theibcdaily Saturday 08.09.2012 119 How do internet radio stations increase listenership and maintain loyalty in a crowded marketplace?
By Kirsten Smith, business development manager, Broadcast Bionics
Since last IBC, the radio industry continues to face challenges as recession in Europe continues. Stations have become leaner and more reliant on technology to maximise profit. As a result, Broadcast Bionics has seen increased interest in
networked playout automation and investments in IP audio technology capitalising on consolidated, streamlined infrastructures.
In such a competitive
environment, increasing listenership and maintaining listener loyalty is challenging. Getting listeners involved and their buy-in is key. The challenge all radio stations face is how? Traditionally an answer has been the phone-in show, yet the way we communicate our thoughts, opinions, even our
innermost feelings has changed. We’re more likely to Tweet, write on a Facebook wall, or rely on Google+ or Linkedin than we are to pick up the telephone. How we listen to radio has also changed. Listeners are increasingly more mobile- listening on portable devices, and selectively too – choosing to listen to their favourite station on the other side of the world, streamed courtesy of the internet.
New ways to engage the listeners Opinion
How does a radio station maximise being ‘Liked’ on Facebook, or being followed on Twitter- harnessing the new, while continuing to make the most of existing contributors – by phone, SMS, email? Broadcast Bionics’ recent
Has the radio industry got a handle on this? There’s volumes of diverse opinion floating around in the Cloud on social media networks, the authors of which may be your newest listeners if you interact with them from your studio. How many of Justin Bieber’s 25.8 million Twitter followers listen to your station? This untapped source is rich in new content and listeners though perhaps subjectively in the case of Mr Bieber’s?
research showed that most UK radio stations use social media but independently of their other communication systems. Little is done to engage bloggers in a two-way conversation with the station, there’s no profile or history of communication – all valuable information to your show. A natural progression is to use social media sites as a research tool ahead of interviews. We found no one system able to synchronise all station communication,
launch at IBC2012, our new version of PhoneBOX not only deals with your telephone calls, SMS, prize management, emails and integrated codecs brilliantly, you’ll also find we’ve applied the same scrutiny we’ve become renowned for to social media. You can filter, select and queue Facebook posts, Tweets etc. You can see a running commentary in your studio on your chosen subjects and engage with potential new listeners on air. Tweet back direct from the studio, rate them or add to you VIP list. The possibilities are endless.
Kirsten Smith: ‘The possibilities are endless’
including social media management in one package. As a result, Broadcast Bionics have dedicated the last year in developing the perfect solution. Ready to
Just as a final flourish, we’ve also totally re-designed the user interface to improve workflow and simplify the most complex tasks. PhoneBOX has arrived at IBC2012 fully prepared for the future – are you? 8D73