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Effective Digital and Social Media Habits for Radio In 2012
December 6, 2011
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We know that consumers behave differently today. They carry their phones with them everywhere they go. They ask, “Is there an app for that?” They meet in social networks, they create and share content, and they spread their voices.
Ultimately, they can redefine our brands if we don’t take the time to understand their interaction and cultivate relationships by relating to their needs -- not ours.
We are communicating with an increasingly fragmented audience. Beyond e-mail -- which remains the #1 source for sharing and informing -- consumers now have Facebook, apps, texting, Twitter (slightly) and other avenues from which to communicate and share.
We should be using these channels to offer radio listeners convenience and ease of product use, to listen and convert conversations into opportunities and identify our own brand ambassadors.
We have a new league of listeners and a new kind of distribution that requires strategic thinking. It’s not about barging in; it’s about gaining permission through trust to deliver conversations around your brand on their preferred platforms.
But in order to build loyal, motivated relationships in 2012, effective digital and social media habits need to be developed, worked on, and refined. It starts with two words.
“B-E S-O-C-I-A-L.”
Be aware of how dialogue contributes to the brand, the product experience.
Establish your community and earn trust -- before you need it.
Set systems and metrics in place to gauge effectiveness.
Offer unique experiences on every platform. Don’t say the same thing on Facebook that you say in an email, text or on Twitter.
Create consistent, timely responses for a “reliable social reputation.”
Incisive and inclusive - everyone has a “seat at the social table” - well, except the online trolls. Don’t feed them; just move on.
Acknowledge your fans, whether it’s a superficial “like” or an authentic comment, validate the fans excitement for the brand.
Love it. If you head into the New Year still calling this social and digital space a “time suck,” you’re just creating more opportunity for your competition.
It’s our quest to bring clarity to the development of a comprehensive digital and social presence, so you’ll hear us Jacobs folks talk about the need for research that helps you better understand your place in this space in order to build a “hierarchy of channels.”
This will help create a fluid blueprint that shows where to invest your efforts and resources.
No research (regardless how formal) on top of failing to equally analyze the risk of our social and digital behaviors as much as we seek the rewards is almost a guaranteed mess. People are becoming more popular within their own social media circles and networks.
If behavior from brands doesn’t look and feel like a personalized message, or if you keep ignoring your fans -- they’ll dismiss you and move on.
It’s time to take your traditional skill sets and merge them with new skills that are needed to properly use the tools that we have to operate with in the New Year.
Have safe, happy, healthy holidays and we’ll merge our thinking once again in 2012.
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