Sunday 15 May 2011

Why radio stations will always be better at social networking than TV stations.

Trawling through the myriad of media Facebook and Twitter presences I could find, it is becoming clear to me that radio stations have a far better grasp of the power of social media than newspapers or TV stations or programmes.
And there's an obvious reason why they get it - community is in their DNA.
Social Networking ticks when the company trying to start it knows they have to have a conversation with the other people on the page.
Radio has always been a conversational medium. It's never been a broadcaster in the true sense of the word, because it has engaged people as a core part of its output, where television and newspapers restrict where the viewers'/Readers' voices can be heard and have only recently become interactive media.
The other reason why radio stations do social networking better than other media is because they have always been embedded in a community. They know what it is like to live in the area where they broadcast, so they know what to say to people to spark a social conversation.
With radio stations, it's all about a two-way conversation, and that is why it always looks like social networks works for them.
Now, whether that means radio will become worse over time as more local stations merge into national brands, only time will tell.
There is a danger of that. However, community doesn't just refer to a geographical space bit also a common interest. That is why stations like Jazzfm are able to use social networks effectively, despite being a national (arguably global) station. They have a community of jazz enthusiasts they can connect with.
Now, don't get me wrong. There are some abysmal attempts at social networking by radio stations. But the level of them compared to the amount if dross you find from TV companies is far less.

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