Hong Kong’s English language station Radio 3 has about 240,000 listeners per week across all its platforms. In a country where most people speak Chinese, the English station has a comparatively small audience, but it is well engaged with all parts of its audience, channel head Jim Gould told the Radio Asia Conference.
He gave examples of how the presenters connect with their audiences using Facebook, Twitter and Weibo, with Facebook currently the most used social medium for his listeners. Some shows also post short videos on Instagram and stream live on Periscope.
From the oldest presenter on the station, 91 year old Uncle Ray, to the youngest, 21 year old Australian Judd Boaz, the presenters use social media to interact while on air and to connect with listeners even when the show is over.
Extending the life of a program was a common theme of the morning’s discussion, moderated by AsiaRadioToday’s Steve Ahern. Most speakers saw it as a plus for audience engagement, but some delegates were worried about the way social media interaction could take over a presenter’s life, or how interactions may need to be regulated. RTHK Radio 3 has one specialist social media producer on the station, and all presenters also post their own social media content.
In the discussion after a series of presentations, two questions emerged: How to get some, often older, staff to embrace social media in their broadcasting work, and, at the other extreme, how the get younger staff to get off their own private social media accounts long enough to pay close attention to what was being broadcast. One solution to getting staff involved in social media was to identify some social media champions in the station and reward them with pay rises as an example to others. Professional training was discussed as a solution to distracted staff.
Commercial radio Australia’s Joan Warner gave several examples of where social media interaction is working well in Australia, allowing listeners to engage with radio personalities and famous guests, before, during the after the show. Examples given included ARN’s Twitter Green Room, and SCA’s YouTube Hits show.
“Social media extends your content beyond the on air time. Both radio and social media are immediate and connected mediums… working together they can turn listeners into fans,” said Warner. Radio’s engagement with fans is higher than the engagement of television, magazines and other sites with Australia’s facebook users.
International consultant Barry Keohane reminded delegates that they must get their on air product right before they promote it in social media. Once it is right, and you are engaged with your listeners on multiple levels, you can monetise your content more effectively. He gave the example of Pepsi, which has decreased its traditional marketing budget and moved that money into social media marketing. Stations that can offer advertisers a social media component in their campaigns have a chance to get some of the revenue that would otherwise not be available to radio advertising and would be allocated to social media.
Keohane’s advice on how to manage for success in these areas is summed up in three words: Plan, Communicate, Execute. “Keep it simple, look for quality, establish two way communication, and have fun,” he said.
Wolfram Tech, a programming consultant from BCI in Germany, reminded delegates that great radio involves storytelling.
In the ‘Heads Down Age’ you have to sell yourself “as a value provider, not just a content provider,” said Tech. “A revolution doesn’t happen with new tools, it happens with new behaviours.”
Tech discussed the power of storytelling and Steve Ahern also reminded delegates that they need to describe what they see on air, not just post it on their social media page.
Tech’s advice about presenting good voice breaks is to “provide something that is useful, make people own your story… make them want to steal it and talk about it like it was their own story.”
Some of his tips for great talk breaks are: “Find the core message and make it relevant, ensure there is value for the listener in everything you say, be authentic… less is more.”
In another session, a range of radio leaders from the region discussed successes and challenges in their countries.
MediaCorp’s Zakia Halim played examples of how young presenters on her networks engaged with youth by posting viral fun videos. In an extension of what may have been, in the past, radio comedy sketches, some MediaCorp presenters are now extending their comedy sketches to video and posting them on social media sites and YouTube, with great success.
Kabul Budiono from RRI Indonesia reminded delegates that it is no longer the golden age of radio in his country, Indonesia is the social media capital of the world. The country’s 251 million people are heavy social media and internet users.
Most RRI listeners were over 45, so the network launched a youth channel that is helping bring back younger listeners, who make up almost half of the population. A recent listener instigated campaign to #SaveRRI from government pressure and cuts was initiated by listeners who are becoming more engaged with the national broadcaster, thanks to improved social media engagement.
Parameswaran Ponnudurai from Radio Free Asia discussed his channel, which uses short wave to beam programs into six countries in the Asian region. The anonymity of listening to radio broadcasts is one reason why short wave is still important he said. “It is sometimes safer for people to listen to a Short Wave broadcasts than to go to a forbidden website which is tracked.”
Beyond Broadcasting’s Neil Curry believes we need to be “audible through the noise. We have to work with the new distribution platforms to cut through.”
“Work within your resources… enjoy change, don’t fear it… As leaders you need to enable the right atmosphere to create ideas and enjoyment because your biggest resource is your people,” he told delegates.
The AIB’s Simon Spanswick reminded participants that they must continue talking to the audience one to one, as a friend.
“There are lots of so called online content specialists all over the web, but many are not very good. Radio people already know how to make content well,” he said.
Spanswick also reminded public service broadcast delegates that they must keep talking to their governments and stakeholders and let them know why their radio networks are worth the public money that is spent on them.
At the conclusion of the conference, the Director of Broadcasting at Myanmar Radio and Television, Mr Zeyar (pictured above) thanked delegates for their participation in the conference and for the many ideas that were shared. He told delegates that ideas from the conference will be taken into account in Myanmar to help the country develop sustainable policies for broadcasting.
Radio Asia’s 2016 conference is expected to be in Beijing.