Last month, RSC member Cameron Snodgrass asked this very question. So for this month's Poll Question, we'd like to know:
1. Does social media pose any kind of threat to your advertiser relationships?
2. Do you integrate your clients' social media messaging with their radio advertising, and if so, how?
Please share your thoughts by replying below.
First, make sure the client understands HOW both medium works. I explain that print and social media are passive. They just show up and don't demand attention. Radio is more intrusive - if it's on, you can't help but hear it, even if it's subliminally. Useless to talk them out of social media - it's the Current Darling, so make sure they use it correctly. That way they look at you as a source instead of just another vendor hawking products. Then I make sure that the social media matches the radio. Silly to fight two separate battles with two separate messages. Refer to big guys like McD's that always say "I'm Lovin' It". If they have a phrase, include it. And anything else -- it keeps the client confiding in you, which is half the battle in itself. Most of the people selling media like social and billboards have NO idea what they're doing. They're order takers, so if you can demonstrate that you'll help no matter what medium they're using, you maintain a great relationship. Buys almost always follow.
John, you’re right. We can’t control what clients do, but we can try to educate them.
One thing I’ve tried to get them to do is post their radio commercials to social media. This isn’t as straightforward a process as sharing images or videos. For whatever reason, social media hasn’t embraced pure audio. So, we have to post links to MP3’s that have been uploaded to a website or a platform like Soundcloud or even You Tube. It’s sometimes klunky but worth the effort to repurpose their commercials in this way and in so doing, underscore the value of what we do.
First - combat the concept that social media is free. When done well, social media is time consuming - and the 'done well' is key. Is the effort engaging, are images appealing, creative and daily. This requires thought, creative construction and time. What is the time this business owner is spending worth - or are they paying an employee to do this? A small local women's clothing somewhat pricey boutique with 2 locations does exclusively FB/Twitter/Instagram. For a period of time the content was actually inspirational social-media-wise - 2 employees doing girl chat videos as they walked around the store talking into the camera about current trends and what's-hot-what's-not in a fun way. They were fun and funny and responses were many and positive. Either they left employment there or tired of it after 6-mo or so however because they are gone and now it's a barrage of 2-3x/day product pushes. Social media creativity is time-consuming. Time is money. Social media is NOT free. And realistically for businesses, it's tedious to maintain.
Second - social media only talks to people who already know about you. This is not a bad thing. These people are the most likely to do business with you because they have already done business with you. And the messaging is most effective for established namebrand retailers with introducing a new product, special limited pricing, e.g., Taco Bell, KFC, Kohl's, Lowes. This should be a part of any retail marketing because you are continuing to engage those most likely to spend money with you again. Especially since this item-category of postings requires the least creativity (time) and resources (money) on the business's part. As passive media it works best, however, in tandem with.... radio - which is masterful at driving people to websites and social media sites.
Third - radio introduces new customers to your business which is how a business grows the bottom line. This is true across retail and service categories. An ophthalmology office with an optical department... who knew? A dentist office with a practicing partner specializing in pediatric care? A hardware store with a full line of small engine equipment that also does maintenance and repairs? A lunch-dinner restaurant that now offers breakfast... say what? There are businesses with warranties and specialties and product varieties that have never actively invited people to do business with them. People like to be invited. They like to know what to expect when they get there. Radio is invasive. Radio introduces people to products and ideas before they know they need or want them - and when people make that decision they now know where to find those products and ideas because they heard about it on the radio.
Fourth - businesses cannot control their social media presence. This is the same argument to a business owner who claims that word of mouth is how he markets his business. Algorithms on the platforms change constantly and without notice - limiting access to customers and customers to the business, messaging parameters and limitations, et al. Comments and reviews on any business social media platform can be countered if vigilantly watched for - not so on 3rd party platforms. Talk to any restaurant, hotel, venue, doctor/dentist, whatever - the online review/rating platforms can be a nightmare. There are companies for hire that have expertise in 'managing' online presence of a business for this precise reason. With radio, every business has 100% control of the messaging, the frequency, the daypart, the format/demographic choices. 100%. Every. Day. All day.
The upshot is: should businesses participate in social media. Absolutely. Today it's a necessity of doing business. Should businesses rely on social media to maintain and grow. No. Never. Nyet. Growing the share of mind of a business within a category is precisely what. radio. does. And radio does it better than any other media.
With that said, we sell digital products to enhance the radio and other marketing that clients do - not to replace it. By business category and by market, each business needs to find the mix of media that is most effective for what they want to achieve. Radio is such an effective partner to other mediums that it is in all we present while acknowledging to clients that today social media/online presence is essential but will not work exclusively.
Hope this helps.
at March 10, 2023 9:05 AM PST
