When I mention this technique, I usually get blank stares. And then, clients start taking notes.
If you've done a commercial and your client actually has a website...have them post their new commercial to their Facebook page. Facebook will not natively publish an audio file. It has to be a link from somewhere else. (Your clients website.)
Steps.
Give your client an mp3 file format of the spot. Have their web person FTP the spot to their web server.
Doesn't matter where, just as long as it resides on their web server.
This will result in a weblink. Example: http://www.mywebsitename/commercialname.mp3
Once the file is on the webserver, the client can go to their Facebook page and add that link to their status. (With whatever other verbiage they want to write.)
Facebook's servers will internally process the mp3 file into a FLASH audio file. A little audio player will show up on the Facebook page, and the commercial will play. You can easily rename the file prior to publishing it. For example, if the name of the file is JOHNSBIGBASH2022221.mp3, that will be what is displayed as the filename on Facebook. Rename it to something more appropriate...like "Big_Johns_Tax_Sale.mp3" before your client adds it to their webserver.
(On Facebook, underscores = spaces in a file name.) The title result on Facebook would read
Big Johns Tax Sale
This gives you an opportunity to "add value" to their commercial...get more mileage out of the creative asset that has been produced...and will make you knowledgeable about new media, using "Old media."
If your client does web stat analysis, they can review the web stats of their main site and see exactly how many times people "listened to their radio commercial" on Facebook.
As an AE, you are not expected to do this technical work. All you have to do is mention it... and have your client's web people do the work. Would take 5 minutes to do this on both ends...yours...and the web person's posting time. Very simple.
Try it.
Here's a screenshot of what this technique would end up looking like on FB. (For example purposes only. Taken from one of my posts around Christmas.)
Awesome post, Mike - thanks for sharing this!
One thing I'd mention, for any client that does NOT have a website (or who has a Facebook business page instead of a website): my dad, Rod, introduced me to the AudioBoo website (www.audioboo.fm), that lets you register and create a profile for free, then upload audio files that can then be shared on Facebook.
Thanks again for your post - neat idea!
Mike -
Thanks for sharing a valuable tip. As Rebecca mentioned, I've been using Audioboo.fm (a UK-based firm) for this purpose over the past year or two, as have a number of my clients at my instigation. Recently I've seen people using another free service called Sound Cloud for the same purpose. A more cumbersome technique involves uploading the audio to You Tube and sharing that link.
However one may choose to share commercials on Facebook, I think it's a great way to extend an advertiser's reach and pride of ownership in his/her radio campaign.
We've been doing this with bits from our shows, using SoundCloud. This is one of those great "if it were a bee it would have stung me" ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Glad to see this topic, thanks for posting it Mike. As I see it, WE, (Radio) need to be helping our clients with their social media, not selling them against it.
Rod Schwartz turned me on to audioboo a while back and since then I've helped a few of our station clients automatically feed their advertisers commercials to their client's facebook account via RSS feeds and audioboo.
This is great, because it showcases the great production of your station on Facebook and it allows the fan base of your client to virally spread their radio commercial when they click "Like".
Here's how we've had some success.
#1. Build a distinct audioboo(like youtube for audio) page for your client..distict with their website, location, logo and phone #. You control it on their behalf..when your production team produces your new copy, you upload the MP3 on your clients audioboo page. Here's an example of ours http://audioboo.fm/radiomuscle
#2. Get your client to make you one of the "Admin's of their facebook "Fan Page"
#3. Authorize an app called "RSS Graffiti"...search for it in "APPS" and you'll find it.(you have to do this once)
#4. Paste in the RSS page of your clients audioboo page that you created. (RSS feed pages provided free with every audioboo account...you have to do this once) Here's ours feed://audioboo.fm/users/57568/boos.rss
#5. Upload your institutional and on-going promotional ads as your client approves them. This will automatically post on their facebook fan page wall if you've set it up properly. If you get really clever, you can credit the station and link your station's facebook page with the @KXYZ function or simply post "Here's the latest from Jackson Hole Casino and Lodge courtesy of KXYZ." This is a nice way to show case that your station can help other small businesses with their social marketing. Here'our FB page which features various ads we write for our station clients across the country http://www.facebook.com/radiomuscleseattle . We use the exact method outlined here.
I think social media updates should be bundled into every annual advertising campaign sold on every station. If you try this and get stuck, feel free to send me a message via my Radio Sales Cafe page and I'll gladly walk you through setting this up for your client.
Blake
Thanks for the tips, Blake. I've been listening to the ads on your audioboo page. I LOVE that Taco Time ad.
HA! My little boy (Max - 7) came to work with dad today because he was off for MLK day. We're gearing up for a big jingle project at the office so I was doing V/O's all morning. He was after me all day to let him make a commercial. After lunch (taco time) I let him in the booth. I helped him produce it, but he was clearly in the directors seat!
This week after selling a new client, I counseled them about their website...changes they should make before the commercials start running on Monday. I explained they should add the commercial to the website etc. Well, they did. (Nice.) They also changed the front header on their site. (Again, nice.) On the other hand, they ALSO scanned the entire front cover of my radio marketing proposal and put THAT on their website as well. LOL. It's nice when clients listen to what you have to say, but I had to call them back and "recommend" they take that off. (which they did.) Imagine my surprise when I saw my proposal on that site. LOL.
Update. I think Facebook has stopped supporting their inline audio player. This is disappointing to me. If that is the case, (and it isn't simply a technical issue they are having) then all my directions above will be useless. I have used this method for years.....so I hope they have not simply stopped the inline audio support. Kinda looks like it though. I've sent them a trouble ticket. No word, thusfar.
