Winning Requires Discipline And Intelligence

Finding and constantly (several times weekly!) connecting with all of the heavy radio users in your metro who are research-responsive - especially ones who are open to trying your radio station - is an expensive but extremely powerful tactic employed by almost all market-leading radio brands.

If you're not one of them, perhaps this could be why?

Tough Truth

Both Republicans and Demoncrats are aggressively using social media trying to convince swing voters. 

It isn't working. 

Social media is a wonderful tool to connect you to your biggest fans, but it's not working very well - especially banner ads - to change anyone's mind. 

The lesson for radio:  sure, try hard to maximize the size of your Facebook and Twitter communities, to make use of those people who know about and want to interact/engage with you to reach their friends who may be a lot like them (and, thus, YOU).

Truth:  don't expect asking folks to 'like' you or 'follow' you will grow your cume very much. 

It's content that draws new listeners and social media fans. 

Focus on creating interesting, entertaining, engaging content.

Maybe Facebook Is Dead

Can you think of any company more out of touch with their consumer than a credit bureau?

Yet here is their SM attempt. I "heart" Trans-Union?

If you're not in Social Media marketing with both feet by now, I'd call that proof that everyone else in the world but you is.

Radio Companies Are Marketing Again

Once upon a time two or three very high profile TV production companies dominated both the NAB Radio Show hospitality suites and the exhibit hall floor.

Today, as a number of high profile radio programmers churn out music video-based TV spots for radio on their home computer, stations invite listeners to create spots for them via You Tube, every small town cable TV operation has the high-tech video/audio production bells and whistles that used to cost millions, TV production companies appear to be no-shows at the 2011 NAB.

However, at the risk of leaving out someone I may have missed yesterday I won't mention names, but I have run into at least eight different direct/interactive marketing for radio suppliers demonstrating impressive state of the art multi-media resources which are laden with innovative smart mobile, email internet and address-based geo- and values-targeted direct mail database-driven tricks which promote usage, regularity and relevancy not even the largest radio companies have in-house.

Lesson 1: if you're not marketing in some way, there are at least eight other stations in town which these folks are trying to sell new tactics which are designed to hurt your ratings shares.

Lesson 2: (from someone who has made this mistake): never market a poor product. Nothing will kill it faster than great marketing.

Lesson 3: if you have anything but a terrific product, you're especially vulnerable to lesson 1. It's called being a sitting duck.

The Label Speaks

As you may have heard Monday, Katie Armiger’s website was hacked and over 65,000 emails went out that were offensive and vulgar. Music City Networks has fixed the security breach and hopefully this won’t happen to any other artist.

We know who did it and we have his online confession. Lang Scott, CEO of Music City Networks and Katie are filing charges with the Nashville Police Department today.

The hacker’s email targeted Katie’s fans and did not target country radio. Katie is the world’s biggest sweetheart and wants all of her friends and supporters at country radio to know that she loves and cherishes their outpouring of support and well wishes through this malicious attack.

Pete O'Heeron
President
Cold River Records
Cell: 281-961-0481
www.katiearmiger.com

Everyone's Nightmare

A cautionary tale, in three screen shots:

• Protect your access codes and passwords.
• Change them right now and on a routine basis.
• Be prepared with a plan when this happens to you and me, as - very likely - it will at some point in the future.

I Don't Know Bill & Jillian. Same With Christine Mac Shane. Don't Want To, Either.

And, maybe they are real nice folks, working for fine businesses.


Obviously, they want me to "like" them, but why would I?

Just because they want me to?

Get a clue, people. Radio is one to one. Has been for years. The days of "broadcasting" to a "mass audience" ended decades ago.

Social networks only work "one" to "one."

If you're "announcing" on Twitter, Facebook, et al and you've looked at your competition's ratings, cume, size of their community, followers and they do it as well, maybe you can still get away with "yelling" at people you want to be drawn to you.

For awhile, maybe.

If, on the other hand, you'd like to have more influence on more new people, consider this:

The Interactive Media Action Plan

A&O is delighted to have Daniel Anstandig, recently recognized by Billboard Magazine as one of the top five innovators in media and the President of McVay New Media addressing our Pre-CRS client seminar on Tuesday, February 23.

“In 2010, the difference between hitting your budget and not hitting your budget will be interactive advertising. Many of our clients have rewritten job descriptions of key managers in the organization, revised bonus structures to include interactive audience and revenue benchmarks, and adjusted programming and promotions to include on-air and online elements together. Program Directors have been transformed into brand managers. Sellers have been transformed into Client Solutions Specialists, developing marketing plans for their clients that include on-air, online, and on-the-go (mobile) components. The bottom line is that we are still in the business of selling access to audience, whether the audience is on the other side of a radio, computer screen, or mobile phone/PDA.”

...one more reason to RSVP now!

Three Reasons Radio FAILS At Social Media

Long-time music and radio marketing whiz Beth Warren says that very few radio stations are using social media well.

Most aren’t using it at all.

In this economy and the state that terrestrial radio is in, you THINK they’d be all over it.. after all, more listeners = more ratings = more money. But they aren’t. They are either just not bothering or they are doing it poorly.

For three reasons (click to read her blog post on them):

1. Radio does not engage.
2. Radio doesn’t promote itself.
3. Radio vastly underestimates Social Media’s value.

Warren points out that of over 12 THOUSAND radio stations in the United States but only 121 of them are on Twitter. (http://radioontwitter.com/)

Radio, Outdoor Rates Down Compared To Last Year

The good news is: a) we're not alone and b) though the first half of 2009 has drops in ad spending across all media—even online— advertisers are more optimistic about the latter part of the year, according to JPMorgan.

The bad news is: Ad pricing is down across the board, as the majority of media buyers and planners reported they were paying less in 2009 than the previous year for ads across all media. Nine out of 10 respondents said prices had gone down for radio and outdoor, while 85% reported the same for magazines and newspapers.

Synergy

Five months after CBS created the "Interactive Music Group," and four months after Jay McCarthy joined Tim McGraw's organization comes yesterday's impressive announcement about the multi-channel leverage being applied to Tim's upcoming appearance on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN:

McGraw will perform an exclusive “Live on Letterman” webcast concert from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Monday, Oct. 12, following the taping of his appearance.

This CBS Interactive Music Group event will be promoted across and broadcast on several CBS assets, as the concert will be streamed on the LATE SHOW website at CBS.com that evening at approximately 8:00 PM, ET/5:00 PM, PT, and will also be featured live on-air and online on CBS RADIO country music stations across the country.

Additionally, live and on-demand video of the concert will be available on CBS properties including Last.fm, mp3.com, TV.com, etonline.com and theinsider.com, as well as the CBS Television Station websites, among others.

Jay, I see your fingerprints all over this. Of course, no one person can make something this big happen, but I've been watching for what you've been doing.

Thanks for already teaching us by example how to maximise impact, using every single outlet and input we have access to now.

It's great to see "a country radio guy" grow into something much more, helping us all as you have done so.