I present a new music show on BBC Radio Jersey every Saturday from 12-2pm – the show features music from Jersey including live sessions and recorded tunes.
As with all live radio I like to get listener engagement – have a different voice, get opinions – but it isn’t the sort of show people phone in for.
I presented the afternoon show for a couple of days, posed a brain teaser and within seconds was bombarded with calls – that doesn’t happen on BBC Introducing in Jersey.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t get user engagement – its just that instead of the traditional phone, text and e-mail it comes exclusively through social media.
As a station BBC Radio Jersey has been embracing social media – we invite comment across all shows on Facebook, we share stories and seek opinions on Twitter.
On my show it is only social media. I make use of SoundCloud to post the live sessions that were recorded each week and I post photos of people performing to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.
But the real area is the talking point – these have been everything from ‘your favourite song to play on the beach’ to ‘what band should the Jersey Live festival organisers book for 2013′.
That was the biggest debating point yet.
I asked this:
Looking back at Jersey Live this Saturday but we also want to look ahead – who would you like for the 10th Jersey Live @jerseylivehq
— Jersey Introducing (@jsyintroducing) September 5, 2012
To which the responses came flying in – even more so on Facebook:
@jsyintroducing @jerseylivehq if you could get ed sheeran again i will love you?
— Sophie Cross (@SophieCross24) September 5, 2012
@jsyintroducing @jerseylivehq two door cinema club pls
— Abby, wbu? (@AbbyyMcL) September 5, 2012
@jsyintroducing The Suburbians!!
— Charlotte Gale (@charlg25) September 5, 2012
@jsyintroducing @jerseylivehq book @ryankeen as I told u too this year,he played at ITunes festival last night!The early bird gets the worm
— The Barnsbury Pub (@thebarnsburypub) September 5, 2012
@jsyintroducing @jerseylivehq @coldplay haha but seriously, @deadmau5 @madeon Rita Ora…#JL13
— Henry Carre (@honours18) September 5, 2012
@jsyintroducing @jerseylivehq The Vaccines or Foster the People!
— Your mother (@jackaustin00) September 5, 2012
@jsyintroducing @jerseylivehq @the_reads @karticamusic @themazzoni @mileskanemusic should be the first names on any festival wanted list!
— Ian Pawsey (@Pawsinho) September 5, 2012
@jsyintroducing @jerseylivehq Richard ashcroft
— keely(@keelysmile) September 5, 2012
But the other area, as well as crowd sourcing, that social media has helped both engagement and drive new people to the show is tagging.
I took thousands of photos at the Jersey Live festival – of the bands and of the fans – and I usually just put them all on Flickr and tag them – then leave it at that.
This year I decided to take out all the crowd photos and upload them to the Facebook page and invite people to tag themselves – they did – en mass.
