By no means is this a list of the top people/shows to follow on Twitter. There were no studies planned. No scientific method was utilized. In fact, I didn’t even pay attention to the number of followers or tweets any of these had. It’s merely a list of interesting twitter accounts that span the radio industry. Don’t get mad if someone you follow doesn’t appear here. Just suggest them in the Comments section.
1. @HowardStern
I feel the need to add this for the mere fact that it would be odd if he didn’t appear on “radio” list. Stern is known for making headlines for everything from stunts on his show to signing a contract. The self-proclaimed “King of All Media” should, of course, appear on a social media list. A day’s feed will be filled with some of Stern’s thoughts and a lot of retweets from his show, @sternshow. Consider it a two-for-one following.
You love your Pandora radio. It’s as if it knows you. But there are no personalities, so who do you talk to when you want to profess that love? Never fear…Aaron’s here. Who is Aaron? Why, he’s the Pandora Community Manager! He’ll tweet his own thoughts here and there, but mostly he’ll answer all your questions, comments, general feedback, etc.
3. @Leolaporte
For you tech geeks…Leo Laporte hosts “The Tech Guy” on Premiere Radio Networks. He’ll tweet about current tech topics, but he’ll also answer your questions. You want to know which phone to go with. Send him a tweet. You want to brag about your new toy. He’ll congratulate you. You want to know where to grab a beer with him. No worries, he’ll tweet that too.
4. @MikeandTom
One of my co-workers follows this one and I’m listing it for its random nature. Comedian Michael Ian Black and actor Tom Cavanaugh host a podcast called “Mike and Tom Eat Snacks” where they essentially hang out to eat and critique snacks. Yes, I know these two were in the TV show “Ed” together but it still seemed like an odd pairing. Then, I listened to their podcast about Newman’s microwave popcorn. Follow them on Twitter to learn when new podcasts are available and what snack will be covered. You can even suggest topics for future shows.
5. @Opry
If you’re a country music fan, the Grand Ole Opry is high on your list of places to see. A visit to Nashville certainly wouldn’t be complete without going to one of the shows. With the amount of talent performing on stage, it’s easy to forget that the Opry is a live radio show. Once the WSM personality begins to read the live commercials, you’re transported to old time radio. Keep in mind, this radio show first hit airwaves in 1925. And today, you can follow it on Twitter. Talk about adapting to the times. The Opry will tweet upcoming acts, Country music info and photos from the live broadcast.
6. @FMQB
This one is for radio junkies that want to know what’s happening in the industry. FMQB is a monthly music and radio trade publication. Their Twitter feed offers radio news regarding mergers, lawsuits, acquisitions and executive moves. Their music news covers new releases, tour info and record industry updates. Here’s your chance to act like an industry insider.
Fans of satellite channel Sirius XMU, know the Gorilla vs. Bear blog radio show well. As the name indicates, Gorilla vs. Bear’s primary focus is blogging about artists they’ve deemed “relevant.” During the radio show, you hear songs by these artists. On Twitter, you get snippets of each…brief comments (have to watch those character restrictions!) and links to downloads.
8. @NPR
NPR’s Twitter feed is an eclectic mix. Each day, they’ll highlight their song of the day with link to that song and an artist bio. They’ll feature stories, awards, interviews, etc. Even more entertaining, they engage in follower participation. There are submission requests for everything from poetry submissions to suggested roller derby names for their hosts.
9. @ArbitronInc
Arbitron probably doesn’t need an introduction but for those who may not know, they are the research firm that measures U.S. radio audiences. They provide all that fun audience info that helps agencies like ours pair your marketing efforts with the best stations. Yes, some of Arbitron’s tweets are merely promoting their products. Sprinkled throughout, however, are interesting statistics. For instance, 9.2M people listened to Opening Day play-by-play for an MLB team last year.
10. @RyanSeacrest
Though it pains me to mention this one, I’d be remiss if I didn’t. With his syndicated radio shows “On Air with Ryan Seacreast” and “American Top 40,” his hosting gig on a little show called “American Idol” and his face showing up all over E!, Seacrest is everywhere. He was recently listed among the top five most influential people on Twitter. If you’re looking for pop culture updates, follow Seacrest.
Theresa Russell is Director of Promotions at The Radio Agency. Please follow The Radio Agency’s Blog “Sounding Board” by subscribing to the email or RSS links above. Visit our website TheRadioAgency.com
@jsterin
Jay Sterin is the Vice President of Interactive Solutions at Triton Digital Media.
Good one! We added it to our Twitter page–