Social Scorecard: Radio’s top social posts this week, plus how to best utilise your Twitter account

It’s about time I dragged you away from your Facebook page so that you can give your Twitter profile some lovin’ this week.

I feel like this is a neglected platform for some radio folk. If it’s lacking sparkle, it could be turning listeners away because they are utterly confused from a steady stream of automated Tweets. It may be time to ask yourself if your profile is even follow-worthy.

The simple rule with Twitter is that less is more. It’s not like any other social platform you have under your belt, where there’s plenty of space for you to showcase your show, station or network. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either, you just need to learn to love it and use it to your advantage.

It’s a small space but makes a big impact

You’ve only got enough room for one link, a micro bio and a little profile picture. So treat the space like a business card – where you have to pack a punch to make a lasting impression.

Time is not on your side

A couple of seconds is all it takes to convince listeners to follow you. Folks with a big following are too busy to decide whether they should follow your or not.

So with all these factors working against you, I’ve come up with a six ways to revamp your Twitter profile so that it will make a killer first impression.

Refresh your Twitter profile pic

The immediate go to is your logo, but redesign it so that it uses bold colours and shapes to really stand out in people’s Twitter feeds.  Remember to adhere to the recommended dimensions of 400 pixels x 400 pixels so that it also mobile friendly.

Rewrite your Twitter bio using keywords

Listeners who use Twitter will search using specific keywords. They will get a heap of results that match the keywords they’ve specified; the results will display the top profiles that match and the top Tweets.

You need to ensure your bio has been optimised using SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), so that it contains relevant keywords.

Target a specific page with your profile link

Make use of this prime real estate and drive traffic to another platform or a specific page on your website. Running a competition, have engaging content or have a social media feed on your website? Direct listeners to that particular page and make the most of your traffic.

Update your Twitter header

A great trick I like to do to boost engagement is to regularly update headers – It keeps things fresh. I’d steer clear from featuring a logo in this instance – imagery is best, so make sure you tell a story or focus on a current promo. Twitter recommends your dimensions should be 1500 pixels in width by 500 pixels height wise – but 1500 pixels by 421 pixels works well too.

Pin your most engaging Tweet to your profile

You should be doing this with your Facebook page too. Change it up regularly and always reserve that prime position for a recent, relevant and engaging Tweet.

Get verified

Make it known that you are a real deal – the blue badge gives you a stamp of approval and instant credibility. Check out their verified accounts page for more info.

Our picks this week come from Nova 96.9’s Fitzy and Wippa, KIIS 106.5’s Kyle and Jackie O and Hit 107’s Amos, Cat and Angus.

1. Nova 96.9’s Fitzy and Wippa: Facebook – ‘Ode to Parramatta Road’ (Nova Entertainment)

Local targeted content always works better. Despite the boys being syndicated nationally in the evening, their target is Sydney breakfast. It works a treat as listeners crave relevant content. It shows it was created specifically for their market, encouraging comments and shares. Overall this was an extremely savvy piece of content; it demonstrates that Nova is serious about the local market and not just superficially interested in listeners. Fantastic effort from the team!

2. KIIS 106.5’s Kyle and Jackie O: Instagram Stories – ‘London Holiday giveaway’ (ARN)

I’d classify this as a very clever social media activation. Unfortunately I only have a screenshot to show you. To promote their sponsored holiday giveaway they had a ‘Queens Guard’ fella standing motionless in the producer’s booth. All whilst ‘Intern Pete’ and various staff tried in vain to make him crack. It’s a creative way to interact with listeners and is great for the brand. Enjoyed watching; it was an exciting and engaging way to capture an audience’s attention.

3. Hit 107’s Amos, Cat and Angus: Facebook – ‘Angus’ Billboard Singles Date with Julia’ (SCA)

You lot are a bunch of smarty pants! Social strategy and activation home run; ‘The Bachelor’ is a hot topic, online dating is awkward AF, so put those factors together and you have SCA’s Billboard Singles promo. It rustled up all sorts of feels, creating brand awareness and engagement. Maybe Angus is next up on Bachie?

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Social Scorecard is compiled exclusively for Radio Today by Jess Frangelli.