By Shana Penta, @whoisshanapenta | email: shana.penta *** g )(mail.com
Instagram is now considered the most personal form of connecting on social media. How then does radio make use of Instagram to take a listener behind the scenes?
The use of Instagram has allowed radio stations to get closer to listeners, effectively “taking the listener backstage.” This type of informal promotion and continual branding affords both listeners and stations alike the opportunity of being part of a shared community.
Ferguson and Greer used semiotics to determine how radio stations portray themselves. In this case, semiotics can be defined as the attribution of meaning to signs. Semiotics range from words to visuals, and object to actions, various signs included are words, film, clothing, sounds, emoticons, and the proximity of individuals.
Using radiostationworld.com, researchers Ferguson and Greer created a list of radio stations. The radio station web sites were then accessed, and they verified Instagram accounts. Ferguson and Green indexed 561 stations after collecting then through a Firefox plugin, Grab Them All.
Their method involved a constant comparative technique, leading Ferguson and Greer to discover two dominant themes:
- Station Promotion
- Promotion of Contests
- Local Events
- Station Personnel (local celebrities)
- Visuals of the Station’s Community
- Images of local people at events
- Contest winners
- Employees with community members
The recurring subject for the themes mentioned above was that content posted typically featured people smiling and having a good time. The radio stations use of Instagram was portraying personal connections. The radio stations used semiotics to convey that they are fun, inclusive and just regular guys within their respective communities.
So how does a radio station take something that has always been an auditory medium and turn it into something visual? Post on social media channels and if you’re wanting a personal, more imitate audience, use Instagram.
Stations are able to give listeners a glimpse of their world while continuing to promote their brand and sponsor contests and special events through social media posts. Through semiotics, Ferguson and Greer were able to determine a more personal approach is available via Instagram.
Ferguson, D. A., & Greer, C. F. (2018). Visualizing a Non-Visual Medium through Social Media: The Semiotics of Radio Station Posts on Instagram. Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 126-141.