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IHeartRadio sings of social success thanks to cutting-edge approach

Leveraging a cutting-edge social strategy that included real-time conversations, Twitter Periscope broadcasts and Snapchat helped Internet radio platform iHeartRadio drive a nearly 75 percent increase in the number of social media impressions for its music awards show that took place at the end of March.
 
The 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards, which took place on March 29, generated more than 14 billion social impressions, driven in part bylocal radio stations and personalities engaging in a live, real-time conversation with fans before, during and after the awards, both on-air and through social. Additionally, iHeartRadio took advantage of newer social integration formats, including live behind-the-scenes broadcasts on Periscope, Twitter?s live video streaming application, and a Snapchat Our Story which was populated by the audience, nominated artists and Ryan Seacrest, whose used backstage snaps to keep viewers coming back.
 
?Our stations were more actively engaged in a live, real-time conversations with fans throughout the awards broadcast across our social accounts, which served as a very engaging second screen experience,? said Chris Williams, chief product officer for iHeartRadio. ?We also included several new social integrations into the iHeartRadio Music Awards this year.  

?Behind-the-scenes Periscope streaming coverage with Twitter was a first and our iHeartAwards ?Our Story? exceeded anyone?s expectations with more than 600 million views, because it wasn?t just being populated by the fans, but celebrities were adding to ?Our Story? with their backstage access snaps which kept viewers coming back for more,? he said. 

Multiplatform strategy
This year, the iHeartRadio awards generated more than 14 billion social media impressions throughout the promotional period of the show, nearly 75 percent more than last year's 8.5 billion.
The numbers reflect how the company leverages its diverse media platforms to engage consumers and build its brand, including mobile, desktop, automotive, in-home entertainment and gaming.
 
The mobile and social strength works in tandem with the awards program?s television might, where it was the No. 1 rated show for the 18-to-49-year-old demographic across the Big 4 broadcast networks and was up 21 percent in its time slot.


Live events
Live events are a major part of the channel?s strategy. It hosts more than 20,000 live events per year nationwide and iHeartRadio is a vehicle for sharing events with listeners who may not be able to travel to see them. 
 
Focusing on live events gives mobile a key role for iHeartRadio, as young, mobile-savvy consumers are engaging on their smartphones in a variety of ways around such events, including purchasing tickets, sharing on social media before, during and after the events as well as chronicling their participating via selfies.

 
The iHeartRadio Music Festival in the fall of 2014 generated 5 billion social media impressions, more than double the prior year?s total, and on par with the Academy Awards. During the iHeartRadio Music Festival, more than 80 percent of social media posts came from millennials, the 18-34-year-old demographic (see story). 
 
Earlier this year, iHeartRadio surpassed 60 million registered users.

?Being nimble and quickly capitalizing on individual moments is vital,? Mr. Williams said. ?You can?t treat your official hashtag as sacred and refuse to deviate.  

?When there is a moment and the fans pivot to a real time hashtag like #MadonnaandTaylor because of a surprise performance during the show, jumping in and amplifying that new conversation allows the audience to take the conversation viral organically,? he said. ?The trick is to make sure you stay engaged in the conversation and drive it even further by sharing content that makes fans feel like they are at the event and have access to insider information about what is going on behind-the-scenes.?
 
Final Take
?Chantal Tode is senior editor on Mobile Marketer, New York