Social Media: Just A Hobby?
Written Nov. 16, 2009 by Tom Webster in Social Networking with 5 Comments
I am a big fan of Greater Media CEO Peter Smyth's monthly column, From the Corner Office. It would be wonderful for the radio industry if all of broadcasting's top executives were out there, passionately telling their stories to both external and internal audiences. I've also had the pleasure of working for several Greater Media stations over the years, and have always come away impressed with their vision and commitment to local talent.
In this month's column, Smyth asks a crucial question about social media: is it a hobby, or a business? On the one hand, he clearly notes that "the listeners' world is changing, and we cannot be afraid to change ours to keep pace." On the other, he openly wonders that if the "midday talent friends people on Facebook [and] the night jock Twitters every 20 minutes [it may show] great personal initiative, but what does it do for the station’s relationship with the listeners?"
Smyth doesn't definitively come down either on the side of hobby or business, though references to "gizmos," practicing golf swings and manicuring front lawns seems to tip his hand somewhat. He is absolutely right to note that "If we keep adding [new social media tools] without specific goals or focus, we end up with a patchwork of gizmos, none of which is innovatively or consistently utilized in support of the overall station brand. What can happen is that staffers pursue their individual passions and hobbies but lose track of the station’s goals."
So, is social media a hobby that drains valuable time from already-overworked employees? Or is there a clear path to turning social media into revenue for broadcasters? The answer to that one, like so many other interesting business challenges, is "neither." No one yet has the answers in social media--I sure don't. But I know that the act of relating to our listeners where they are today--building relationships online through the tools and platforms our listeners are using--can never be a fruitless activity.
The confounding issue here is getting caught up in the tools; the "patchwork of gizmos" Smyth refers to. Will Twittering make it as a mainstream behavior? Dunno--maybe, maybe not. Will Facebook be around forever? What does last forever? (Ask MySpace). Bill Gates famously questioned Google as a business back in 2003--think he'd like a mulligan on that one?
Sure, the tools may come and go--quickly. But here is what I do know--regardless of the suite of tools in use at any one time, the desire for people to connect with people online isn't going away. Ever. Sites and services may come and go, but social media as a window into human business is not going away. Not to have a strategy for this tectonic shift in consumer behavior is not only not "skating to where the puck is going," it's refusing to skate to where it is. Almost half of all Americans have a profile on at least one social network--and building a profile isn't just simply visiting a page, it's actually doing a little work! Facebook had almost 130 million unique visitors last month. Today, one in four page views on the Internet is a Facebook page. Social media isn't the future. It's the now.
Social media is not just the key to conversational marketing, it's the key to building deeper relationships with listeners, and we need to do that in order to leverage those relationships into action for our advertisers. With Facebook, and not Google, fast becoming the Internet's home page, radio cannot afford to just wait this one out. Conversations between middle of the bell curve Americans--moms and dads, grandparents, your listeners--are taking place today, every day, on social media sites. If radio doesn't make social media engagement a business priority today, the industry risks further online irrelevance. Is the path to profitability clear? No. But that isn't stopping Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and thousands of other social media sites from building relationships now and becoming the arbiters of the game. In a year's time, any smartphone-equipped American will be able walk down the street and ask their phone where they should have lunch, and be treated instantly to a myriad of opt-in, hyperlocal offers from advertisers eager to cut out the middleman--that's you. Social media is the key to having those customers engage with you, and retaining your role as drivers of traffic, sales, and bums in seats.
All of that idle frittering away of time on social networks should have clear purpose, however, and in that Smyth is right to question how radio's people spend their time. But the answer is not to dismiss these activities, it's to develop a clear social media strategy--now--and to pursue it vigorously. The relationship is currency, and every idle tweet contributes to that relationship, either positively or negatively. The industry cannot respond to that by closing the channel. Human business in 2009 is all about your listeners and your advertisers being able to connect with your station--whenever, and wherever they choose, not you. I've noted before in this space that the incremental time cost of adding one more social network or social media tool is negligible thanks to all the web services out there to help with managing updates and profiles. Which ones should radio place its bets on? All of them. Listeners expect to be able to find you wherever they are, not where you are blasting. Social media broke the snow globe of traditional broadcasting, and the flakes aren't going to go back into the glass. It's up to radio to chase after every one it can, wherever they may fall.
It'll be hard work, and radio certainly doesn't have a head start. So, we can continue to ask the hobby vs. business question, or we can recognize that it's a false choice, and act now to build relationships online. For me, that's my hobby...and my business.
Reader Comments
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Mr Smyth is totally on the right track.
In fact - he needs to call naked emperor on another time wasting, distracting gizmo - the telephone.
I know all our listeners have and use phones. They might even call our DJ's directly (the gall!) but what does this phone "interaction" thing really do for our station's brand and profitability?
Before we go willy nilly into this new fangled high tech phone thing - shouldn't we be asking "how can we monetize this interaction" before we consider even answering the phone?
Bravo, Mr Smyth!
Tom, well said, as ever. Let me follow your lead and also begin by expressing an admiration for Peter and his outfit. "Social networks are the real deal" so said Jeff Cole during his presentation yesterday at the Future of News Summit hosted by Minnesota Public Radio in St Paul. As you and your readers may know, Jeff is a highly respected research professor and Director of The Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School. His understanding of digital issues runs deep, he also founded, and continues to direct, the World Internet Project, a long-term longitudinal research initiative. Moreover, Jeff is known for his measured outlook, his thoughtful and cogent pov.
Peter is right to question social networks given the context of their use case most often in evidence today at the station level. My suggestion, confirmed by recent experience, is the majority of broadcasters are "playing" with social networks without the essential benefits gained by having a well-crafted strategy.
Those serious about making the best of this brave new digital world will be advantaged by some homework. Please allow me to recommend a reading (or perhaps rereading) of Clayton M Christensen's outstanding book The Innovator's Dilemma. Further, pick up a copy of this year's "missing manual" The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web by Tamar Weinberg. In closing, let me offer the notion that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube et al, are (more likely than not) just crude tools on our way to the really interesting stuff - welcome to the conversation and the world of perpetual beta.
I don’t think the question whether social media is a business or a hobby is as relevant as asking how the tactic of social media (because that is what most people mean when they talk about it) fits into an overall digital marketing strategy. Social media is an excellent engagement tool and engaging with your customers is a great idea, but unless you have a clear strategy of what you want to achieve and where you want that engagement to go then all you are doing is passing time.
There is a lot of talk at the moment about digital media in general being too tactics based to ever take the position as lead agency for a client, and I think the reason for it is that the individual disciplines that make up digital media have always had a tactical focus whether it was search, web design, email, social media, display advertising, analytics or whatever. It's only when you look beyond the tactics and link everything up into a cohesive strategy that it makes sense and starts to earn revenue. A
nother person commented about the telephone and exactly the same argument applies. If the phone is there and anyone can use it for anything then it is just a tool to waste time on, but people don’t do that (well they shouldn't), instead they call business colleagues and ring them with a goal in mind, it might be a sale, or it might be a request for product. The point is that it has a point and is part of an overall strategic solution to doing business. Social Media and every aspect of the interactive marketing mix should be treated in exactly the same way.
We can never forget that social media isn't about the technology, it's about the people. Once we see it's about the people (some of whom are called listeners) the value becomes obvious.
I was stunned this summer when (former Greater Media employee) Tim Stansky and I were the only two
broadcast radio people attending PodCampBoston4. Peter Smyth's a terrific broadcaster and seems like a very bright guy but the attitude conveyed in his recent From The Corner Office missive clarified for me why more of our broadcast radio colleagues weren't there.