Week 1: 13/2/19

During our pre-production weeks, we decided as a group that our pop up station would be a London based, food focused station aimed at 22-33 year olds. The name “Bite” was decided on as we all thought it was punchy, easy to remember, and unique. We then decided on roles, during which I put myself forward for the role of Digital Content Manager. In the past, I have chosen roles in show production or station management because that’s where I felt most comfortable. As this is one of my last assignments at university, I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and try a new role and develop my skills. I was given the role with Gabriel and Josie assisting me.

 

The first step I took was deciding on the name for the social media outlets and the website. I chose to limit our social media platforms to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with more of a focus on Instagram and instagram Stories as they have the highest interactive rates amongst our target audience.

 

All social media platforms: biteradioldn

 

The next step was deciding what way I wanted to take the social media stylistically. I knew I wanted to merge the look of radio station social media accounts and food based accounts. The challenge of that was keeping it aimed at our target audience while also being engaging and fresh. Some accounts I took inspiration from were:

Buzfeed tasty:

Tastemade:

Transmission RH:

Magic chilled:

All of these accounts target the same demographic as Bite and are active posters on Instagram. Some positive similarities I noticed between them was that they are bright, colorful and consistent. Some things I didn’t like was how busy the text made it look and the quality of some of the images and videos. I took these observations and came up with a concept unique for Bite:

Concept: bright solid colors, flat layered or single items, only using words on video, high quality- well lit images and videos, minimalistic, easy to digest.

Once I understood the vision I had for the social content, I began to build the website with technical assistance from Gabriel. We decided to use WP as we are both comfortable with the software. In terms of the design and look of the website, I built it to be cohesive with the social media in look and feel.

You can access the website here: biteradio.london

The bones of the website are finished, the only thing to be filled in are the articles and original images which will be done next week. I worked with Kate, Bethany and Josie to brainstorm article ideas for the website to be updated weekly and scheduled presenter photo shoots with the class.

The last thing I worked on last week was content ideas for the social media channels. I worked with the production team (Holly and Rhys) and station manager Mary to come up with original interactive content. Some ideas we came up with are:

• “What the Food?”–  Online version of the on- air feature that asks the presenters to try a strange food that fits with that weeks theme.
• “Too Good To Eat?”– Each week we’ll try the most “instagramable” food in that category and judge it out of look and out of taste to see if it’s better to look at than to taste.
• Recipe of the Week
• Cheap Hacks

To do next week:

• Presenter photo shoots
• Install listen live button
• Begin scheduling social media countdown
• Social media schedule
• Finish website

Week 2: 22/02/19

This week my main priorities were to finish up the website and begin working on the content for the social media channels.

I also began working with the production team to ensure that there was continuity between on air and digital content. We decided the features that would work across both platforms would be the live polls and debates as well as guest interviews. I also suggested that their weird snack feature be moulded into the “What the Food” challenge to create more online hype. In order to make communication smoother between my team and the production team, I created a social media schedule for them to refer back to. This schedule outlines what will go out each day of the week across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the website. It also shows which things will be posted live and which will be scheduled on the  Hootsuite I set up.

This week with socials, I created a Hootsiute, which allows us to schedule and draft up posts before publication across all social media platforms. I also created our YouTube channel to post any longer form videos to. Gabriel and I sat down to discuss how to take our social media to the next level and decided on recording 4, 5 minute long cooking videos for each theme. He sourced a chef and liaised on 4 recipes that we will be recording next weekend. We also talked about creating a podcast that will go up on the Sunday at the end of each week with clips of the best bits of the 3 hour show.

In terms of content creation, I filmed an interview and B-roll for our “5 best eateries” feature of a pop up Caribbean chain in Brokley.  I took videos and pictures of all the presenters for the show schedule page of the website as well as social media- which Gabriel then edited. And I liaised with Jay, the Head of Music, to create our full playlist page on the website. I also ordered the materials to create our countdown campaign in the following week.

I also uploaded all other supplemental images and articles from Kate, Josie and Bethany to the site. My biggest goal this week was to make sure that the website content was completely finished so that I could turn my attention to the socials. I sent over the website for feedback to Mary, and after doing some slight changes she requested- the site is ready to launch for vegan week.

To Do Next week:

• Photograph and edit social media countdown
• Schedule all posts across social media for vegan week on Hootsuite
• Film all recipe videos
• Launch listen live button
• Create the “Too Good To Eat” feature
• Make sure the website is ready or public launch on Sunday evening

Week 3: 01/01/2019

This week was all about tying up any remaining loose ends and ensuring the social media and website were ready for our launch on Monday, March 4th.

• I came up with the concept to use an egg timer to announce our station launch. I wanted it to look clean and simple, match the brand colours, and draw a social media following in through the use of suspense. I photographed the egg timer on various background that aligned with the brand colours of each week Gabriel and I had established formerly. I edited each of the photos to ensure they were clean and vibrant. I then created images with the countdown with some images and made short videos with the others in order to keep the social media dynamic. Lastly, I wrote the copy for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and scheduled the posts to go out in the evening to ensure maximum interaction.

