A big, missed opportunity I see radio stations making is updating their social media accounts from concert venues. Your team likely does this, too. You snap 20 photos with celebrities and immediately post them to Facebook while the concert is still in progress. Why is this a missed opportunity? The opportunity was missed because the radio station could not benefit from the impressions those images could have given their website.
Another scenario is seeing a breaking news story (like an accident) on a website with a photo taken by someone at the station. However, the news story was posted an hour or two later. They obviously posted it when they got back to the station. Or, perhaps they quickly post the image to social media with a caption from their location and then post the news story later.
Being active on social is great, and it’s easy to post from wherever you are quickly. However, in both cases, the more beneficial scenario for the radio station is to post the bulk of any content to the website and then tease it on social with a link.
The Importance of Remote Website Updates
Every second counts when a major event happens—a big traffic incident, severe weather, or breaking local news. Your listeners want immediate updates, and being able to provide that information quickly can make a huge difference.
If you can update your website remotely, you can immediately post the story with all the details and images. This immediacy ensures your audience gets timely information directly from you, reinforcing your position as a reliable news source. Waiting until you return to the station can make your content seem outdated and less relevant, potentially driving your audience to faster sources.
Updating your website remotely isn’t just about speed; it’s about maintaining your station’s authority and trustworthiness. Quick updates help establish your station as the go-to source for breaking news and important information, especially in your local community. Responsiveness builds trust and loyalty among your audience. This trust can lead to more website visits, longer engagement times, and a stronger relationship with your audience.
Benefits of Posting Updates to Your Website vs. Social Media
Posting updates directly to your website, rather than solely relying on social media, has several significant advantages.
- Ownership and Control: You have full ownership and control when you post content on your website. Social media platforms can change their algorithms, which means your content might reach your audience differently than intended. On your website, you control how and when content is displayed, ensuring your audience can always access the latest updates.
- SEO and Website Traffic: Posting updates on your website can drive traffic and improve your SEO. Each update you post allows you to rank for relevant keywords, bringing more visitors to your site over time. Unlike social media posts that get buried in feeds, website content remains accessible and can continue to attract visitors long after it’s published.
- Comprehensive Information Hub: Your website serves as a central, comprehensive source of information. Detailed, organized content on your site is more accessible and user-friendly than fragmented updates spread across various social media platforms. This makes it easier for your audience to find all the information they need in one place.
By prioritizing your website’s updates, you enhance your station’s online presence and build a more robust, reliable, and user-friendly digital hub for your listeners. This approach ensures your content has a lasting impact and continues to serve your audience effectively.
Methods for Updating Your Website Remotely
Updating your website remotely with breaking news is essential for maintaining relevance and authority. Here are some effective methods to ensure you can post updates quickly and efficiently from anywhere:
Frontend Forms: Frontend forms are one of the simplest ways to update your website remotely. These forms can be embedded directly on your site, allowing you or your team to submit news updates without backend access. They are user-friendly and streamline the content submission process, making it easy to post updates on the go. If the posts are immediately published, ensure proper security measures are in place.
Mobile Apps: Modern content management systems (CMS) like WordPress offer mobile apps designed for remote website management. We recommend the official WordPress mobile app to our affiliates. You can add multiple sites to it and publish content as quickly as the website version. These apps enable you to publish posts, upload media, and manage comments directly from your smartphone or tablet.
Email-to-Post Solutions: Some CMS platforms offer email-to-post features, allowing you to update your site by simply emailing. This method is handy if you’re in a location with limited internet access, as emails often require less bandwidth than full web interfaces. You can format your email to include the post title, content, and images; the CMS will handle the rest.
Third-Party Tools: Tools and services like Hootsuite, Buffer, and IFTTT can be integrated into your website to facilitate remote updates. These platforms offer various features like scheduling posts, cross-posting to multiple platforms, and automated workflows. While they are primarily known for social media management, many tools support website integrations.
Using these methods, you can ensure that your website remains up-to-date with the latest news and information, no matter where you are. This keeps your audience informed and reinforces your station’s position as a reliable source of timely news.
Best Practices for Remote Updates
Training and Consistency: It’s important to ensure that everyone who can post content to the website knows how to do so remotely if they find themselves in a situation that warrants a quick/timely update. Even when posting remotely, maintaining the quality and consistency of your updates is crucial. Develop clear editorial guidelines for your team to follow, such as uploading photos in landscape rather than portrait mode. This will help maintain a consistent voice and quality across all posts.
Security: Securing login and access is important when updating your website remotely. Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to prevent unauthorized access. Regularly update your CMS and plugins to patch any security vulnerabilities. By taking these steps, you can safeguard your website against potential threats while allowing remote access.
Testing and Preparation: It would be horrible if an incident occurred and a team member couldn’t access the posting location. Regularly testing your remote updating tools and methods is essential.
Conclusion
Remote website updates is a functionality you’ll likely not realize you need until you need it badly. So, make it a priority right now. Sure, social media is great for engagement. However, driving traffic to your website where you own the content offers many long-term benefits. It ensures you maintain control over the content, enhances your site’s SEO, and gives your audience a place where that information lasts much longer than the next swipe.
Some will argue that social media is more immediate because you might get an alert when someone you follow makes an update. The argument is that if your mobile app is tied to your website, a push notification can be sent to everyone who has the app, letting them know that as well.
Rather than sending your audience to “Zuckertown” or “Muskville,” embrace strategies to enhance your station’s online presence that you monetize and make the most of every bit of content you create.
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.