Testing...Testing...

I was recently interviewed for an article on lonelybrand.com about Facebook Optimization for mobile platforms, something I'm very passionate about.  One of the things I said was:

Mark Edwards, Managing General Partner at Mark Edwards Worldwide concurs, “I believe in testing, and then testing again, so what I do for most of my Facebook posts is post them so that I can only see them before they go live for the public. Then I look at them on a laptop computer, desktop, Android phone, iPhone, iPad, and two Android tablets. If I can’t see the post the way I want it to look on all those devices, I fix it and go through the same proof. If it looks right, I delete the test post and let the real post go when its time to go live. Nothing beats testing, and while this takes a little time, it makes for the best quality posts possible.”

I live by that mantra because nothing is worse for a marketer than working like crazy on a campaign and then having people not be able to see it.  Just this morning, I found a perfect example of that problem.  I got a well produced e-mail from The Cheesecake Factory saying I could win up to $250 in gift cards in their "Cheesecake Madness" promotion on Facebook.  Now, I'm not one to turn down free cheesecake (although I personally prefer Eli's Cheesecake from Chicago) so I gave the link in the e-mail a click and found myself on the contest page.  And this is what I saw for about five minutes.

THE EVIL SPINNING "LOADING" CIRCLE.  I use Chrome as my main browser, and for whatever reason, this contest page doesn't play well with Chrome.  The kids on the Interwebz call that a FAIL.

I don't know if the good people at the Cheesecake Factory or Socialtyze (who is credited with designing the page) did the right amount of testing, if my browser is somehow blocking the contest page (which it shouldn't as I have it set to let just about everything short of a virus or launch code load) or what the problem was. All I know is that as a consumer, I couldn't play the game and I'm kind of bummed.

Was this a testing problem?  Maybe.  Was it avoidable? Probably.  Would very thorough testing on different browsers, platforms, OS's, and devices have prevented the user experience I had?  Most likely.

I'll say what those who work with Mark Edwards Worldwide have heard me say over and over, TEST AND TEST AGAIN.  It's well worth the time to make sure what you post, especially on platforms you don't control like Facebook, render and work the way you want them to.

By the way, I just checked the page in the screenshot above.  The little "loading" circle is still spinning.  Ugh.

The New Website Is Here! The New Website Is Here!

With all due respect, copyright acknowledgement, and thanks to Steve Martin from "The Jerk", this is kind of how I feel today.  The All New Mark Edwards Worldwide Website is here!  Not right HERE, but HERE at http://markedwardsworldwide.com.

After helping get clients' websites and online presence all set up, I decided to design a new website from the ground up.  You'll find information about Mark Edwards Worldwide's services, links to many wondrous things on the Interwebz, multiple ways to contact me, and much more.

Please drop on by, leave a comment if you like, and let your friends and associates know that if they want to shine online, Mark Edwards Worldwide is ready to help them!

My whole family thanks you.

A New Chapter For Mark Edwards Worldwide

I wanted you to know about a decision I've made. As I see the digital media landscape unfolding and the opportunities to create a myriad of highly effective content growing, I'm returning to working with selected clients at the consultancy I've run since 2007, Mark Edwards Worldwide. This move will allow me to maximize my time and efficiency while sharing the things I've learned about the digital, social media, and new technology spaces with clients who really want to succeed in those worlds. It gives me great pleasure to say that TeshMedia is on the client list so I'll be able to continue to work with John and his team going forward.

After working for a year and a half as Senior Vice President of Content Development with John Tesh and the TeshMedia Group, we've accomplished a lot, more than doubling our online audience, growing website visits and conversions, and starting a video version of John's Intelligence For Your Life brand.

I've had the chance to implement countless online and social media programs, develop and fine tune best practices, learn an astonishing amount about online video and TV production, and help contribute to the continued success of the John Tesh Radio Show. It's been the most rewarding professional experience of my career, and I know the things I've learned working with John and his gifted team will help me immensely. You can see many of the fruits of our labors at the new IntelligenceForYourLife.com and in our new mobile apps.

I'm always on the lookout for the next opportunity, whether it be in a consulting, project, or full time capacity, so please keep me in mind for anything you might know about and feel free to share my contact information with your network.

