Ron Stevens
This question from Cameron Perry, KFIX FM, Hays, KS ....
Concerning Twitter, how much info would you think might be "dangerous" to listenership? For example, if I were to send school closings, event cancelations, etc. do you think that would give the listener a reason to NOT listen to the station since they know the info is coming anyway?
It's a classic question, Cam. Say, for example, you decide to upgrade your website. What if you make it so good your listeners no longer need to actually tune in to KFIX? So scratch the website, drop the newsletter, quit blogging.... and say goodbye to all those great branding opportunities... and all those opportunities to pull your listeners back to your station. To compete today, KFIX needs to be more than just a radio station. KFIX (and Cameron Perry) needs to be THE GO-TO source for rock concert and rock music news in Hays, KS. And 96.9 needs to be THE GO-TO source for weather, school cancellations, etc, in Hays, KS. How do you do that if you're going to tie your hands behind your back by eliminating all the weapons that your many competitors will be using?
When you view Twitter, Facebook, blogs, email blasts, newsletters, and the dozens of other ways to reach your listeners as valuable tools in your efforts to brand your station, they begin to work FOR you and not against you. Twitter, for example, is a great way to tell followers what song you're playing next, or that you'll be giving away a $500 CharBroil BBQ grill in ten minutes. You're using the tool to reward them and pull them in ... not push them away. But to make the tool valuable to THEM, you need to reward them with the information they need ... like school closings and event cancellations.
Did you know that you can use Twitter to track any time someone writes your call letters in a Tweet? In fact, using Twitterfall (http://twitterfall.com/) you can track it in real time. Imagine the fun you can have with that! It enables you to track any Twitters directed to you or about you in real time while you're on the air. Imagine the contests you can create that will encourage listeners to Tweet information about KFIX for you!
Anytime new technology surfaces, look for ways to use it to broaden your reach and communicate even more with your listeners.