The radio industry is currently carpet-bombing us with good-natured commercials whose take on our relationship with their medium is that “It’s a love thing.”
Woah. Steady. Love is a big word. The biggest. Hugh Grant has built a whole career out of being not quite able to say it. The final two candidates on The Bachelorette both struggled to say it. Perhaps because once said, it’s hard to take back. If it’s said but then not reciprocated… well, that’s a disaster of BP/Gulf of Mexico proportions.
And in the case of the radio stations, they’re not even claiming to love us – they’re proclaiming that we love them!
Now that’s punchy.
But is it accurate?
Well actually, according to data compiled by brand engagement specialists BrandData, it is.
The average social media engagement rate for radio stations is almost 20%. That’s the highest for any of the categories tracked by BrandData. It means that around 1 in 5 of the people who follow radio stations on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc are actively liking and sharing their content.
It’s a huge figure, that sits well ahead of the average engagement for comparable categories such as Bloggers (around 3%), Magazines (5.7%), and Digital Publications (7.6%).
The old cliché about radio is that, because people seem to experience it inside their heads, they feel more personally involved with their radio station than they do with other media.
That may partially explain why people are so keen to engage with the stations’ content.
But there’s also another explanation for why the radio stations are doing so well on social – a lot of them are just bloody good at it.
Nova has four of its stations in the top 10.
But the leading station in terms of online engagement – and we make no apology for doing a chart rundown here, since it’s a form beloved of the radio stations themselves – is Triple J.
The indie rockers are the number one radio station on Facebook. Number one on Twitter. Number one on Instagram. And Number one on YouTube. With a total online audience of 1.7 million, across Australia and globally.
‘Domination’ would be a fair description of their success. But it’s a success that’s hard to begrudge.
Triple J’s online content is a non-stop, hard-partying cavalcade of gig news, band news, new releases, and plain ol’ gossip. The Delta Riggs have had a guitar stolen. DJ Snake has been in a car accident. Tame Impala have won an award.
Immersing yourself in Triple J’s social feeds is akin to having an enthusiastic and knowledgeable concert promoter chattering away in your ear.
And if that’s the kind of music you like… there’s no question you’re going to love it.
By BrandData CEO, Georgie Summerhayes.