I'd like to thank John and the TeshMedia family for a wonderful experience and thank you for your friendship and support. Let's stay in touch and do great things together. You can find me here and get all my contact info at http://about.me/markedwards.

Related articles

• John Tesh Radio Show Adds Affiliates
• Intelligence for Your Life
• A New Chapter For Mark Edwards Worldwide

Leading Social Media Blogger Says "Hire Mark Edwards"

One of the most listened to voices in the Social Media world belongs to Sarah Evans and her blog Sarah's Faves.  Sarah has become a leading Social Media thinker and has just joined the company Trackly as Chief Evangelist.  She's well known in Public Relations and Social Media circles as an innovator, big thinker, and one of the best and brightest in the online world. Sarah handpicked three people who should be working in Social Media or Public Relations and posted their stories on her blog.  I was honored to be one of the three people she thinks should be hired, and here's what she had to say about me and my work.

Name: Mark Edwards

How to Create Real Relationships With Social Marketing http://t.co/4DfHaWst

June 19, 2012 7:57 pm via iftttReplyRetweetFavorite

@markedwards

Mark Edwards

Twitter: @MarkEdwards Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/markedwardscubfan Blog: Markedwardsuncensored.com, Markedwardsworldwide.blogspot.com

Dream job title: Employee. I’m able to help in so many ways that I’ll let you, the employer, decide how I can help you best and what to call me. Three adjectives that describe you: experienced, innovative, connectedIf I’m hired by your organization I will: bring unmatched experience, knowledge, enthusiasm, and new levels of success to you.

What kind of  culture are you looking for? An environment that has energy, teamwork, and a culture of cooperation. I’ve worked in small offices, huge offices, and alone. The culture of the organization I join should foster creativity, no matter how many people are in the office.

What’s your most impressive professional accomplishment?  What about personal? Almost singlehandedly and secretly building and launching a brand new radio station, including a full suite of social media outposts and a marketing plan, in 18 days last year in Kansas City. Personally, I’m most proud of my three incredible sons. You can’t do anything more important than being a parent.

How many years experience do you have? 27 as a content creator, brand manager, and marketer using a score of traditional and new media resources.

Where should your ideal job be based? St. Louis, MO because it’s the best place I’ve ever lived to raise a family.

Are you willing to relocate? YES, Chicagoland would be my first choice, but I’ll go anywhere for the right job. I can also use the miracle of the Interwebz to work from World Headquarters in St. Louis.

Want to hire Mark? Email him at edwardsmark@gmail[.]com.

It's truly an honor to be recognized by a heavy hitter like Sarah, and yes, I'm available now for full time employment or project work through Mark Edwards Worldwide.   If you'd like to talk about how I can help your organization, please use any of the methods in Sarah's post to contact me.  You'll be glad you did!

Who Is Mark Edwards And How Can He Help You?

I was speaking with a potential client yesterday and she asked me to describe myself.  I did, and it made me think that there's another way to describe who I am and what I've done and can do.  So, here for our viewing pleasure is the Official Mark Edwards Word Cloud.

Get to know me better at http://www.markedwardsworldwide.com or http://about.me/markedwards!

World Radio Day And How The US Can Learn From The Rest Of The World

I ran across a post on the PBS Mediashift Idea Lab blog that told me something that I did not know.  UNESCO, part of he United Nations, has declared February 13th to be World Radio Day.  On their website, here's what they say about radio:

The World Radio Day seeks raise awareness about the importance of radio, facilitate access to information through radio and enhance networking among broadcasters.
Radio has to be recognized as a low cost medium, specifically suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people: the illiterate, the disabled, women, youth and the poor, while offering a platform to intervene in the public debate, irrespective of people’s educational level. Furthermore, radio has a strong and specific role in emergency communication and disaster relief. There is also a changing face to radio services which, in the present times of media convergence, are taking up new technological forms, such as broadband, mobiles and tablets.  

The World Radio Day website, as well as the Idea Lab blog, wax poetic about how radio is important to most of the Earth's inhabitants, but not in the way that American broadcasters have changed the medium in our country.  Consider this from Amy O'Donnell, who wrote the Idea Lab post:

In an era where every revolution has a hashtag, we must remind ourselves that community radio has been a forum for collective dialogue for more than 100 years. By a generous estimate, Twitter has 500 million users. Juxtapose this with the 6 billion active mobile subscriptions and 95 percent of people who have access to the radio.

