Don’t have a radio show producer … get a smart phone

To all the web administrators, please pass this along to your on-air hosts.

So you are not the morning show … yet?  Don’t have a producer?  Working two-jobs?  No time to prepare?

Time for a smart phone with FaceBook and Twitter apps will help produce your radio show.  What’s better than one show producer?  Hundreds of producers.  You can build a community with a smart phone, Facebook, and Twitter.  When you get connected your show and your career will both move ahead.

• Smart phones will get smarter and smarter … will you?
• A community want to share enjoys good leadership.  Are you that person?
• Your online community will keep you connected with what’s important.  What’s real.  What’s worth talking about.

Why is CELLit Media posting this?  We know video is just a part of your community.  An important part but not the whole thing.  If you want to build a community, increase your ratings, move your career ahead then you need help.  We can be part of the solution.

Is YouTube Good for Radio?

Some radio website administrators reach out with YouTube embedded videos.  It’s actually a really smart start.  Video works, YouTube works, and your radio station website will see an immediate jump in time-spent-online.

So what’s the problem?

It’s a good start but you need more.  The “more” is reserved for YouTube.  Once your audience sees the first video they can be off to Google-land.   YouTube embedded video tools can be a quick slide for your audience to leave.

You have options.  There are many white-label video tools.  Many providers are free to use.  Some cost money.  The all work and let you keep your audience.

We think CELLit Media offers a powerful option.

1. Audience generated pictures and videos.  The real power is engaging your audience.  They want to participate, see themselves, and be part of your community.  Otherwise, they become part of YouTube.
2. You can post your own station videos and enjoy an immediate jump in web traffic.  You can be in control.
3. Posting by PC, email or cell phone.  With CELLit Media you your audience can post by email as an attachment, by cell phone, or on your PC.  It’ easy.   You can even forward email from your own station email address like Videos@Station.com Put the you back in your videos.
4. You can run video and picture contests with full control.  CELLit Media tools manage and report the results to you.  YouTube doesn’t have these tools.
5. You can moderate all your audience generated content … pictures, videos, comments, tags, and flags.
6. You are in charge.  You set the policies.  You customize the tools.  CELLit tools work for you.
7. CELLit is advertising supported.  Just like on-air syndicated programs, the CELLit video tools do not have any start up expense or operating expense.

Continue using YouTube if you like.   The Google-guys appreciate your hard work.  Or, take charge and keep your audience.   More information at www.CELLit.com

Radio station website traffic builder

CELLit Media hosted video pages are powerful tools for audience generated media, station generated media, and sponsor messages.  Using the new CELLit MultiPlayer and the Dynamic Widget Banners will immediately increase your web traffic.  We’ve seen some stations double their traffic in 30-days and double their audience time-spent-online.
 
Look at the attachment and see how our new tools can benefit your site.
 
Want help getting started with the new tools?  Call or email us.  We are here to help build-traffic-with-dynamic-content.

Start by answering the phones …

January 22 – Most likely you read the widely published Stanford Groups ugly comments about radio … among the stocks panned is anything related to radio, with “sell” recommendations on Entercom Communications, Emmis Communications, Cox Radio and Cumulus Media. While 90% of Americans listen to radio, they are listening to less, and advertisers are retreating, says the report. “The combination of pressured cash flow and heavy debt burdens could render the equity value of many radio stocks worthless.” Here’s one link.

Structurally, a lot of radio groups are in trouble.  Wall Street seduced debt and declining audiences-revenues are a difficult mix.  Seems some radio leaders only know one quick fix … lighten the load … throw out the crew. 

One path forward will be thru the burning ashes.  The debt is so high and the revenue falling so fast it looks like a crash landing ahead.  However, new leaders will emerge.  They will find meaningful ways to serve local communities, engage listeners, and work better with retail merchants.   

Couple of quick steps you could start now:  1) answer the phones … listeners want to be acknowledged … even if it is just a voice mail, the no-answer ring outs really dismiss the audience; 2) engage listeners with IM/Chat/Twitter they are already there waiting for you; and 3) provide two-way website tools for commenting, linking, sharing, messaging, and picture/video posting.  Your broadcast signal, a local sales force, and a two-way website can be a community force.   No people?  Just ask, your crew is smart, already digital, and waiting for you to catch up.

Or, play Phoenix and maybe rise from the ashes.

