HOW TO USE
WHATSAPP FOR RADIO
WHATSAPP FOR RADIO
• How chat apps can enhance programming
• Case study: Liberia & Sierra Leone
• Practicalities: Setting up your own service
WHAT I S W H A T S A P P
Six years old
Growing
Low cost
WHY WHATSAPP
+
audience
participation
= ??
find
sources
generate new
story ideas
user generated
content
BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIP
WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
BROADCAST LIST
KICK EBOLA FROM LIBERIA
‘SIERRA LEONE’
How it is being used
Difference between SL & Liberia (in terms of
audience size) – mention here Africell deal
PRACTICALITIES
PRE-LAUNCH
vs.
HOW TO CREATE A CHANNEL?
•Step 1 - Choose a easy and memorable number. For e.g
in SL we are using 077-200100
•Step 2 - Install WhatsApp on phone and activate
number.
•Step 3 – Promote number with the following message:
•To subscribe to the BBC Media Action WhatsApp
service, send a “JOIN” message to 077-200100 on
WhatsApp.
• Step 4 – Promote the number on shows, social media,
using push messages, flyers etc.
• Step 5 – Manage requests i.e save all incoming
numbers. In SL we save them as numbers (ie 250, 789
etc.)
• Step 6 – Engage with audience:

Groups

Broadcast lists
PRACTICALITIES
UP AND RUNNING
 Ways to advertise:
GETTING MEMBERS!

Flyers - to all partner stations.

Newspaper

SMS push

Radio shows

Twitter/ Facebook

TV shows?
AFRICELL SMS-PUSH
• Our subsrciption message
was sent to all Africell mobile
internet users.
• Advantages:
• Subscribers increased from
2700 to 11,975.
• Plan well before such a call in
terms of how to quickly add all
requests without interruptions
in service. Dedicated staff.
CONTENT PLAN
Monday to Friday?
 Relevant to the week’s
programmes.

Before – Questions? Teasers?
Announcements? Surveys?

During – Live comments on
WhatsApp

After – Debriefing the
highlights, important promises
made?
 You can send images, audio,
videos, text.
 Use your creativity to engage
your audience and keep them
informed.
HOUSE KEEPING
 Read all incoming messages.
 Email the comments/
 Save all relevant comments.
 Best way is to email the
appropriate feedback/ results
to each show’s production
team.
comments to yourself or grab
 Reply to comments where
them from WhatsApp web
appropriate.
(Android)
 Images/ Audio/ Videos can
be transferred to computer
via cord.
 Thank users for their
feedback!
CASE STUDY: KICK EBOLA NAR
SALONE
•
Responses:
•
Well as for me, I was a student at
Eastern polytechnic college were I
was reading Procurement, I should
have finish this year but I lost my only
helper who was helping me so for
now I am not doing anything neither
to return back to college bcs I didn't
have funding, so if u can ask me
about my first day in school that is
my own story.
•
2. My first day in school was good
and all the preventive mensure are in
place eg bucket soap and many
more. Picture sent.
Post:
Tell us how your first day back at school
was! What was different? What Ebola
measures did your school have in place?