Radio is particularly important for those who aren't online or able to get a newspaper delivered. Radio requires minimal electricity (a negligible amount with a windup or solar radio) and tuning in is free. Applications using SMS with radio -- two of the world's most used platforms -- is proving that mobile technology has the power to create new possibilities by transforming radio from a one-way broadcast to a two-way dialogue with listeners.

She goes on in the post to talk about how radio and SMS messaging has revolutionized communication and community building around the world, especially in the poorest parts of the planet.  She speaks about how radio should be decentralized, how important it is for local communities to have control over what their people hear. And she talks at great length about how important radio is to the people who use it. If you are like me and still have any affection for radio, the post is a must read, and you can reach it by the link at the beginning of this paragraph.

I am not here to judge what has happened to American radio, that's something a historian but will do in the future and many are doing now.  I still have a deep passion for radio, and while my days of working inside of a radio station may be over, I still believe that radio is a vital communications and entertainment medium for millions of Americans.

The facts are the facts. What is a vital communications link to people all over the world is a business that needs to have a 50% margin in America. What is the only lifeline to billions of people who need it the most and is sometimes the only way for them to communicate with the world outside their community is an experiment in computer automation, centralization, and uniformity in our country.

I know that many of the people who run radio companies in America love radio as much as I do. and I know that radio has become a business that has to deliver a profit. I hope these CEOs can take a few minutes away from looking at the stock charts and dealing with their VC people and can take a cue from World Radio Day and think of ways they can make their properties just as important and relevant to listeners in America as thousands of radio stations are to people around the world.

Radio still means something to a lot of people. Regular people, poor people, rich people, people who are striving just to stay alive. I find the concept of World Radio Day to be inspirational, to show how important a century-old technology still is and can continue to be in the new digital world that we live in.

This is a case where you can have the best of both worlds. You just have to think of how to balance the need for profit with the need for serving the public interest, convenience, and necessity. It can be done, and it would be amazing if some initiatives to make it happen were in place by the first World Radio Day on February 13.


Related articles

• Datebook: February 13 - World Radio Day (thefrontblog.wordpress.com)
• UN set to celebrate first World Radio Day (vanguardngr.com)

The Internet Never Closes, Why Does Your "Customer Service"?

I had another one of those "slap myself in the forehead" moments this morning, and it reminded me how important customer service is in the age of the always running, worldwide, time zone agnostic Internet.

All weekend long, I tried to upload songs to my (now I guess I call it) Google play music library in the cloud. I probably tried to do it ten times starting on Saturday and running until Monday morning, and had no success any time. I did all the normal troubleshooting and still no luck. For some reason, I was getting a message that the application was unable to connect to the server. Normally, that means a problem on the server side, but sometimes it could be a problem with my home network. Hence, I was a little concerned that I couldn't reach a service that I've never had problems reaching before.

On Monday morning I ran some troubleshooting and went to the Google help site, which is an adventure in itself. I finally found an option to have someone from Google call me to discuss my problem, which I will admit I had not seen before. I put my number in, and about 15 seconds later a very nice lady from Google was on my phone. When I explained to her what was going on, she replied with "oh yeah, there's some kind of a problem with the server. We've been having it all weekend and we know all about it."

HUH?

I was a little taken aback by both the casual nature of her response and what she was saying to me. Google knew they had a problem all weekend but didn't let anybody know about it. I asked her if it was posted on a blog, a tweet, or somewhere in the application, and she said no because it was the weekend. I asked her when something might be posted to give us an update on the problem and she told me that it's Monday and people are trying to get their week started, so something may not be out until later today if the problem is still going on.

HUH?

Maybe it's my training in broadcasting, where our business was always open or maybe it's just my understanding of the fact that the Google play service is always running, used around the world, and it's 9 AM somewhere at any time. Just because this issue happen on the weekend, it shouldn't be overlooked or not communicated to the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of users sitting at their computers wondering what's going wrong. Rather than not acknowledge that there's a problem, here are some things Google could have done had they decided to actually take this concept of an ever–operating Internet seriously.

