Radio is the original social medium. It’s always been the connector between the community and listener, and at the top of that connection is the radio personality who guides the conversation. But that connection also extends well beyond the broadcast. Naturally, it moves from traditional media to social media and back again.
Listeners are passionate about their radio stations, the on-air personalities on those stations that speak to them every day and the impact that radio has on their lives. And there’s no better proof than hearing directly from a radio listener. A recent piece in our “Matter of Fact” newsletter detailed just one listener’s story.
There have been surveys and studies that speak to the connection and “following” that radio stations have and radio’s ability to ignite social activity more than any other medium. And it doesn’t end there!
Most recently there have been publications that are touting and highlighting radio’s social strengths. A NetNewsCheck article noted that a “radio station dominates a local market in social media among its local peers.” In fact, six of the top 10 were radio stations! According to their July 25 analysis of Fort Smith-Fayetteville local media, five of the top ten were radio stations! And there are other examples. Another article noted how local Knoxville radio stations “trounced” TV when it came to social media, based on information from social media tracker Shareablee. In fact, the top media outlet in terms of actions was a radio station – 103.5/WIMZ-FM. The outlet with the highest number of fans and followers was another radio station, Hot 104.5. Earlier in 2016, NetNewsCheck also reported Savannah station WEAS-FM topped the charts with the highest number of actions.
But wait – there’s still more. YouNow, a social network that allows users to broadcast themselves to fans and peers in real time, hosts well over 100 million use sessions monthly and over 50,000 hours of live video daily according to their site. Their users are predominantly younger – 24 and under. While some of YouNow’s broadcasters may be pranksters, millennials sharing advice or experiences, there are also numerous publishers. As of mid-July, iHeartRadio is the top media company with the highest number of fans — 150,000 followers that have totaled nearly a half-million views. iHeartRadio outpaced other media companies such as MTV, Huffington Post, and Refinery29 by the thousands.
So no matter where broadcast radio is, fans follow! Radio is: engaging, interactive, social. Radio is the original social medium. Radio and social media – it’s a perfect combination.