Facebook is the NEW news lead-in. I’d love to take credit for coming up with that thought, but the first person I heard say it was Sherry Carpenter, creative services director of Graham Media’s WJXT Jacksonville, Fla. I know Facebook is not all there is to social media, but it may be the most important […]
Facebook is the NEW news lead-in.
I’d love to take credit for coming up with that thought, but the first person I heard say it was Sherry Carpenter, creative services director of Graham Media’s WJXT Jacksonville, Fla.
I know Facebook is not all there is to social media, but it may be the most important in terms of driving viewers to your newscasts, according to some research provided by Magid in a session at last week’s 2016 PromaxBDA Station Summit in Las Vegas.
Building Your Brand with Social Media, (I added the qualifier, NEWS in the tittle of this article), was the tittle of a session.
John Kukla, creative services director for the Dallas Fox O&O, KDFW, was the moderator.
Speakers presenting were Cynthia Lieberman from Lieberman Communications, Carly Munoz, brand manager for WOTV, Media General’s ABC affiliate in Battle Creek, and Emily Mowers, marketing director at . WVEC, Tegna’s ABC affiliate in Norfolk, Va.
Kukla started the session by pointing out that his station is closing on a “million Facebook fans, and more than quarter of million twitter followers.”
Got my attention, sounds like he knows what he’s talking about.
He said regardless of the platform, what’s most important is “have something to say, and say it in a way that reflects who you are on air.”
Kukla then went on the stress the importance of open communication and transparency with your viewers but maybe not this far.
(NOTE: K-you is NOT related to the real KYOU, Fox 15 in the heartland of southern Iowa and Missouri)
Kukla said phone calls are “the most social of social media. Answer the phone. Talk to your viewers. One positive interaction with a viewer can be worth a hundred radio spots.”
Great point, as someone who searches for TV stations’ phone numbers all the time, it’s often hard to find TV station phone numbers on their own website.
How easy is it for viewers to find your station’s phone number? If a viewer records some breaking news and wants to share it with you, is it easy for them to contact your station, your newsroom?
“Talk with viewers,” said Kukla, “not to them or at them. Ask for comments. Air them. Even the bad ones. We tout interactivity. We embrace it. We have viewer feedback on our air every single night.”
Air the bad comments directed at your station?
Kukla said It helps validate the good ones.
Kukla said you should look for opportunities to engage your fans, but don’t beg for it.
Pictures spur shares and comments, but caption only as much as you need to. Saying less is more engaging, let your viewers do the talking, said Kukla.
Words. Kukla stressed simple and emotional words, conversational and direct.
And be true to yourself, to who you are.
“Our anchor team banters on-air,” said Kukla, “just as they do online. And our audience has fun with it because it’s consistent.”
NOTE: Look for articles all this week from the other Building Your Brand with Social Media session speakers, Cynthia Lieberman from Lieberman Communications, Carly Munoz, brand manager for WOTV, and Emily Mowers, WVEC’s marketing director, all this week.
PromaxBDA members will be able to watch the entire presentation in July on the PromaxBDA website.
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