• Myself and Jasmine sourced out the most photo friendly food trends in London for each weeks theme for the Too Good to Eat feature. We tested each food, photographed them with the branxed card ad wrote a review. I then edited each photo, scheduled them and wrote the copy.

Here is an example from World Food:

• Next I scheduled the entire vegan week content ahead of the launch to eliminate any unorganised posts throughout the week. I made sure to alter the copy of each post to keep content fresh and enticing as well platform appropriate. Facebook lends itself to longer captions and videos, Twitter is best used for short posts using links or teaser videos and Instagram is optimised for high quality images and interactivity through the use of stories.
  • Monday-
    • Re-brand
    • Show content
    • Snacks with Sitara
  • Tuesday-
    • “Too Good To Eat”
  • Wednesday-
    • “What the Food?”
  • Thursday-
    • 5 Top PEateries
  • Friday-
    • Meal Hacks
  • Saturday
    • Staff Recipe Pick
  • Sunday-
    • Week recap
    • Podcast

• Gabriel and I had previously arranged with a chef, Sitara, to film 4 recipe videos with her based on each weeks theme. On Saturday, we went to Slough, and recorded all 4 recipes using multiple cameras and audio recording equipment to ensure the content would be of the highest quality. Together we directed her and worked collaboratively to create some great content. We also decided that Gabriel would edit vegan and dessert week and I would edit seafood and world food week.

• Lastly, I uploaded all articles to the website that Josie and Kate had written. I also edited and updated all thumbnails to make sure they aligned with the vegan week colours. And finally, I embedded our Instagram into the website so visitors can see what we are up to on our social media.

 

• To do next week:
  • Film show menu
  • Film What the Food
  • Create live content during the show that aligns with the running order
  • Schedule World Food social media content
  • Record and edit weekly podcast
  • Create World Food branded images
  • Write world Food copy

Week 4- 08/03/19

We had a very successful launch week!

Prior to launch I had a conversation with Mary, the editor, to make sure she was happy with the website and the social content planned for vegan week. I also met with Rhys, the show producer, to fill him in on the social media content we had planned and be briefed on all the guests he had coming in. We went over the running order for the show and decided which bits we wanted to promote on the social media and in turn have the presenters mention on air. I also asked the presenters to plug content that would be posted throughout the week where it seemed appropriate.

Before the show on launch day I ensure that all promotional content that was schedule went live on the website and across the social media channels. I arrived early to the studio on Monday morning to have ample time to set up the filming space with a tripod and a green screen- I would use the space throughout the day to film the presenters as well as any guests that brought in items to showcase. At 10 am I filmed Kaylee and Joe’s show menu that was broadcasted across the social media channels.

Next, I went over the running order once more with Gabriel to explain to him which aspects of the show had been scheduled for social media and which things he would have to publish live from within the studio. During the show, Gabriel was in the studio monitoring the output and posting any relevant content and I was creating the content that required any editing and scheduling, ie; Snacks with Sitara, images of the snacks that were brought in, etc. Gabriel and I stayed in constant contact. throughout the show in case of misunderstanding and so I could assist him in writing copy to ensure the social media had a continues voice.

Since I had pre-programmed a lot of the content ahead of the show I had time to begin thinking about World Food week. I worked with Kate, Minnie and Josie to create the articles that would go live during world food week. I also created all of the graphics for world food week in the red colour Gabriel had decided on. I wrote all the copy for the social media for the next week and scheduled what I could in advance on hootsuitte.

Immediately after the show I recorded the podcast opener with Kaylee and Joe. We worked together to script a quick intro that covered all their favourite parts of the show and the most exciting guests. They also recorded an outro so that I could top an tail the podcast content. We then recorded What The Food- the lighthearted social feature of them trying a staple food of the theme for the first time while blindfolded!

 [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkosDIhVePM&feature=youtu.be ]

Throughout the rest of the week, I monitored the social media to make sure that all content went out on time and looked cohesive with the theme. I also edited the podcast, created a page for it on the website and made the intro into a video for socials.

https://biteradio.london/podcast/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu1FGMEhO9V/

During the feedback session Mathew and Mary expressed that they wanted us to be more active across the social media than we were so Rhys and I amended the running order for the first two hours  for World Food week to reflect this. I decided that I wanted each platform to have different content to keep it interesting so I annotated on the running order where each post would go and what format it would take. Mathew, who was creating the content for the third hour, didn’t have the entire hour planned yet but we did discuss visualising the “Guess the Food” segment. I decided that an interactive game that worked for those who were listening and those who weren’t would be a fun idea.