• They could have sent tweets out saying that there was a problem with the application and that they were aware of it.
• Many Google products have blogs or other status update sites, and the issue could have been added to the site for this product.
• With a minimal amount of coding, an announcement that there was a problem with the app could have been put into the app itself.

If you run a business that does almost anything on the Internet, it's important to remember that your business really truly never closes when it's online. Stunningly, Google seems to have forgotten that when they had this problem with Google play. 

You, as a business owner, can avoid the problem by having someone on staff on call and available to fix a big problem should something go wrong. It could be knowing that your brick and mortar business is going to be closed tomorrow because of snow, it could be that your e-commerce vendor is down, or it could be that you're doing some work on your website that you hadn't planned on and you need to put up a landing page. 

Whatever the reason, someone should be able to communicate to your visitors and customers that things are not as they should be and give a very rough estimate as to when they'll be okay again.

As we had into the mobile-based, highly personalized, on-demand world shaped by the Internet, it's important to remember that old concepts like business hours have to be redefined for a new age. If someone as big as Google hasn't figured that out, the small business that does will look like a trailblazer.

This Post Should Be Read By Every Executive In The Radio Business

I've written before about how radio is on the fast track to irrelevance, and that the smart owners and execs in the radio industry have the power to stop that and save the business.  Media guru Mark Ramsey wrote about Pandora and how radio is freaking out about it but shouldn't on his blog yesterday.

Today, I found a blog post by Steve Parker, Jr. talking about what I think is the root problem for most radio companies and stations when it comes to their digital future or lack thereof.  Quite simply, they lack a digital strategy, even if they think they have one.  I've worked for companies whose long term digital strategy changed as often as I changed my socks.  That won't get you to the Promised Land in an era of mobile, personalized, on-demand communication and entertainment.  And the people who run most of the big radio groups just don't get it. 

Here's Mr. Parker's post in full, via Jack Myers Media Business Report's website

Lack of Digital Strategy & Accountability is Killing Brands - Steve Parker, Jr.-Levelwing

March 9, 2012

Published: March 9, 2012 at 02:55 PM GMT
Last Updated: March 9, 2012 at 02:55 PM GMT

'Doing' is not strategic insight. Just because it is measurable does not mean it is accountable.

If you are reading this and don't own a smartphone, you might as well stop right now. You won't understand nor can you be helped at this point – the technology world has passed you by. To the rest of you who have an iPhone or another 'super' smartphone, such as a Droid or Blackberry, read on. Many of you are probably reading this from your mobile phone as we speak. In fact, I'm doubtful you could put it down for a day or even a few hours. We have all become heavily reliant on our mobile devices – and for great reason. Mobile phones don't just make calls anymore; they actually help us in our daily lives. In your personal life, you have bought this device so you could have the 'Power of the Best' – best technology, best experience, best of everything. So, why in your business life are you settling for something that only makes calls? Seriously, why have you settled for the basics, knowing very well there is something much better and much more powerful? In the business world, this mindset goes way beyond phones: using Google Analytics when you could be using Omniture or simply reporting on campaigns vs. uncovering true business intelligence.

Smartphones have apps for seemingly everything – simple tools we use nearly every day for things like travel, directions, games, photos and social experiences. We use our phones to talk, write, chat, video conference, listen to music, check blood pressure, buy products, sell products, check email, do our online banking…

In short, smartphones and apps are all around us and engrained in our daily lives. But there are some things an iPhone or Droid just can't do. Contrary to popular belief, 'there's an app for that' doesn't actually apply to everything.

Digital Strategy:
Sorry, there is not actually a digital strategy app. However, most businesses are treating digital as though there is some magical strategic app that will make it easy to grow a business. Facebook is not a strategy. Twitter is not a strategy. Search engine marketing is not a strategy. Most companies, from the Fortune 500 to the local dry cleaner, do not have a sound digital strategy. You could argue this, but you would be wrong. It's true many businesses are implementing digital activities and, in some cases, doing a lot and seeing success. However a solid, well-planned strategy is lacking in most every case. Executing upon paid search marketing campaigns, communicating via Twitter or delivering a set of viral videos online is not strategy. I will clarify that I do believe in strategy for each of those separate executional elements (solid planning, measurement and management process, if you will), but an overarching strategy is still of most significant importance.

