Week 4: Using social media to generate revenue for your farmer program

Archived English Discussions Generating Revenue
#1

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Week 4 of our discussions. This is our last week. I trust you are enjoying the discussions and are learning from what is being shared.

This week we are looking at how to use social media to generate revenue for your farmer program. Farm Radio International has put together some tips and ideas around using social media to generate revenue that I think you will find useful Social media generating revenue.docx (18.6 KB)
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Here are some questions to guide this week’s discussion:

  • What social media do you use for your radio program, or at your station and why?
  • In your experience which social media is most effective for interacting with your audience?
  • Do you see a link between using social media and generating revenue for your radio program? Please explain.
  • How have you seen social media used to generate revenue for a radio program? (This could be at your station or another station)
  • What is one question about generating revenue for your program that you would like to ask people participating in this e-Discussion? This question doesn’t have to focus on social media. This is your chance to get input from others on a burning question you have that hasn’t yet been addressed over the past few weeks!

This is what you are expected to do this week:

  1. Share your experience and ideas on two or more of the questions above
  2. Go through other participants’ contributions and comment or respond to at least two of them.

A reminder that those of you that contribute two to three meaningful posts each week will receive a certificate indicating they were active participants in the e-Discussion. If you have missed out on previous weeks, you can still go back and contribute between now and Friday March 23.

Enjoy your week!

#2
#3

Week 4:

Hello everyone,

My experiences and ideas on the questions asked for this week

a) What social media do you use for your radio program, or at your station and why?

At my station, the popular social media used is Facebook. Because it is used for sending messages to many people on the network, for writing to individuals using messenger and most listeners just like it and got used to it.

b) In your experience which social media is most effective for interacting with your audience? Facebook is effective as compared to the rest.

c) Do you see a link between using social media and generating revenue for your radio program? Please explain?

Yes, i see a link for reasons explained here below:

First, social media is very good and is used widely to advertise my program. By doing this, i attract people who can interest themselves in the programme and can sponsor it.

Second, i can post a variety of things like; short audio pieces, pictures while in studio with guests and i advertise the next episode of the programme. All these hook a cross-sectional audience or people who can pick interest in the programme and can sponsor or give any kind of support that can assist to run the programme, sustain the programme or support the radio station.

They can give all kinds of sponsors, adverts or any form of revenue or financial opportunity.

Third, social media can advertise or sell my programme to those who may not be in the reach of it, but have the will to support the programme by contributing money to it. For instance, Ugandans in the diaspora, though are far, but they are willing to support the cause or the programme to benefit the people back home or their country.

d) How have you seen social media used to generate revenue for a radio program? (This could be at your station or another station).

Sorry, it is not a radio programme but TV (Star TV in Uganda): For sure, i have been watching a TV programme here in Uganda where the presenter uses Facebook and other social media platforms, i think… whatApp, and she organizes birthday parties, anniversaries and other social events. What she does; she advertises the programme on the social media platforms, and it is very popular now. She connects to the social media networks who request her to organize events on their behalf for their people. They send her money and she organizes the events.

She at times gives surprise gifts to people they tell her to surprise…and so many other social events that she does through the social networks.

I am told, she is not a full staff member but she is able to sustain the progarmme on air, pay the crue that assists her and to pay for the airtime through such social media contributions, support, sponsorships and adverts. She is really doing very well and has gained fame here in Uganda because of the innovations and uniqueness of her programme.

e) What is one question about generating revenue for your program that you would like to ask people participating in this e-Discussion?

This is my question i am asking in this eDiscussion: What could one tell an organization, company or social networks when looking for a sponsor for a farmer programme?

I wish you all fruitful deliberations and a fruitful week.

Cheers,

Sarah Mawerere (smawerere).

1 Like
#4

My contributions for the questions asked in week 4 are focus on the first 3 questions:

Q1. What social media do you use for your radio program, or at your station and why?

Answer: Whatsapp, because it is the most widely used in my community by the people, since many regards it to be user friendly and practical.

Q2. In your experience which social media is most effective for interacting with your audience?

Answer: Facebook

Q3. Do you see a link between using social media and generating revenue for your radio program? Please explain.

Answer: YES, there is a link between social media and generating revenue for my radio program.

Explanation: Social media has proof the test of time, to be the strongest and fastest means of tackling audience across the globe in diversified areas of works. e.g Politics, Business, Agriculture, Communication, just to name a few. And since audiences are ever looking at what can improve their standard of living and how it can be possible for them; generating revenue pops-up here to form a link, which clarify the listener how that can be done.

Now if in subsequent radio programs on generating revenue the listener remains loyal and applies the tricks,tips and pattern as heard ON-Air, all things being equal it would certainly work for his or her own good.

In summary,there is a link between using social media and generating revenue for radio programs.

My question for the e-Discussion:
Can a man become very rich or a successful business tycoon without a basic kick-start capital living out agriculture? If YES, Outline 5 tips on how one can start out of nothing?

Thanks for taking a critical look on my views, What do you think?

