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NEW SHERIFF……IN DIGITAL TOWN .. by Jimmy Risk
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There's a new sheriff
in digital town. It's name is "Community". The dictionary definition
reads; "A body of people living in the same place, under the same
laws". However, the digital definition today resides in a new container of self
expression called a social networking site housing communities of people
who are the driving force of content rather than the old media served
way.
The current social networking phenomenon is one great opportunity for
radio to increase, quantify, and monetize an audience. This listener wants
to express themselves with multidimensional, multimedia depth via, text,
photos audio/video to a degree that is not possible in the current structure
of email and IM. In the near future, people will ask for, and share, their
social network addresses as readily as email and phone numbers because
it is where they will recreate online. This digital form of self expression
cuts across gender and demo while these members quickly realize that the
service belongs to them as they, rather than you, create and distribute
various forms of content.
RADIO'S EDGE in a NEW UNIVERSE
While it's true that MySpace and Facebook have pioneered this space, there
is plenty of room for a local digital competitor with reach and frequency
and the ability to contest. After all, MySpace cannot tell you every hour
that you can win $5000.00 by joining it's social network. The local radio
station, more than any form of media, has been a social network of sorts
to generations of people. Newspapers and television, never touch the sensory
human nerve that radio is famous for. This is the perfect opportunity
for radio to house this community under it's dial position and website
address, providing an opportunity of social and small business networking
for an existing and new radio audience. It is also an opportunity for
radio to reclaim the hipness factor. What if someone found your radio
station through a social network that had a bunch of cool tools?
NEW SHERIFF of REVENUE and RULES
MySpace always ranked higher than Google for page views, but severely
lagged in dollars because advertisers put more credence in a quantifiable
web search than someone displaying personal photo's. However, blogs changed
the entire equation when they became a powerful new medium that successfully
challenged traditional media for the time and attention of people. You
Tube and user generated video dramatically changed the equation about
WHO is director of programming in the world. So while the deck is being
reshuffled, it is a perfect time for radio's massive cume to experiment
with video and social networking provides the right opportunity as long
as there is a clear set of rules and values.
The safety of any community is always assured by a watchful police force.
In the case of a social network, the radio station must adhere to this
role for legal and branding reasons. As with any community, there must
be a clear set of rules governing this new initiative. Message boards
and blogs alone can degrade the culture and ultimately the reputation
of your station. It must be understood on your site that freedom of speech
has implied responsibility for using it. Still, station oversight will
be needed in this new era of communication.
This is an opportunity for every format to grab mindshare in it's given
niche. Local ratings and revenue is there for the taking by leveraging
a parallel universe of digital bodies under an umbrella known as a social
network.
Jimmy Risk is President
and founder of Loyal Ears (www.LoyalEars.com)
a developer of dynamic software and radio’s oldest loyalty vendor,
serving American, Canadian, British and Hispanic radio properties. Jimmy
can be reached 586 336 9903 or jimmy@LoyalEars.com.
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