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Exceed Expectations And Make Your Radio Station Matter
September 8, 2015
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Jeff Jarvis, an author, professor and podcaster, wrote a piece recently on the state of advertising, and how it sucks.
But it doesn't have to.
Jarvis writes how advertising needs to step up its game. We are operating in a world of ad blockers - where the consumer is truly in control. They can ignore us faster than our quickest "elevator pitch."
So it's time to truly start coming at campaigns from the consumers' point of view first.
Jarvis' piece reminded me of the social space. While devices are around to block online ads, they are not necessarily needed in the audiences' social News Feeds. One simple press of the "unfollow" or "unlike" button and brands are gone.
The easiest break up, ever.
And while various radio stations have caught on to what it takes to build social value, there's still a concern about the amount of status updates, tweets, Instagram photos and snaps being repurposed as recorded promos.
It's understandable that stations want to use social media to promote where you are, what you're doing, and what you're giving away. But our approach should never emulate that of traditional media (on-air, billboards, direct mail, etc…).
Here's why:
Think about social as the screen that's in their face. We are literally screaming in their face:
- 81 percent of Facebook users access it via their mobile device.
- 80 percent of Twitter users access it via their mobile device.
- Nearly all of Instagram's users access it via mobile.
- 100% of "Snapchatters" are mobile.
People are looking at your "social pitches" with their phone screens right in their face.
And they don't want to be sold (especially in their face), they want to feel welcomed.
The entire premise of these platforms is to "elevate people's capacity to build and maintain connections." And that is exactly how your audience uses them every day of their lives.
People are recording their "timelines" and they aren't especially interested in what brands are doing or how great they say they are.
What they do crave from you are things they can relate to.
Use Q100/Atlanta as an example. You'll never see them directly pitch their promotions. It's always a story -- something we either relate to or that moves us -- when they speak socially:
That is "what works" on social - pure emotion.
Showing us what it feels like to be there, rather than telling me where you are.
There's nothing easy about this. If you think there is, you're fooling yourself.
We have to work at this every day. It is a privilege to be in the face of the audience every day. We must not abuse it with substandard, mediocre sales pitches.
Social platforms can bring new fans not being reached through other efforts.
But we have to work at it to make it matter.
Reach out to me anytime on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.
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