At this week's Asia Media Summit in Delhi, a full day was spent on radio.

The pre-summit radio stream is organised by RadioDays Europe, and was hosted by RDE Organiser Anders Held.

The morning session focused on training workshops on social media and radio talkback.

 “Human connection is everything,” said Martin Liss (right), discussing the way radio should connect with its audience.

“Radio is the oldest and strongest social medium, but the new social media platforms are competing with us…

“The game we are playing is awareness.”

Martin LIss reminded participants what makes radio successful and urged them to use the advantages that our audio medium presents.

To do this, Liss says you should forget that you're a radio station and start thinking of your radio station as a product. Understand the marketing warfare and use it to grab people's attention.

“Get the message right, radio is the strongest social medium in the world and the pictures on radio are better because they are in your mind… Communicate this message with good marketing strategy to your target group,” he said.

What is the difference between Sales and Marketing?

With sales, it is obvious that you are selling your product, but with marketing you are selling an idea or an emotion that will lead to people wanting to buy the product. Just using selling techniques to promote your radio station will not get the result you need in today's social media market. However, if you use convincing messages that use emotion or offer the listener something, you will cut through to the listener more effectively that just messages that try to 'sell your station, according to Liss, who used the illustration (right) to illustrate the point.

The sign on the left just 'sells' a simple message (I want to hitch hike to Jacksonville), but the one on the right sells emotion, 'I want to go home to see my mum for Christmas.' Who could resist picking up the second hitchhiker, because he used emotion to convey his message.

In another workshop session, AsiaRadioToday's Steve Ahern of AMT Pty Ltd developed improved talkback techniques for participants, showing them how to prep callers so that the presenter can interact more effectively with them.

“Don’t say “we are going to talk about this topic, please call in if you have an opinion.” Just make the topic so interesting that people cannot help wanting to talk to you about it,” said Ahern.

Some key points from Ahern for improved talkback programs included:

• Getting the first caller is everything. An avalanche begins with one thrown rock.
• Do not be afraid to organise the first few callers, don’t wait for the phone to ring
• Don’t beg for calls, just bring them in and give the phone number along the way. Make it a conversation not an obligation
• Integrating text and social media messages: same approach, let them just become part of it.
• Consider synthesised voice for some, or get the producer to come in and read them. Make what they said part of the discussion too
• Share the audio and the comments on social media
• Invite callers to tell a story, eg, what’s the worst jam you have been in?
• Only a small amount of your listeners ever call, they are to really representative of your audience
• What they give you is texture and colour for your show (as well as their opinions of course)
• The best callers make the listeners laugh, cry, get angry, tell stories… Engage emotions
• You don’t have to let callers talk too much – have a discussion, play your part too
• If there are only a few callers, drop the topic and move on