Mike Achanyi (mikepac715)

#5

In my own experience the effective social media for interaction with the audience is face book. Face book has a big following now and because there are many face book users, we use face book.

Many listeners are on face book because it can be used on simple phones and it has proved to be one of the simple to use social media platform, even by rural listeners as well.

Face book does not have a lot of restrictions like other social media platforms and this has attracted many people to follow programs on social media. It is also cheap because a listener can use little money to send many messages.

Do you see a link between using social media and generating revenue for your radio program? Please explain?
There is a link between social media and generating revenue for a radio program in this way, Social media provides an avenue for direct revenue generation, by advertising through social media. Social media like FB if used well, can generate money since some advertisers would love you to advertise their products on your face book wall. If advertisers realize you have many listeners following you, they may ask you to advertise them both on air and on social media platform.

Also the response got from social media, gives advertiser strength to advertise with your radio since it gives proof that, there are people out there who follow your programs, hence linking social media to the revenue generation.

#6

Another interesting week with yet another interesting topic. We had turning listenership into money, then sources of revenue for radio programmes and now using socila media to generate revenue. I here go straight to responding to questions of the week.

What social media do you use for your radio program, or at your station and why?

At Breeze FM, we use facebook and whatsapp. We started with facebook and later added whatsapp. We use these two because they are the most popular in our audience and are more available to our listeners. Take for instance facebook. Its available in almost every mobile phone and above all, some mobile service providers in our country offer free facebook.

In your experience which social media is most effective for interacting with your audience?

In my experience facebook is more effective. It is used by almost every listener and is available on simple phones and available in rural communities.

Do you see a link between using social media and generating revenue for your radio program? Please explain.

Yes I see that link. In order to generate revenue for our radio programme, we need advertisers or sponsors. For these sponsors to be convinced to advertise or sponsor, they need to be convinced many people will listen to their advert. You can only convince them if and only if you have records of numbers. Now social media is one way to increase numbers as well recording the numbers. Therefore social media helps to record numbers needed by sponsors and advertisers.

How have you seen social media used to generate revenue for a radio program? (This could be at your station or another station)

Yes. In Zambia at a radio station in Lusaka, radio stations use DJ personalities to increase facebook following, likes and comments. Then they use the figures of following to convince advertisers and two radio stations are generating revenue via facebook. They also have facebook advertising.

What is one question about generating revenue for your program that you would like to ask people participating in this e-Discussion? This question doesn’t have to focus on social media. This is your chance to get input from others on a burning question you have that hasn’t yet been addressed over the past few weeks!

My question is organizations usually say “we already made a budget for the year and we did not include advertising.” Now I do not know when they do their budget so that I talk to them during budgeting and how can I convince them to advertise even when they did not budget for advertising

2 Likes
#7

You said the most widely used is Whatsapp and you again say the most effective is facebook. I am a bit lost here. How is facebook effective when its not widely used? Explain more bro.

#8

Dear mikepac715,

Thank you for sharing in week 4. However, just like Martin, i am also confused about the widely used social media at your station and the most effectiveness social media as you answered them below.

Answer to qn 1: WhatsApp, because it is the most widely used in my community by the people, since many regards it to be user friendly and practical.

Answer to qn 2: Most effective for interacting with your audience is Facebook. Can you please explain what you meant in answer 1 and answer 2? What do you mean WhatsApp is widely used in your community, then Facebook is the most effective?

Remember qn 1 is: What social media do you use for your radio program, or at your station and why?

Thank you.

#9

Q1. What social media do you use for your radio program, or at your station and why?

The social media that is used in my former radio station is Facebook, twitter and SMS lines. The Facebook is easy to use and access for most listeners/ farmers. Most of the phones have the platform be it in rural or urban. For those outside the country they normally prefer twitter account now that the station is online. At one time I had a listener from USA who followed keenly on market prices of various commodities.

Q2. In your experience which social media is most effective for interacting with your audience?

Facebook is more preferable since it is easy to use and not complicated. Also pocket friendly than the SMS line where for every message, the user uses kshs 10.

Do you see a link between using social media and generating revenue for your radio program? Please explain.

I think there a link between social media and revenue. In the station we were encouraging the listerner to like the page. These was after a research was made by a private company IPSOS relating sales with the social media. On Facebook and twitter we as presenters we were encouraged to post our photos and our program line up.

Question to ask:
Is it possible to sell out agricultural program to another nation for revenue as in the same way Philippines movies, naija, Bollywood etc?

1 Like
#10

Thank you @smawerere

It is quite interesting that the person is making enough money to sustain the program through social media adverts. I guess there is also a referral system happening there. If that is achievable, cleary even a farmer program can generate revenue using social media.

It depends on what you want. You could create a post that is asking for a donation for the program or an advert on social media that is directed to a certain group of people that can sponsor the program. YOu know adverts have to be catchy

#11

How can your radio station generate revenue using social media @mikepac715?

