Radio vs Social Media

The title is a little misleading, as it’s not pitting one against the other as much as trying to point out more similarities. Many small business owners invest in radio every month. These same business owners scratch their heads and wonder what or how social media fits into their marketing plans. So, for those business owners who are familiar with marketing on radio, let’s take a look at some of the similarities. Like every form of traditional advertising, which is distinctively different, true can be said for social media. To be most effective, you must use each advertising platform differently and play to their strengths. Just as Television, Radio, Print, and outdoors are different, so are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.  Today, as the title suggests, I will look at the similarities between radio and Twitter. One of the beauties of radio is finding a more defined demographic than the other traditional mediums. Radio leans towards being proactive; the message is essential, and frequency is king. Sounds to me a lot like Twitter. I’ve always found the two are very similar. You can use Twitter to define a specific demo/lifestyle you follow and, in turn, follow you back. Yes, you’re going to end up with #IFOLLOWBACK people who are just after the numbers, but it’s not like 100% of any audience in advertising is going to be great! Radio is a broadcast medium, and so is Twitter.  Where people say engage, engage, engage, and do engage, it’s a broadcast medium. You’ll find the same clutter on Twitter that you’ll hear on the radio. Indeed, there will be plenty of messages on Twitter that are brushed aside, just as your favorite station will play a song you love every time. The frequency of Twitter is fundamental.  Twitter is very active. Things happen fast, so if you think you can make one tweet a day and have an impact, that’s probably not going to happen. If you’ve ever advertised on the radio, two things you’ll know lead to success: frequency and consistency. The same can be said for Twitter.  Tweet with frequency and be consistent, and you’ll have more success. Just as in radio, where there are dayparts that deliver more listeners, Twitter is very similar. Studies have shown that certain times of the day are when more people are tweeting and that your tweet has a better chance of being re-tweeted. If you’re a business owner who has had success marketing your business on the radio, when you think of whether or how your business could be sold on Twitter, think of radio. If you use many of the same strategies and techniques that have led to success with your business on the radio with Twitter, you’ll do just fine!