleasure to meet you.
And as always, please leave your comments below. We are all learning about the essence of this social space together.
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Please enjoy MERGE archives here.