I am assuming that when you say your station is using mostlywhatsapp, listeners participate through whatsapp. Do you have a whatsapp group for the radio programs or how do you use it?

#12

We have a whatsapp group that was created to let all post their view. Closing up the gap in whatsapp which allows only one caller at a time to share their opinion without interference.

#13

Whatsapp is the most widely used in my community, because a majority of the population frequently do their call-in to share their view through whatsapp, rather than the normal GSM phone line put in place to handle calls. Since time is a limiting factor, most often not all caller are heard due to the duration of the radio program.
Beside whatsapp can only pick one call at a time, limiting others.

Facebook has proven to be the most effective with us because once time of the radio program is over we refer those who could not be heard On-air to post via our facebook page. The heat and combustion we often cause in our programs does not allow anyone to go in bed without posting their comments.

We all know facebook is the most widely used social media around the world due to the number of subscriber found therein. Once asked why they prefer whatsapp? Many said its very cheap and would not cause them wax cold, as if they were doing a normal phone call. The people choice, remains our choice. I hope this sort things out.

#14

Whatsapp is the most widely used in my community, because a majority of the population frequently do their call-in to share their view through whatsapp, rather than the normal GSM phone line put in place to handle calls. Since time is a limiting factor, most often not all caller are heard due to the duration of the radio program.
Beside whatsapp can only pick one call at a time, limiting others.

Facebook has proven to be the most effective with us because once time of the radio program is over we refer those who could not be heard On-air to post via our facebook page. The heat and combustion we often cause in our programs does not allow anyone to go in bed without posting their comments.

We all know facebook is the most widely used social media around the world due to the number of subscriber found therein. Once asked why they prefer whatsapp? Many said its very cheap and would not cause them wax cold, as if they were doing a normal phone call. The people choice, remains our choice. I hope this sort things out.

#15

Q1.What social media do you use for your radio program, or at your station and why?

At oir radio station ilasi fm we always use facebook and whatsapp. We started with facebook and later added whatsapp. We use these two because they are the most popular in our audience and are more available to our listeners. Take for instance facebook. Its available in almost every mobile phone and above all, some mobile service providers in our country offer free facebook.

Q2.In your experience which social media is most effective for interacting with your audience?

In my experience facebook is more effective. It is used by almost every listener and is available on simple phones and available in rural communities.

Q3.Do you see a link between using social media and generating revenue for your radio program? Please explain.

Yes I see that link. In order to generate revenue for our radio programme, we need advertisers or sponsors. For these sponsors to be convinced to advertise or sponsor, they need to be convinced many people will listen to their advert. You can only convince them if and only if you have records of numbers. Now social media is one way to increase numbers as well recording the numbers. Therefore social media helps to record numbers needed by sponsors and advertisers.
Q4.What is one question about generating revenue for your program that you would like to ask people participating in this e-Discussion?
During finding the sponsor its very sentive To convice them to partispert in our radio station.

***we already made a budget for the year and we already include to advert through it.

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#16

Thank you very much.

Sarah.

#17

Social Media has become an extension of the coverage of our programs. Audios and videos of the program could be uploaded for easy access and reference.

It also presents an additional platform through which listeners can contribute since it sometimes becomes difficult to call in when studio phone lines are activated.

Though most of the farmers are illiterates, the voice note function in WhatsApp has become essential. It is easy to record and send with just a little orientation. Farmers are excited when they hear their contributions being played on-air like it would have been if they had called in. (That’s what I use for my segment)

Revenue can be generated by including your social media audience in a proposal for advertisement to companies or donor agencies. The number of followers on your station’s and program’s Facebook fan page and members of the program’s WhatsApp group could be the turning point in your program’s sponsorship woes.

The frequently asked question ‘How many farmers are internet friendly’ should rather be a challenge to solve rather than an obstacle.

The core duties of a journalist are to:

  1. Inform
  2. Educate
  3. Entertain
  4. Serve as a watchdog

So in the discharge of our duties (farmer programs), we can educate farmers on the use of these social media platforms which you and I know would even benefit farmers in the long run as to the marketing of their products and so on.

QUESTION

Which is more important: content or presentation?

3 Likes
#18

Thanks @obolo

It is good to work around the illiteracy issue. Voice notes should really work better than text. Are you able to put them together and play them on radio? If yes, how is the sound quality?

In responding to this I would say both are equally important. You may have great content but if the presentation is bad, that content is useless. The same goes for great presentation and bad content…what will people get from that?
A balance is needed.

#19

Hello @MartinMwape

Thank you for your contribution. Even here in South Africa we have mobile networks offering free facebook so chances of people having no access to facebook are slim.

I like the fact that facebook following is used to attract advertising. How do you increase the numbers? How do you market your facebook link to get more likes?

I will leave your question for our resource person @DenisLindo

#20

During a live program, I use the WhatsApp Web, which is an extension of the application on your desktop or laptop. The sound quality is good.

But there is a possibility that someone might send an audio which is not related to the topic being discussed so the producer listens to the voice note before airing.

Thanks so much.

1 Like