By Walter Sabo
Sabo Media
Chairman
NEW YORK – The challenge of working at most radio stations or broadcast companies is the staff is pre-occupied with job security. As a result, trends that should be noted and discussed are dismissed in order to prepare the weekend schedule and worry about corporate. As the CEO of an executive-on-demand company, Sabo Media, we are presented daily with new products, talent and ideas. Here are five that are interesting and may be helpful in growing your business:
1. Jump Wire. Take a look at WBLS’ numbers in New York City and their social footprint. Jump Wire compels audience growth in tandem with social media growth. Their proprietary software and support delivers tangible results for clients including AMC Theatres. http://jumpwiremedia.com/
2. Online Video. Advertisers want video. Customers want video. Relatively speaking, no one watches the videos most radio stations post. “We got 800 views… it was huge.” Well, it’s not huge enough. In 2007 our team discovered “Web Stars” that post videos and pull over one million views every time! Understanding how they achieve those numbers will be critical to your success in adding online video to your marketing mix. Give me a call if you want to know more. This subject is critical.
3. Online video and internet radio also reveal an important fact: Most of the stars are women. Talk radio was originally blessed with an equal number of men and women. The BIGGEST talk radio stars for the first 50 years were women. P&G, Lever Brothers and Colgate Palmolive would love to spend more money in radio. They told me so. But they want to back women hosts and women audiences.
Let me suggest that if you are a woman talk radio executive, it’s time to rattle the sleeping men for whom you may work. The programming mistake that has been made, by cable (Oxygen) and radio is to air shows about “women’s issues.” Those are as dull and high-handed as shows about “issues” in general.
Instead, try talking about what two best friends would talk about.
An idea I stole from the number one station in America from 1926 to 1980: WOR. Where do you “find” the hosts? We can help you with that.
Note that Oxygen launched by airing serious issues for women but ultimately to have the air to breathe evolved to shows like The Bad Girls Club.
4. Your listener is a media star. Your listener wants “fans” to -their- Facebook fan page, and followers to -their- Twitter account. Asking listeners to “like” you is begging for fan mail. It’s a loser move. Instead tell your listeners that you want to follow them!
5. The hottest trend for talent is ownership of their show and control of distribution. You do not need another company to distribute your show. Find out more about one of the companies that help with sales and tech here, these are good guys: www.art19.com.
Walter Sabo is chairman of New York City-based consulting firm Sabo Media. On a regular basis you will find trend reports from Sabo Media in TALKERS (www.talkers.com) and RadioInfo (www.radioinfo.com). Walter Sabo can be reached at Walter@sabomedia.com. Meet Walter Sabo at Talkers New York 2013 on Thursday, June 6, 2013.
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