Social Media Buzz

User Friendly Radio: It's not just about tuning in any more...

by Scott Burnett

So... the internet. I know right? It kind of changed everything. It's the pinnacle of the information age as we know it and it's brought the people from all corners of the globe together in a very intimate way. Sometimes it's beautiful. Sometimes it's offensive. But you've got to admit, either way, it's pretty fascinating.

As you could probably tell, I'm not going to go into current trends or happenings in the social media world because there needs to be some focus on us in radio to remember what an integral roll social media plays in the success of our industry today. Without it, a station simply cannot compete with other stations using some of the countless sites, apps and connections everyone has access to and uses every day, and now, in the palm of their hand. It's hard to imagine a time not too long ago when we didn't have Facebook or Twitter, or to go back just a few years, the internet.

Think of that. No internet. 20 years isn't that long and look where we are now: more pictures of cats than any normal human being can handle.

Lets start by throwing some numbers up in a pretty graph to get the ball rolling:

Source:http://dialog.scarborough.com/index.php/radio-stations-tune-in-to-their-fans-on-social-media/

These number from 2011 are telling us there's a healthy population of people listening to the radio that use some sort of social networking and depending on the format of the station. With the insane amount of people getting on things like Instagram or Twitter each year, I can imagine these numbers might even be a bit low for 2013 and growing steadily.

What else we got?

Source:http://trends.e-strategyblog.com/2013/05/10/radio-listeners-social-media-use/11067

Almost 80% of people in the US who listen to the radio use Facebook. That stat speaks volumes alone on why it's so important for a station to adopt a religious outlook on using social media as a way to connect.

Radio has become an interactive medium. Gone are the days of simply tuning in and listening. Your audience wants to participate and precident has been set. You need to reach them and give them some reason to feel like they're a part of the process. The internet has given people a sense of entitlement and you must deliver.

Mind you it's so easy, why wouldn't you?

Banner Image Source:http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/10/12/third-uk-social-media-users-dont-use-facebook-twitter-youtube-flickr-pinterest
Man Texting Image Source:http://www.human-habits.com/how-to-keep-remote-workers-from-driving-you-crazy/