Google in your market … bigger than you realize

Later this month when Google reports 2008 financial results, we will find out if Google is bigger than the entire radio industry.  In ten years, Google has shown how websites can be an effective part of their marketing program.  Since Google revenues might exceed all the radio station revenue in your market, it’s time to learn how to sell against, around and with this gigantic local competitor.

The brand new information comes from a recent SEC filing where Google confirms they have 1-million advertisers.   The table below attempts to understand what 1-million advertisers means.  Take away Google’s international revenue and that portion of international advertisers.  Assume US revenue is evenly spread out across US advertisers and geography.  This is a big assumption.  Later, you can adjust your thinking for how much isn’t local.

If your radio station serves a population of 500,000 then it is possible Google had 970 clients in your market spending $1,550/month on search and Google network banner ads.  That’s about $18-million a year from merchants in your broadcast area.    Google didn’t get to $22+ billion in revenue without some part of your market. 

Did your 2008 sales revenues miss something? Do you have 970 clients? Merchants in your market spend part of their advertising budgets on something you either don’t believe in or don’t care about. 

Local merchants now have more respectable websites with product and service details, pictures & videos, location information, pricing, coupons, and ecommerce tools.  Does your broadcast signal work with or ignore websites? Are you engaging your listeners with web links? Does your website have dynamic content? Video? Texting? Commenting? Sharing tools?  

 Are you missing a connection and sales revenue? It’s time to make your radio website part of your marketing program.  Your advertisers are already there.  Join them.

 

Google Local Radio Market Revenue Estimates

Traffic Building Widgets

User generated content will dramatically increase your radio and newspaper web traffic.  Let your audience, readers, and viewers provide dynamic, interesting, local content.   You can use one of six CELLit widgets to fit your home page.  The widget will automatically update with your choice of the most recent media, most popular, or highest rated content.  The widget comes in 6-standard sizes and incorporates your colors and logo. 

What Makes CELLit Special

 

1. Channels engage your audience at multiple levels
2. Contest tools expand your promotions
3. Voting/Rating for your entire audience not just those registered
4. Sharing with hyperlinks and embedded players
5. Moderation controls for media, comments, and tags
6. Trusted Senders for express posting of trusted media
7. Admin Notification for all moderation settings
8. Multiple Posting by PC – Email – Cell Phone
9. Text Display administration that is immediate and effective
10. Shared Station Support for media across multiple outlets
11. Media Managers to help administrators
12. Widget Tools provide dynamic content for website pages

CELLit Widgets

Administrators can create dynamic widgets for their audience media.  These widgets display in standard banner sizes that fit easily on the parent media website page.  You can choose horizontal sizes (720×90; 468×60); verticals (120×240; 160×600) and rectangles (300×250; 125×125).

The widget display includes your logo, colors, and a badge indicting the media selected.

CELLit Widget one-of-six

You can select from three different media selections:  Most Popular; Highest Rated; Most Recently Posted.

CELLit Widget Admin Panel

CELLit … moderation controls

Each client controls the moderation of audience generated video and pictures.  CELLit provides private administration controls for media, comment, and tag information.

Media Activation … setting for positive admin approval before public posting, option for trusted senders, and tools to delete video or picture postings and block future postings from this person.

Comment Activation … setting that allows immediate public commenting or comment posting only with admin approval.

Tag Activation … setting for immediat activation or posting only with admin approval.

Other Admin Settings … optional Welcome Page and Main Video Page content selection.

Moderation Settings

Radio + Cell Phone Video = 2008 NTR$

We begin 2008 as a new Inside Radio and Small Market Radio Newsletter sponsor.  You’ll see us in the morning Headlines and the Afternoon Updates.  We promise to keep our messages fresh and helpful.  Nothing gets passed over faster than yesterday’s news.

Working with our initial partners has helped us improve service.  The three most important improvements hold great promise.  The “trusted sender” program recognizes station members and can automatically approve cell phone video, emailed video/pictures, and pc postings for immediate web site display.  The “talent bar” is a new page footer that helps feature contest information, program director picks, and sponsor messages.

New “Channels” allows video and pictures to be displayed as a channel of information.  Visitors can locate contests, local events, morning shows, and any station defined group of videos.  All these features are directly controlled by the station administrator.

Check out the details on our business website:  http://www.CELLit.com

Happy 2008