Measurement & Accountability:
Sorry, no app here either. Most businesses in the digital world fail to achieve true measurement and accountability – it's arguably one of areas most wrought with error. Many companies simply choose not to hold their investments in digital accountable. Let me be clear: measuring and reporting on clicks, likes, fans, site traffic, sales, share of voice and ad rates on some nifty dashboard is not the same thing as holding your marketing investments accountable. Those metrics (and many others like them) provide your business with little more than false hope and misdirection. Measurement and accountability are not quite so convenient and easy to attain. True accountability takes dedication, hard-nosed planning and a keen focus on goals.

Why Do Businesses Fail at Strategy or Accountability?
The answer is an inability to answer a simple question: 'why?' Most businesses do not know WHY they are doing the things they are doing in digital. No, the answer is not as simple as 'to sell more stuff.' That's the derivative – it is always the derivative or the expected outcome. But WHY are businesses doing the things they are doing? Are they doing them because of economic indicators, weather patters, overall demand in the marketplace, to provide better service to customers, to refine customer channel strategy, to define patterns in the business that can be shared throughout the organizational hierarchy? WHY? An honest and clear digital strategy answers these questions, provides clarity and then allows the business to execute strategically against them. Just because a million dollars was spent and a study shows brand awareness increased by four points does not mean the campaign was a success. Similarly, just because that $1 million in media sold $2 million of products does not mean it was successful either. You must understand why that happened and how you can improve from there. 'Doing' is not strategic insight. Just because it is measurable does not mean it is accountable.

People Are the Only Apps of Strategy and Accountability
People are the real applications that drive a business. Driving strategy and critical thinking while holding a business accountable starts with people. People have the power to create, guide, teach, define, measure and hold accountable that which is meaningful. Without true strategy and accountability, most well intended efforts will fail. You and your team of co-workers, senior leadership and third-party partners should fight for the hard answers, to define strategic vision and hold accountable all tactics and people involved. It's not easy, but it is right.

I've read that Steve Jobs didn't believe in the whole concept of apps initially. Good thing he got on board, though. They have helped to transform Apple and the ways we interact with our devices. However, one thing I am certain of is that he did not rely on an app to plan his business nor let something that is measured define accountability. Steve Jobs understood the complexity of strategy, held the business accountable and delivered well against that strategy and accountability plan. Sometimes our apps need updating – and, frankly, we are those apps.

Steve Parker, Jr. is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Levelwing, a digital advertising agency that provides data-driven marketing solutions. Steve can be reached at sparker@levelwing.com. Follow me on Twitter at @sparkerjr.

This advice applies to almost any brand, but it is particularly relevant to radio, because radio can choose to embrace the future or continue, in most cases, to not acknowledge it.  Or to think they've got their "digital strategy" under control and in reality be far behind the rest of the Digital Universe because they rely on second tier vendors and second tier "Digital Gurus" inside their organizations. 


Don't get me wrong, I WANT radio to win the Digital battle.  But how many radio companies started working Wednesday afternoon to make sure their station or group iPad app would look right on the new Retina display?  For that matter, how many radio companies even HAVE iPad apps?
 

What was once the digital equivalent of Thomas The Tank Engine is quickly becoming a Bullet Train, and radio has to get on board, be able to react instantly to changes in technology and user behavior, and do whatever it takes to stay relevant in a Pandora world.  I know some groups and stations can do this.  I just wish the ones that can't or won't would get on board the train before it runs them over.

 Related articles

• What Has Deterred Your Digital Strategy? (contently.com)
• The 7 Hot New Digital Marketing Strategies That will TRIPLE Your Business In The Next 12 Months [Dave Newton] (ecademy.com)
• Digital Marketing Strategy (kaon.com)

Rare Video Cameo By Mark Edwards

First of all, let's get the legal mumbo jumbo out of the way.  I did not receive any compensation for appearing in this video, writing this post, or endorsing the company involved in the project.  So take THAT, Federal Trade Commission.

