Exclusive: Alan Burns Provides A Detailed Look at Radio's Facebook Fans

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The first release of data from ALAN BURNS AND ASSOCIATES' national study of data (NET NEWS 7/22) shows that listeners who "like" a station on FACEBOOK are highly important consumers since they are more likely to be P1s of the station and heavier users of radio.

TODAY, in an exclusive to ALL ACCESS, prior to THURSDAY's free webinar, ALAN BURNS provides a detailed look at the characteristics and behavior of radio's FACEBOOK fans.

"First of all," said BURNS, "fans are heavier users of FACEBOOK. They’re 40% more likely to check FACEBOOK multiple times per day and 65% more likely than the average woman to post or change her status on a daily basis. And they’re more than twice as likely to visit your station's FACEBOOK page on a weekly and daily basis. These women have knowledge and expectations on FACEBOOK that radio stations need to live up to."

Other characteristics of FACEBOOK fans include:

* they are more likely to be between 20 and 34 years old
* they’re roughly equally married and single, and to have children at home vs not
* they’re more into their P1 station's music than non-fans
* they talk about music with their friends more often
* they’re more technologically inclined -- they watch more online video, play more games, and are more likely to own an iPAD.

"Perhaps surprisingly," continued BURNS, "FACEBOOK fans are also more frequent visitors to radio station web sites: 65% more likely to visit weekly, and 80% more likely to visit your web site on a daily basis."

"In addition to being P1s and heavier radio consumers, FACEBOOK fans are are more likely to be early adopters and opinion leaders, which are also very important traits. Opinion leaders can influence others to listen to your station; early adopters will pick up on new things faster. That’s good if you’re a new station, but if you’re being attacked by a new competitor you’d better make sure you’re courting your FACEBOOK fans to keep them with you."

Beyond Facebook

Turning from FACEBOOK to other topics, BURNS said, "ALL ACCESS readers told us that for this year's study two of the most important topics were women's attitudes toward radio (and whether those attitudes are changing) and radio’s digital possibilities/digital competition (such as 'how are PANDORA and other streamers affecting radio listening?'). Our first data release focused largely on those two areas."

BURNS told ALL ACCESS, "Non-radio streamers would have the public (especially their potential investors) believe they are killing radio. 2,000 women just told us that’s not so. Attitudes toward radio are generally good, although we do need to be concerned that younger listeners are not as married to the medium as older ones.

Burns Sums Up

* Radio listening is holding up just fine. People who listen to online streams do that in addition to, not instead of, their radio listening. In fact, when you take into account all of radio’s listening platforms -- on radio, online, and the growing listenership via cell phones -- weekly users of non-radio streams listen to more radio than the average woman.

* Streamer-users tend to be early adopters of new products and services. We’ve consistently found that early adopters tend to be heavy radio listeners . Your sales staff should be using that fact, because early adopters are hugely important to new businesses and new products.

* If we’re going to remain strong with younger listeners, radio needs to do a better job online and on mobile devices. The year to year growth of Radio web site usage is anemic, and less than 40% of radio station FACEBOOK fans (the people most inclined to like our stuff!) think radio's FACEBOOK posts are interesting.

* What women want on web sites and FACEBOOK pages: title and artist information, concert info and early access to tickets, your stream, and the ability to make requests. Listeners have always wanted radio stations to be responsive to their desires, and digital media are training them (especially the younger ones) to expect customization. Give them some feeling of control -- or at the very least, show them how their tastes end up as your music.

* Don’t overlook YOUTUBE as a source of music exposure and, possibly, music feedback. More women use YOUTUBE for music than use PANDORA. For a song or artist, high exposure counts on YOUTUBE are great -- but don’t mistake “plays” for “likes.” If everyone who streamed Rebecca Black’s Friday song liked it, it would be one of the biggest radio hits in years.

"Two quick notes about why women listen to radio," noted BURNS, "one of the important reasons is 'to find out what music’s popular,' that's part of the social function of radio. But the number one reason is to escape, to brighten their mood. That dovetails very nicely with the reasons why women who already have internet access in their cars tend to still choose to listen to radio: they say the number one reason is for energy/excitement. Number two through five are all local information."

Summing up, BURNS said, "radio's advantages over our digital competitors are energy and local info. It’s important that we as an industry maximize those strengths rather than taking them for granted!

"Here’s a quick peek into women's lives in 2011, adds BURNS. "When we asked which of these things -- more time, more money, a better relationship, or more frequent sex -- women wanted most, the answer with an overwhelming 70% was more money. A bunch of radio pros who responded to our ALL ACCESS poll predicted the number one answer would be 'more time.' That was the right answer three or four years ago, but not in today’s post-recession, high-unemployment world."

Finally said BURNS, "According to even more ALL ACCESS readers, the number one topic you wanted researched was Morning Show listening and content. That will be the entire focus of next week's data -- so join us for the THURSDAY webinar, and look for exclusive next-day commentary here in ALL ACCESS.

Be A Part Of The Free Webinar On Thursday, July 28th

Join us for more insights from ALAN BURNS AND ASSOCIATES' second annual national study of women. It's once again the largest study of female listeners ever: more than 2,000 listeners to Top 40 and AC. Still to come are webinars covering Morning Show Listeners and Content, and "Deep Dives" into Top 40 and AC listeners, their behavior, attitudes, and music preferences.

You'll find dynamic insights to impact your ratings and new strategies to help connect to your most important listeners.

What you’ll learn in the next session:

* Why people use radio, compared to other media and devices, in the morning
* Why those who rise earliest in the morning are more important
* What listeners do -- and don't -- want from morning radio
* How do your listeners feel first thing in the morning, and how rushed are they?
* How listeners who call your morning show are different from other listeners
* How important is "kid safe" content -- and to whom?
* What’s America's favorite morning show bit, or bit type? 

The webinar on THURSDAY, JULY 28th,  will begin at 2p Eastern / 11a Pacific, and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Click here to sign up!

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