Earlier this week I argued that DJ blogs often are a waste of time and effort.
Today I’m going to share a few thoughts on how to make them better.
1. You don’t need a DJ blog
There is no requirement that your digital platform include a DJ blog. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
And just because many of the stations around you are producing a waste of bits and bytes doesn’t mean you should follow suit. So first of all, ease up.
2. You do need a digital strategy
Do you need a digital platform for your brand? Yes. Do you need a blog for every DJ on your staff (or any at all for that matter)? No.
DJ blogs are tactics, not strategies, so you need to begin with an overall digital strategy, then ask the question: What is the role, if any, for a blog – DJ-written or otherwise?
3. Consider whether and how your brand’s digital strategy translates to a blog
In some cases a brand will be better off with a single station blog that talent and staff contribute to. For example, if your brand is all about music, like Philadelphia’s WXPN, how about a blog about the local music scene?
You have to begin with tangible goals and then assess what resources (including talent) you have at your disposal.
Finally, you need to ask: How can this blog make the show better, make the brand better, make the consumer experience better, or spread the word better?
4. A blog needs a point of view
If a DJ is simply a musical ferryman, dropping in between the songs every few minutes for a few seconds at a time, he is not likely to have a point of view (or at least he’s not encouraged to share it) so why would the audience care what he writes when they barely hear him talk?
If, however, we’re talking about a huge morning show or a distinctive talent, part of what makes the show/talent huge and distinctive is that very point of view. So how do you bring that to life online?
5. If you go for a DJ blog, think of it as “show notes”
Podcasters who blog around their podcasts refer to the posts as “show notes.” That is, a place for all the stuff they talk about on the show including relevant links.
It should be obvious that if you don’t have a “show” then you don’t have “show notes” and you shouldn’t have a blog.
But for DJ’s who go to the trouble of making a show, think of your blogs as “show notes” and you’ll instantly have a sense for what belongs there, since it will directly tie in with the content on-air. And, by the way, shouldn’t it tie in with the content on-air?
This is the favorite go-to tactic for local TV news shows, too – they’re always directing viewers to the station website for more information about everything on-air. This is “website as show notes.”
Not only will show notes illustrate the scope and nature of what the on-air content is, but it will give you a chance to market your show based on what’s actually in it and leverage all the word-of-mouth potential of social media because good content will spread and bad content will not. And every piece of good content that spreads reminds current and potential listeners why they can and should tune in your show.
Too often, we use our station blogs as repositories for DJ photos and bios and tweets – but what’s actually on the show? What did I miss? Why should I tune in tomorrow? Why should I share this with my friends?
Marketing opportunity lost.
Don’t lose any marketing opportunity – that’s a big purpose for your digital platform in the first place.