One of the most important things in establishing a presence on the Internet is to have a dependable, reliable web hosting service. The company you choose is your lifeline to the Internet, and they have to provide hosting, keep your domain registration straight, and make sure that you're not missing any opportunities to promote your business on the web.

For a long time, I was a customer of GoDaddy.com. Their prices were fair, their service was good, and they never messed me over. However, they made the critical error of supporting Internet censorship legislation and I could no longer do business with them in good conscience. I asked my friends and Twitter followers who provided good hosting and domain services, and heard about a company called name.com. After a little investigation, I moved all of my websites to name.com and have since advised my clients to do business with them as well.

This company provides excellent customer service, comes up with great solutions to my silly problems, and has a great sense of humor. You can see the latter in this video that they produced over the last couple of weeks. They were looking for people to be a part of it, and were kind enough to ask me to join the fun, but you have to look fast to see my appearances. I'll give you a hint, I'm wearing the shirt of my heroes.

No, that is not me in the picture above.

The video is a cute diversion, the work of some people who are really bright about the Internet and know how to have fun at the same time, and comes from a company that I highly recommend if you are looking for any kind of Web services. Just to be clear, read the first paragraph of this post and you'll see that I got nothing for saying that. Nothing. Nada.

If you are so inclined, check out name.com's blog as they are running a contest in connection with this video. Clearly I have no chance of winning it, but you might and it could be worth entering. If nothing else, you can learn a little bit more about this great little company in Denver and the high quality work that they do for Mark Edwards Worldwide, our clients, and people around the country..

Mark Edwards Worldwide Featured In "Taylor On Radio-Info"

The prestigious radio industry website and publication Taylor On Radio-Info wrote about "The Music Meeting", the latest in the portfolio of online assets maintained by Mark Edwards Worldwide.

“The Music Meeting” is a new Mark Edwards site focusing on “music for adults.” Mark’s programmed adult-leaning stations in Kansas City, St. Louis, Denver, Philadelphia and Chicago. He says that after getting downsized last October “I am listening to music like a real person again.” So the Music Meeting website is a consumer-facing site with music news and commentary. (Mark calls Lana Del Rey “the biggest fraud since Bernie Madoff” and has news of Paul McCartney’s “early Valentine’s gift.”) Meanwhile, the veteran PD and strategist is also operating Mark Edwards Worldwide, serving business and artists who want to “use the Internet and social media in ways they’ve never imagined before.” Mark’s “Music Meeting" site is here http://www.musicmeeting.co.

MARK EDWARDS WORLDWIDE LAUNCHES “THE MUSIC MEETING” WEBSITE, ALL ABOUT MUSIC FOR GROWN-UPS

(ST. LOUIS, MO) “The Music Meeting”, a new website focusing on music for adults, has been launched at http://www.musicmeeting.co by veteran broadcast and online content innovator Mark Edwards.  The website joins the many online portals maintained by the multi-faceted new media firm Mark Edwards Worldwide.

“It’s becoming harder and harder for grown-ups who really love music to discover great new product,” said Mark Edwards, Managing General Partner of Mark Edwards Worldwide. “The Music Meeting will introduce people to the latest songs from the artists they already know and love as well as expose them to up and coming artists, the kind of people who are making great music that may never get on the radio these days.”

The website will use the latest multimedia resources to let visitors discover songs and artists and has formed partnerships with exciting new technology providers to bring entirely different, personalized content to users in the months ahead.  Mark Edwards Worldwide is recognized as being on the cutting edge of online and mobile innovation, and http://www.musicmeeting.co will introduce some of that innovative technology as part of the user experience.  In addition, the site will be presenting Live Music Meetings around the county to introduce music lovers to new recordings and artists. 

“The Music Meeting will let me share the music I discover, give visitors some insight into their favorite artists, and provide them with some very special opportunities only available to Music Meeting users,” according to Edwards, winner of multiple awards for his radio programming efforts. Specially curated playlists will be posted on the website and on services like Spotify so people can become acquainted with the music showcased on the website no matter where they are.

Mark Edwards Worldwide works with clients in multiple industries to create compelling content for online, mobile, and broadcast use. For more information on the company and its capabilities, visit http://www.markedwardsworldwide.com.

