Integration Key to Radio’s Social Media Plan!

an article about our very own Jessica Northey in Inside Radio today.

FROM INSIDE RADIO TODAY:
Before diving headfirst into Twitter, Facebook and other social networking platforms, stations should first develop a coherent social strategy, social media practitioners say.   That “passion map” can guide station’s success.

“A lot of stations have multiple talent pages in addition to a Facebook page but they’re often-times not connected,” Matt Fischer said last week at the Arbitron Client Conference. “What’s the cohesive strategy that brings them all together and gives the staff a roadmap on how to use this?” Borrowing social media best practices from the consumer products industry, Fischer suggest stations first build a “passion map” to guide their social strategy. Using aggregation tools to collect information about the topics that most interest the station audience, the map would align those interests with brand objectives. Once a roadmap has been established, expanding station reach via social platforms is easy, according to SocialMediologist Jessica Northey, who has more than 100,000 followers on Twitter.  “If your target is soccer moms, then be there when they are,” Northey said at the Jacobs Media Summit. “Hit them after they’ve taken the kids to school, gone to Starbucks and are at home watching ‘The View.’”

One of Social Media’s greatest challenges, according to Northey, is “how to make yourself interesting online,” particularly within Twitter’s 140 character limitation. For air personalities, one solution is using social media to reflect their own unique personalities and interests. Cross-promotion of social media through other station channels can help build reach, Northey says.  “Follow me at...” messages can be displayed on the backs of station vehicles, t-shirts, bumper stickers, business cards and letterhead. “Actively seek out others to engage with you and cross-promote social media platforms with each other,” Northey says. For example, cross-plug Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the station website.