5 Things to Stop Doing on Social Media

In the ever changing world of social media, as radio stations look to further connect with listeners, there are practices which may be counterproductive.

Here are five things your radio station should stop doing on social media:

1. Ignoring visual appeal

Videos and photos can have an enormous impact on the engagement of your social media posts. LinkedIn posts with images have a 98% higher comment rate on average, and tweets that include visual content are three times more likely to get engagement. On Instagram, carousel posts have the highest engagement rate. By creating visually appealing content that resonates with your target audience, you increase the likelihood that they will share your content with their own followers which extends your radio station’s digital footprint.

2. Posting content that doesn’t serve your audience

These days, most of us spend significant amounts of time on our computers and smartphones consuming loads of information.  Studies suggest that as a result of this “information overload,” our attention spans are getting shorter and that’s particularly true on social media.  Consequently, the window of opportunity to engage with your social media audience is small. This is why it’s important to get to know your audience and what they like. Monitor who follows your station on social media and interacts with your posts.  Look at who likes, shares and comments on your content.  By looking for common characteristics such as age, location and interest, you can strategize on sharing content which better appeals to your audience.

3. Being incognito

You only have one chance to make a first impression – making the most of your radio station’s social media bios is a great way to introduce yourself to potential listeners! Make sure your social media bio defines:

• Who you are
• Who you serve
• What you share

4. Not responding to your audience

Responding to comments your followers make on your social posts helps to build station loyalty – it shows you’re listening to your audience, it shows you care and it helps build community.  In addition, replying to comments improves engagement and social media algorithms love engagement. The more engagement your posts reflects, the higher the probability that your content will appear in more user feeds.

5. Not redirecting people to your station website

If you aren’t giving your social followers a reason to visit your station website, you’re missing a key opportunity to deepen relationships with your listeners.

Consider sharing a quote from one of the speakers you air on the station, linking to your station web site where the listener can read more from the speaker and inviting them to enter their email to receive a free resource.  (Don’t forget to use an image when you share the quote – you can grab quality free images from Canva.)

Navigating the do’s and don’ts of social media requires a strategic approach but it’s worth the effort as your station aims to build a strong and engaging social media presence.