My First Social Media Experience: The Jim Rome Show

My first social media experience came over the AM sports talk radio air waves. It was my junior year of high school that I discovered The Jim Rome Show (wikipedia) and I am still listening. Sure radio is old news, old media and loses out to my iPod or even CDs most of the time. Yet the lessons I learned from Jim Rome and my fellow Clones from The Jungle continue to help me in my online marketing job today.

Lesson #1: Ask your customers to “Have a Take”.

I consider The Jim Rome Show social media because of the participation he asks from the Clones (the show’s listeners). The show is an amazing example of co-creation. Rome asks his listeners that call in to “Have a Take”, meaning have an opinion and purpose when you call in. This contribution and the enforcement by Jim is unlike any other AM talk show I have encountered. It showed me that I can ask my customers to contribute. The open source software market in which I work asks it’s customers and users to contribute in many ways that are extremely important to business and software development. Not all customers need to contribute, but why not ask more of those that are willing to do so? People like to participate and be a part of something. Social Media makes this contribution and participation easier for customers to do and easier for companies to facilitate. Find ways to use it and use it to improve your business.

Lesson #2: Know the Language before you Speak.

The Jungle (another name for the show) has it’s own dictionary. Why? Because it helps the listeners better understand what is going on and become better contributors to the show. At times listeners call in without an understanding of the show. More often than not they will flame out and get the manual buzzer (Rome’s way to cut off a bad caller). This lesson is important when starting to market through social media.

In an Internet Marketing Strategy class I just took, we studied how companies market of forums. Many companies would just post new threads promoting their new product or service with no idea what else to do. Others would suggest products anonymously and not reveal that they work for the company. Forum members would normally find out and almost ban the user from the forum. The more successful marketing came through companies building relationships on the forums out in the open. One OEM car part manufacturer would give helpful car advice and make numerous posts on the site. The marketer was very open about who he worked for and why he was on the forum. He understood the language of the forum and built a relationship with the users. Other forum users started suggesting the parts for the OEM company because they trusted him.

It is important to listen and understand before you can start marketing to a new audience. Knowing the language and rules of Social Media is an important part of marketing to Social Media users.

Lesson #3: Take Risks, but know where the line is.

Jim Rome is always taking risks with the things he says and does on radio and TV. Rome once interviewed Jim Everett on his old TV show and as he crossed it, he learned where the line is. The YouTube video of the interview is ranked 4th when you Google ‘Jim Rome’. Take risks in your marketing mix, just remember not to offend your core customers. There is a line in every market, find where that line is and make sure not to cross it.

Above were just a few lessons I learned that help me in the social media world, both professionally and personally. I think it is important to think back to why you have been or are involved in a community. Think of what you learned and apply the lessons to how you and/or your business portray(s) itself through social media outlets.

my thoughts for now

- rich in boise

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