For you broadcasters, the mobile app gives you the opportunity to build a new environment around your brand. The app also presents many monetizing options. But let’s not forget the core asset of broadcast radio: its special relationship with its audience and, in some cases, communities. Statistics show that 41% of weekly online radio listeners have a profile on a social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or other). Therefore, you should consider weaving social networking functionalities, such as a buddies list, into your app and leveraging the power of Facebook or Twitter, for example.

Build a strategy, not just an app
Despite the obvious necessity for radio to reach listeners on their smartphones and other mobile communication devices, it’s never a good idea to rush things through. The broadcasting industry’s stance toward mobile applications reminds me of the initial reflex of most media companies on the arrival of the Web: “we have to have a website because we just have to”. This shortcut behavior almost always resulted in failure.

The best advice I can give broadcasters is this: take time to build a strategy, and plan ahead in terms of time and resources. Your application cannot only achieve a short time goal (be there) but it can drive mid- or long-term business objectives as well.

The framework I suggest is to define a product roadmap for your mobile presence. Think of your app as a broad, evolving strategy and not as a simple deliverable. Establish goals for this product to reach. Goals can be qualitative and quantitative, often measured through Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

When establishing your roadmap, identify a 3 to 6 month timeline with some milestones, for each of which you associate objectives and KPIs. At every milestone, your team and your streaming services provider (StreamTheWorld) will assess how well the objectives have been met and, based on the metrics, what new features to develop or what revisions to make to existing product features. In the end, this process will fine-tune your app, making it serve your business objectives and maximizing your return on investment (ROI).

André-Claude Potvin, UX and monetization strategist, StreamTheWorld

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This is a great opportunity for radio broadcasters, and here’s why. Based on the following figures, your audience would be interested in getting location-based mobile alerts from most of your advertisers. In fact, 42% of 18-to-34-year-olds and 33% of 35-to-44-year-olds are at least slightly interested in receiving opt-in mobile alerts from their favorite places*. They are mostly interested in getting alerts from restaurants, movie/event tickets, weather, and clearance sales. Furthermore, consumers are more likely to buy goods from local offers that are served at the right place and time*. These figures are expected to grow since the adoption of Smartphones is increasing at a rapid pace.

Offer a new service to your audience and make money out of it.
Your brands are already trusted by your audience; radio is a local phenomenon, is accessible everywhere on any device and is now more than ever part of consumers’ lives. Therefore, radio is the most relevant media for local advertisers. Why not become a reliable source of information to your audience by providing on-time, on-place advertisements as SMS, direct messages, and displays, directly into your Smartphone applications? Your mobile alerts should be seen as a service, not as an intrusion, as consumers respond better to a service than to pure advertisement. It’s a perfect fit for your local advertisers as they will definitely benefit from your new service because it is coupled with your trusted brands, increased reach, and localization.

I think it’s time for radio broadcasters to take advantage of new digital trends and grasp more and more of that “new” money. But don’t wait for others to figure it out first. Own this new trend by being the first to efficiently exploit it.

*Harris Interactive survey, October 2009

Vincent Grenier, VP Marketing, StreamTheWorld
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