I think just about every radio station is guilty of this at one time or another. Something happens around town, a personality records a quick video, promotions snaps a few photos at a remote, or someone in the newsroom finds a story listeners would enjoy. Without giving it much thought, it gets posted to Facebook or some other social media platform because that’s the quickest and easiest place to share it. The audience is already there (supposedly), the app or site is already open, and within a couple of minutes you’re on to the next thing on your list.
A day or two later, though, that same information might as well not exist. It’s buried beneath hundreds of newer posts, and unless someone remembers exactly when it was published, there’s a good chance they’ll never find it again. Meanwhile, the station’s website, which is the one digital property you actually own and control, was never part of the process.
That’s the habit I think a lot of stations have fallen into over the past several years. Social media has become the place where everything interesting gets published, while the website ends up holding only the information that absolutely has to be there. The problem is that the two platforms were never meant to do the same job.
Social media is excellent at helping people discover your content. Your website is where that content should live.
Think about the kinds of things your station publishes every week. Concert schedules, school supply drives, community events, contest rules, personality videos, photos from remotes, weather updates, and local news all have one thing in common. Someone is probably going to want that information again after today’s social media feed has moved on.
If you’ve only published it on Facebook, you’re asking listeners to scroll through days of posts and hope the algorithm shows them the right one again. That’s not a great experience, and it’s certainly not one you control.
Instead, give every piece of useful content a permanent home on your website. Let the website hold the complete story with the schedule, address, map, parking information, sponsor details, photos, updates, and anything else a listener might need. Then use social media for what it does best: give people a reason to click through and learn more.
That simple shift changes the purpose of both platforms. Instead of trying to squeeze every detail into a Facebook post that disappears in a few hours, your social channels become the front door to content that will still be useful tomorrow, next week, or even next year.
We want to help your radio station grow and succeed online. That journey starts with an amazing website that keeps visitors coming back often. Reach out to us to start your path to online success, or schedule an appointment to see our tools in action.