TWITTER THIS, TWITTER THAT

We’ve been posting quite a few pieces on TWITTER lately, but it’s the entire buzz. Now radio has gotten on the bandwagon, late of course. Country radio is doing a decent job with tweets to the peeps. There is a lot of appointment setting for contests and morning show material, which if it’s interesting and acceptable to the life group, it’s a good thing. Beverlee Brannigan, Operations Manager of Journal Wichita and PD of KFDI tells me they are getting into following the artists and talking about it on the air. This is all it takes to start the on air connection to what’s happening with TWITTER and Country radio. She was laughing as we chatted about Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, The George Burns and Gracie Allen of Twitterdom. Twang beer salt and smackin’ the kid at Wendy’s is funny stuff. Nashville news will be a thing of the past, why will we care about a morning show telling us what Taylor Swift wore on the show last night, she’ll tell us with Tweets. Label rep TWITTER PATTER AWARD goes to Lois Lewis of Republic/Nashville. She has the best up-dates on the road and visiting stations and towns. Then there’s the cool Sugarland promotions in markets where they are performing. Tweets to the fan base to win tickets, passes and merchandise. Direct marketing the band to the Twiitterbase. Damon Moberly Doctor of Promotion for Mercury tells me “Shani is thinking out of the box with the Sugarland promotions on social media and we would love radio to be involved”. Gloriana is talking to their fan base about performances and how there song is doing on New Music Challenge features in markets they’re in. Ol’ T-Byrd is tweeting too – Here’s the top Country artists hittin Twitter: Darrius, Sugarland, Dierks, Glorianna, Carter Twins, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Zona Jones, Randy Houser, Luke Bryan, Jimmy Wayne. Bob Glasco, former VP/Rusty Walker Programming Consultants says “Now radio has to be involved with these artist to fan bases, by listing all of the artists Twitter accounts on their websites”. KNIX Phoenix is onto something with FOLLOW FRIDAY. They post all their followers/following and talk about them. Winner gets a $100 Wal-Mart Gift Certificate. Austin and I were doing this at KQSR Yuma, blending Twitter into the workplace and talking to the followers on the air and in sweepers. Bob also chimes in “There needs to be a balance between funny, comedic quips and information, even trivia and fun postings”. We have to stop telling people what salad dressing we’ve ordered. That is what’s killing Facebook. The content on social media sites needs to be entertaining, cohesive, fun and pungent. Think of it as on the air content and manage it like talent breaks.