By: Michelle Southern, Eagle 98.1
Sure, there may not be as much automobile radio listening in this Spring of 2020, which is testing the masses, but since Guaranty’s on-air talent began doing their shifts from home and utilizing social media to interact with their audience, which misses them dearly during drive times, the rate of engagement online has been through the roof.
Each personality is finding their own niche in the space. From discussing and displaying clothes they miss wearing, to bushy eyebrows they can’t have waxed, and even bringing their kids and spouses into Facebook Live videos, the radio audience finds themselves connecting and relating to their favorite DJs in brand new ways. The talent are also setting appointments to let their tribe know when they can expect a live video to occur, resulting in significant increases in view count and engagement on a daily basis.
Additionally, without the benefit of bringing guests in studio, Zoom and other interview videos are being conducted with clients and uploaded or presented live to social media allowing anyone to watch the conversation on demand and over time.
The Guaranty team also created the Facebook Group, “Baton Rouge Area Businesses Affected by Covid 19,” which in a little more than 3 weeks compiled more than 7200 members. This interactive platform has evolved from businesses announcing special hours or promotions, to a giant support group where ideas are shared within the community and advice is given from political leaders on the local and even state level.
With the “we are all in this together” mentality at its peak, radio listeners have expressed with consistency one resounding message to the on-air staff, “Listening to you comforts me and brings a semblance of normalcy back to my day.”
