Seven Ways Media Companies Can Rock at Social -- Radha Subramanyam, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment

The media industry has undergone a profound transformation in how we engage our audience Now with the mass adoption of Internetconnected devices and social platforms companies can instantly access millions of people at once and this unprecedented shift has huge implications for media companies Social complements the radio request line and listeners are encouraged to respond in real time via posts texts or tweets Similarly comment threads on websites enable readers to share their thoughts immediatelyFor media executives itamp8217s especially critical to keep up with how audiences choose to communicate To succeed in this ecosystem companies must rethink their internal organization as well as their overall business operations if they39re truly committed to bringing social media to the forefront Hereamp8217s how1 Give every personality a voiceAt Clear Channel weamp8217re able to speak to our diverse audiences in a number of ways Through our national brand our local radio personalities our digital platform and the artists we work with We embrace the plethora of voices available to us and the diversity that they bring to our social presence Showcasing many perspectives and reaching a variety of audiences through individual Twitter handles Instagram feeds and personalized wall posts is an important differentiator so use it to your advantage2 Encourage authenticityIssuing a script and asking everyone to disseminate via social does not work While there may be some key points that need emphasis talent and social media staff need to speak in their own personal voices With talent artist or DJs it is essential that the content the frequency and the social channel are all authentic and natural to how the person likes to communicate with their fans3 Use the Big Three Social PlatformsItamp8217s not enough to create a hashtag place it at the bottom of a TV screen and hope that people will use it Rather authentic engagement requires a thoughtful strategy and targeted execution To succeed at social media companies must build a presence on multiple channels starting with the Big Three social platforms Facebook Twitter and Instagram Each of these platforms allows you to connect with your audiences in unique ways Facebook is the amp8220branding voiceamp8221 because itamp8217s the most effective medium for your company to release consumerfacing news Twitter is great for the amp8220individual voiceamp8221 as it allows personalities to engage with their audience through short snappy dialogues The amp8220visual voiceamp8221 is Instagram where itamp8217s important to capture the aesthetic that best reflects the look and feel of your company and its representatives4 Match the content to the platformEach of the channels above offers the opportunity to tap into a new voice and cater to different audiences For example Facebook reaches an older demographic than Instagram Twitter acts as middle ground in terms of age demographics and its brevity lends itself to short timesensitive news items like announcing a contest or quickly interacting with fans Instagram skews younger so itamp8217s optimal for reaching todayamp8217s youth amp8211 especially since theyamp8217re comfortable in a visualfirst world Your Instagram presence should be highly polished featuring thoughtful images that convey a style that matches with your overall brand5 Embrace organic momentsWe can learn a lot from Oreoamp8217s epic Super Bowl tweet not the least of which is that being nimble on social media has huge rewards Capitalizing on the biggest news of the moment whether a fashion faux pas or a power failure will drive interactions and engagement across all channels By taking advantage of unexpected live moments youamp8217ll create a more memorable presence Remember social is not nine to five amp8211 itamp8217s 2476 Respond in a timely fashionNot responding to a consumer on a social platform is like not picking up the phone amp8211 yet surprisingly some companies arenamp8217t making this connection A 2012 study by STELLA Service found that of the top 25 retailers on Twitter only two amp8211 Zappos and LL Bean amp8211 replied to 100 of daily customer service questions in a 45day period Social is the new customer service line and users appreciate prompt responses By addressing comments and complaints immediately youamp8217ll win more followers friends likes and brand ambassadors7 Look for the next big thingAt iHeartRadio weamp8217re bullish on using new platforms to reach our fans and listeners and we continue to experiment with emerging social media sites like Tumblr Vine Pinterest and Flipboard For example the iHeartRadio Music Festival earlier this year generated 23 billion impressions double vs prior year We also leveraged Instagram in 2013 and generated significant buzz as a result This photosharing experience accounted for 23 of all social media activity as compared to less than 1 in 2012 As you begin to expand your social presence look to young urban audiences to help you identify the next big thing as they are often ahead of the curve Itamp8217s best to hedge your bets early If the site reaches the mainstream your brandamp8217s presence is already established if it fades shift your energies elsewhere Social platforms are becoming more vital to businesses every day and itamp8217s imperative that you craft a strategy that works for your companyIf youamp8217re able to follow these seven tips youamp8217ll be well on your way to becoming one of the best in the industryRadha Subramanyam is a seasoned media and entertainment executive with a significant track record as a leader in Media Research and Consumer Insights She is one of the few individuals in Media who has worked in TV Digital Radio and Social media Her experience in these various media forms spans the Programming Marketing and Advertising Sales aspects of the business She is a visible speaker at events around the country and the world Radha can be reached at radhasubramanyamclearchannelcom Read all Clear Channel39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Clear Channel Check us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates at MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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Seven Ways Media Companies Can Rock at Social -- Radha Subramanyam, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment

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