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Surfing The Social Media Wave, Demo By Demo
March 11, 2013
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Social Media today is incredibly powerful. Far more powerful than your competition probably thinks it is. Now eventually, probably sooner rather than later, everyone will catch on. And then the window of competitive advantage will close. NuVoodoo's just-completed national study of Radio listeners 18-54 gives us some hard data about the new consumer-media landscape. Data that we can use to navigate this unmapped terrain. The social media data we are uncovering, and the implications for radio's advertising tactics, will all make complete sense when you think about it. It will all look ridiculously obvious in retrospect. Every radio station that seized this moment in 2013, and every radio station that did not, will look back on this moment years from now with a facepalm "duh."
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As the proverbial curse says, with a wink, may we live in interesting times.  This generation of radio managers is so blessed.  We have to operate today with far more agility and dexterity than any generation before.  The key to success and growth in the 2010’s is essentially to adapt to the times.  The winners are those who understand, adjust to, work through, and actually take advantage of, this era of rapid tectonic shifting in consumer media.  As programmers, we certainly get this.  As sales managers, we certainly get this.  As general managers, we certainly get this. Â
So, if our Sales and Programming success is all about taking advantage of these shifting-media times, certainly that needs to apply to our success in Marketing as well. Â
Sometimes, when it comes time for us to think like advertisers, unfortunately, we don’t always get this so much.  When allocating their own precious and shrinking advertising/promotion budgets, far too many radio stations adhere to the same media strategy we used a decade ago.  Yet, as NuVoodoo’s national studies continue to show, that old orthodoxy simply doesn’t match up with our target listeners anymore.  Worse, stations that think like that are missing a unique and lucrative opportunity to take advantage of, and profit from, this era of shifting consumer-media habits.  Accordingly, they could be limiting their success. Â
The good news about living in interesting, or tumultuous, times is that whenever the equilibrium is disturbed, there are going to interesting moments. Moments of imbalance before everything settles into a new equilibrium.  And interesting moments present interesting opportunities. Â
We are living right now through one such moment.  Seize this moment.  And win.
Social Media today is incredibly powerful. Far more powerful than your competition probably thinks it is.  Now eventually, probably sooner rather than later, everyone will catch on.  And then the window of competitive advantage will close. Â
NuVoodoo’s just-completed national study of Radio listeners 18-54 gives us some hard data about the new consumer-media landscape.  Data that we can use to navigate this unmapped terrain.  The social media data we are uncovering, and the implications for radio’s advertising tactics, will all make complete sense when you think about it.  It will all look ridiculously obvious in retrospect.  Every radio station that seized this moment in 2013, and every radio station that did not, will look back on this moment years from now with a facepalm “duh.”
Last week, we showed data about Social Media and how important it has become in the listener’s daily life.  Additionally, we showed that longer radio TSL correlates with greater attachment to Social.  We learned that Social is particularly effective at reaching the only pool of listeners who determine our success or failure.  These are the people who are willing to become radio research subjects in return for payment.  This week, let’s zoom in for a close-up.  Let’s look at the importance of Social Media in The Daily Life of Your Target Listener.  One demo cell at a time.
ÂWomen:Â Social Now Important To ALL Ages, Extreme Attachment 18-24
Two important take-aways about women: One, that Social is now very well-penetrated, and significantly important in daily lives, even through the 45-54’s.  And two, that there is a steady increase in attachment as the cells go younger, with passion exceptionally high among the 18-24’s.  There is every reason to believe that the 25+ passion and overall attachment will grow considerably more. This is a common cultural pattern, where a phenomenon starts young.  Less common where a phenomenon that started young has now permeated an entire population, with steadily growing attachment.  It’s less common still when that is happening even while passion is still running this high young.  Bet big money on the older women looking more and more like the younger ones, in the not-distant future.
Compare:Â Her Music Station:Â Consistent Importance, Regardless of Age
As this chart shows, there is no significant age skew when we ask women the importance of their favorite music radio station.  All cells look reasonably healthy, with half or more scoring their station a “4” or higher on our 1-6 scale.
Or, Compare To Morning Show:Â Less Important, Consistent Older Skew
Now, by contrast, there is a consistent age skew to morning show importance among women, in the opposite direction from Social Media importance.  And also far lower. In fact, even where morning show peaks, among the 45-54’s, Social Media already approximates or surpasses morning show in importance.
And Now the Men:Â Social Media Skews Dramatically Young; Weak On Old End
As with the women, Social Media’s daily importance has a clear age skew among men, just not the extreme passion at the young end that the women have.  As with all the cells of Women, Men 18-44 are well-attached.  What is different is that apathy toward Social Media, once common across all 25+, still runs high among the Men 45-54.  The last dinosaurs.
A Man’s Music Station: Only Slightly Less Important Than A Woman’s
There’s a similar pattern here on music station importance to what we saw among Women.  Established and not weak on the young end, and somewhat stronger as demos get older.
Morning Show Increases With Age, Much Stronger With Men 25+
Men are far more into morning shows than women.  The appeal skews older, as it does among women.  But is significantly weak only among the 18-24’s.  For 35-44’s, it is about equal to Social Media.  For 45-54’s, it is far ahead.
What this means to you
Social Media hasn’t merely “arrived.” It rivals, and in several demos, eclipses Radio, in its importance to the consumer’s daily life.  As if that weren’t enough, it is even more important to the only people who matter.  The People who Might Meter.Â
In 2013, one of the smartest decisions you can make is to commit to Social Media Marketing in a huge way.  Â
Particularly for reaching Women 18-44 and Men 18-24, it would be just nuts to ignore that the Social Sphere is fast becoming their personal-media nerve center. Especially if you are targeting these groups, a solid, Social Media campaign, at the very center of your advertising strategy, is simply an imperative. ÂAnd the moment is NOW.  Strike hard where your audience lives, and establish yourself strongly with great Social campaigns that stand out, before everybody else catches up. Â
Talk to expert marketing partners.  Talk to your consultants.  Don’t try to do this yourself.  The new tool of Social Media Marketing absolutely works, but only if you use it correctly.  Make sure you are working with someone who knows the ropes and what works and doesn’t work.  Put together a results-oriented, thorough, ongoing, strategically-placed and scheduled, campaign.  A campaign that goes much deeper and longer than just dipping your toes in the water.  A campaign that gets you into completely immersed in social media. Because that’s where you will find your target listener.  And probably not your competition.
Meanwhile, if you are targeting Men 25-44 and/or Women 45-54, by no means should you ignore social media in support of everything else you do.  Those demos (okay, maybe not the Men 45+) are already increasing in attachment to the Social Sphere.  Their attachment to it, and thus its value to you as an advertising medium, is only going to grow.
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