Cheap. Free. And Give Me Results!

Checking the top radio industry groups' CEO names, I am able to find only one who has a Linkedin account. Doing so isn't required for their job stability, but it is required for them to understand how social media works. That's important and is one reason why (as most everyone else in the radio industry these days) I belong to a number of Linkedin discussion groups. You probably do too.

"Asking for 'cheap and free' ideas for anything is a sign of desperation. Neither exists, and if offered they will be worth exactly what you pay."

Participating in a Linkedin group is not always what you expect. The litany of questions, comments, and retorts found there sometimes makes your head shake in agreement or confusion. "What is this person thinking?" is a phrase that often pops into my head, as it did last Sunday.

Placed in the "Internet Radio" discussion group was one person's question which made me smile. This represents thinking that I've been exposed to for fifteen years and is indicative of the online radio industry: "I am looking for free and cheap ways to promote an internet radio show/station. Does anybody have any great ideas that work?"

There are two parts to this question. Both (with respect to the person asking) seem outrageous.

The first part is in thinking that "free" or "cheap" will deliver anything of value. I know it's what we all look for in life. I've even had people say that it's what "networking" is about, but you can't build an internet radio station on these adjectives. If you are not up to identifying methods for promoting your station to the top on your own, then you are likely doomed to fail.

Let me quote another part of this post: "Promotion is hard work, and most of the time the hardest part is getting to the masses without a huge budget for advertising." I'm going to rephrase this because it is the essence of radio: "Getting people to talk about what I'm doing is hard work. Can you please provide me with ideas. For free!"

Seeking "great ideas that work" is not something you'll easily uncover. Finding them in a Linkedin discussion group is improbable.

It's not the idea - those are easy to create. What matters is executing an idea once you've made your way through the nuances it's comprised of.

The person asking the above questions said, "I've paid out money to advertise for shows, etc., but it's not very cost effective." I believe this a paradox. They don't know how to construct advertising that works, claiming that advertising is "not very cost effective." Yet they are trying to build a business based on generating advertising revenue.

Instead of building a professional online radio station, this person needs to become an enthusiastic amateur, like someone who enjoys a weekly game of golf. Their goals should not rest on how big an audience they build but in the satisfaction of constructing a radio station, and no more. (There's nothing wrong with this concept. It is the basis for radio online, the long tail of internet radio you often read about at Audio Graphics.)

Linkedin is a great idea. The sharing of concepts and ideas is something we all do. But expecting this network environment to provide secrets to building a successful anything isn't what Linkedin is for.

There's one more layer to this: Asking for "cheap and free" ideas for anything is a sign of desperation. Neither exists, and if offered they will be worth exactly what you pay.

I didn't write anything to the person in the Internet Radio group at Linkedin. But if I did, it would go like this: Don't waste time trolling for ideas here. Put your time into trying your own idea, failing, then trying another of your own ideas. If that fails, repeat the process.

Concepts which make you a success are not free, nor cheap. That "hard work" part of promotion is attached to anything you do when building a radio station.

If you want "easy," try selling shoes and adjusting your expectations of what life brings. That's a concept I guarantee will work, and I'm offering it for free to anybody who's afraid of doing the work required to become a success in the online radio industry.









Today's indie artist introduction is to...

Spiritual music artist: Skylar Kaylyn.

sample song

Happy Ever After Download Song Tweet

We listen for songs that evoke emotion; fast, slow, female, male, group, it doesn't matter. When an artist has the power to please, they should be given a chance to be heard.

Give Skylar Kaylyn's "Happy Ever After" a listen.

Add it to your playlist, free! Such is the new world of music distribution.

It's time internet radio programmers reach into a huge pile of untapped talent.
It is here where new hit songs will increasingly be found.





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