Five Facebook Factoids

I was recently asked to write a column for superstar radio consultant Gary Berkowitz about Facebook and what radio stations should know about how to really use it.  While the piece was geared towards radio brands, it is relevant to any business.  If you'd like to discuss how these concepts refer to YOUR business, just contact me.

Image via CrunchBase

Facebook is the internet’s most popular social networking site, and if your radio station isn’t on Facebook, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with your listeners and would-be listeners.  However, you need to plan and execute your Facebook presence the right way, and here are five factoids that will help you maximize the Facebook experience for both your station and your listeners.

1.    LIKES DO NOT EQUAL RATINGS  Just because you have a bunch of people who LIKE your station’s page doesn’t mean you’ll see a bump in your ratings. Yes, you want lots of people to LIKE your page so your updates will show up in their news stream, but that’s only the first step in creating meaningful engagement on Facebook.  Don’t expect an Arbitron bump because you have a huge Facebook following.  There is virtually no way that the two things are connected.

2.    SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE  It’s fine for your Air Personalities to have their own Facebook pages and communities, but in order to build your station’s presence and engagement on Facebook, you need to have them communicate with listeners via the station’s page.  They can still use their page, and probably should put their updates that have to do with their work on both their own page and the station page.  But remember, if they don’t update listeners through the station page, you lose a chance to get the station name on people’s news stream.

3.    YOUR ENTIRE WORLD IS RULED BY CUME OCCASIONS  You’ve probably heard that from people like Gary or read that somewhere.  In the PPM World, cume occasions are key to winning.  The same holds true for Facebook.  Only the heaviest users with no life are on Facebook all the time, so you need to be in their stream whenever they check in.  That means pushing updates out throughout the day and night so your 5:30AM update isn’t missed by the person who just gets to Facebook at 3:00PM.

4.    MORE OF YOUR LISTENERS VISIT FACEBOOK THAN YOUR WEBSITE  It’s not because your website sucks, although most radio websites do, but because they want to see things they know they’ll be interested from people they know on Facebook. That means you’re missing a big hunk of your audience if you spend a bunch of time posting on your website and not putting that content on your Facebook page.

5.    USE FACEBOOK TO BRING PEOPLE TO YOUR STATION AND WEBSITE  You already know more people go to Facebook than your own website, so your page should have links to your website, your online stream, and directly to a loyalty club if you have one.  Think as every Facebook page visit as a way to get people to listen longer and interact more with your brand.  If you don’t do that, you don’t have a Social Media strategy.

Mark Edwards is a longtime award winning broadcast programmer and innovator. His quarter of century of programming top radio stations includes WLIT/Chicago, KOSI/Denver, KYKY, KEZK, and WVRV in St. Louis and more.  Edwards led innovation in the radio industry by launching one of the first websites for a radio station, creating the first direct mail video, and using New Media to market radio.  His pioneering work in Social Media, internet marketing, and multi-platform branding is well known in the broadcasting and online industries.  Mark Edwards Worldwide serves the entertainment and consumer goods industries with best in class Social Media, Internet Marketing, and Content Creation. Reach Mark at http://www.markedwardsworlde.com. 

Greetings And Salutations!

I really thought I'd never start another blog.  I've got blogs everywhere.  There's Mark Edwards Uncensored, Mark Edwards Rants, Mark Edwards 3.0, Mark Edwards Unlimited even Mark's Cubs Worship Pulpit.  To a lesser or greater extent, those blogs are sort of general interest, with the exception of the blog dedicated to the Chicago Cubs.

This blog will be different.  The focus here is the focus of Mark Edwards Worldwide. The Media.  Old media, New Media, Social Media, and perhaps most importantly, the future of media.  You'll hear my opinions on some of the issues facing content creators, I'll share some particularly noteworthy things I find around the Interwebz (which I do a lot at the Mark Edwards Worldwide Newsfeed) and hopefully I'll rile up the folks who stumble onto this blog to get a good conversation going every once in a while.

So welcome, please bookmark, tell your friends, and feel free to subscribe to the e mail or RSS feeds of the blog.  I promise to never spam you.

Stay tuned for semi-regular updates!

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