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Just Give The Fans What They Want
March 3, 2015
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As great brands, we no longer operate in the "era of entitlement." It is now the "era of earn." We have to work at proving our worth in everyone's social lives every day.
And learning ways to earn the fans' attention should be an ongoing quest.
As a member of the agenda committee for Country Radio Seminar, my sole purpose is to bring together some of the best in social media so that we can all continue to learn.
This year's panel, "Move People To Move The Needle," was a home run; filled with actionable takeaways and even some "holy crap" moments for attendees. I specifically choose speakers who believe that every person counts -- and do their best to use social to make fans feel something.
It all started with my friend, Christy Amador, Senior Communications Manager/Coca- Cola's Ambassador Program and Global Interactive Marketing Strategist/Coca-Cola.
She touched on the principles that guide Coke's social mission: "to inspire moments of optimism and happiness."
She noted that Coca-Cola comes at content and their social behavior from the fans' point of view first and foremost -- a great lesson for radio:
Christy also talked about how the 'Share A Coke' campaign was not just wildly shared all over the social platforms; it reversed a decade long decline in Coke consumption and increased sales by 2% in the States.
Noting that there is a correlation between social campaigns and increased sales -- but only when it's about the fan, and not the brand directly.
Alex Restrepo, Digital/Social Manager for the New Orleans Saints spoke next.
Alex talked about why connecting with fans one at a time, or in fragmented chunks on smaller platforms like Snapchat, matters.
In this way, you're conditioning younger fans to interact with you socially, keeping your station a part of their daily habits, building on the long term health of the brand.
Suzanne Durham, Social Media Manager/Tour Liason for Toby Keith Management, then talked about how fans light up with excitement when Toby acknowledges them and how they share these moments with their friends - ultimately strengthening a heritage brand.
To prove her point, Suzanne asked the packed room to tweet Toby so they could feel that similar excitement of being acknowledged by an artist they enjoy.
And sure enough -- Toby gave audience members a tip of the hat:
Rounding out the session was Brian Thomas, Corporate Program Director/NASH-FM New York. Brian is great at using social to create those "holy crap" moments I often talk about.
He shared how he shocked a listener recently who tweeted about how she drove 2.5 hours in the snow to see Country artist Sam Hunt. He saw her tweet, happened to have two tickets available, and was able to surprise her with tickets and backstage passes.
I have always believed that using social to create unexpected memorable moments is one of the key ways radio can differentiate itself from all types of competitors, so this was a really great example.
Brian also shared how he and his staff post socially -- no memes -- just stunning visuals:
Bottom line: Social is an opportunity to show your brand's soul and make the audience feel like they matter.
Otherwise, you're just a commodity in the social space, something we can all get anywhere else.
On April 22--24 at the Worldwide Radio Summit in Hollywood, I am bringing together a few more great minds to talk social and how they connect with fans. One of the speakers will be Tressie Lieberman, who has nailed the Millennial voice for Taco Bell's social and digital assets.
If you study social media, you know Taco Bell is a leader in making social an inclusionary space -- a fun exchange between the brand and the fan. She is someone we will all learn from.
Reach out to me anytime on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.
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