• To do next week:
  • Film show menu
  • Film What the Food
  • Create live content during the show that aligns with the running order
  • Schedule remaining World Food and Seafood social media content
  • Record and edit weekly podcast
  • Re brand the website for world food week
  • Upload all world food content on website
  • Edit Seafood digital content to match branding
  • Write Seafood social media copy

Week 4- 15/03/19

We had another successful week on Bite covering all things World Food! It was important for me this week to build off of the feedback we had received last week and improve our social media presence and continuity between the socials team and the presenters. I went through the running order a couple days prior to the show and highlighted all of the aspects that I thought would play well on social media and added notes about how we would treat it and which platform we would post it on.

Ahead of the show on Sunday evening I updated the entire website to match the world food branding and uploaded + scheduled all of the articles for the week to go live on Monday morning. I also made sure the entire week of social media was scheduled, with different copy written for each social platform and edited graphics attached.

On Monday morning, I met with the presenters ahead of the show to go over their script and make sure all of the social media elements of the running order matched up with their scripts.

With that in order, I went about the routine of setting up the filming area, as I had last week, for filming the show menu and What The Food. Once that was filmed, edited and scheduled, I went through the running order once more and scheduled the items that I could to make Gabriel’s job slightly easier.

When we arrived on the day, the last hour hadn’t been fully ironed out so I worked with Mathew to come up with backup guests ideas before he found an Italian food blogger for a “Top 5 Italian Restaurants” segment. Once he sent that info across, I wrote up a post for the website and scheduled it for later in the show.

https://biteradio.london/the-tiny-italian-best-italian-restaurants-in-london/

Once the show started, I assisted Gabriel by taking photos, editing photos and copy for social media and creating Instagram stories.

We also posted guest interviews, photos from the OB, and more!

After the show I recorded the World Food podcast intro and outro and What the Food, before packing the filming area down.

During the week, I edited the World Food podcast audio and video and scheduled it for release on Sunday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvHi25qgJDL/

I also touched base with my web team, Kate and Josie, to get the ball rolling on web articles for Seafood week. We decided Josie would write the Top 5, Kate would write the recipe and I would write the Hacks as well as Too Good To Eat.

Lastly, I wrote the copy, edited the graphics and scheduled all possible content for Seafood week that I could do ahead of the launch on March 18th.

The feedback we got after the show on Monday was that there is still some disconnect between the presenter and the social content and that we should use Twitter more for immediate updates. I have taken this on board and have added more plugs on Twitter for guests and Instagram story plugs for audience interaction. I have also edited the presenter scripts to ensure they know what is happening on social media at all times.

• To do next week:
  • Film show menu
  • Film What the Food
  • Create live content during the show that aligns with the running order, and stay connected with Gabriel to make sure he is reminding the presenter of live social content
  • Use twitter for immediate posts
  • Schedule remaining Seafood content and begin Dessert week content
  • Record and edit weekly podcast
  • Re brand the website for seafood week
  • Upload all seafood content on website
  • Edit Seafood digital content to match branding
  • Write Dessert social media copy

Week 5- 03/22/19

Seafood week was another busy but rewarding week on Bite!

The most important thing for me this week was to focus on aligning the on air content with the social media content. We were more successful last week but it could still use some refining. I worked further on the running order this week to research the guests that would be on the show and plan out the best way to weave them into the social media. I also made an effort to plan consistent posts across all 3 social platforms throughout the show. Once I was confident with the running order went over the presenter scripts with Kaylee and Joe to weave in as many social plugs as possible. Every photo or poll or question we posted on socials they knew about.  I also made notes on the running order for Gabriel so he knew when to remind with the presenters (through talk back) about social plugs. Lastly, I decided to stay in the studio as much as possible during this weeks show to make things less complicated and be there to assist Gabriel.

Other than these tweaks, the week went similarly to the past two weeks. On the weekend, ahead of the show, I published the podcast for World food week, wrote the social media copy for Seafood week, edited the social media images for Seafood week, scheduled the posts across all social platforms for Seafood week, updated the website branding, uploaded all articles for Seafood week and scheduled YouTube videos for the week.

On Monday, ahead of the show I arrived early to set up the filming space for the day. I then filmed the menu for the day and scheduled it across all platforms.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvJfueRHsK_/

As I mentioned, throughout the show I sat in the studio with Gabriel writing posts across all the platforms creating polls and questionnaires and writing articles to match the guests and the content. Some examples:

https://biteradio.london/eel-pie-island/ 

https://biteradio.london/east-london-girls-top-seafood-eateries/

I also tried to be more interactive across all platforms this week. This meant doing more polls and questions on Instagram stories and Twitter outside of the normal features we had been doing. We used the social platforms to get questions for guests which was successful and added another dimension tot he show.

After the show, I recorded the podcast intro and outro as well as this weeks What the Food.

We received mainly positive feedback this week! We have worked hard to make the social connect with the show and it has paid off. We got some suggestons to live stream an element of the show and to be more vague where possible in order to lure listeners to the web and online content. We will take both of these point on board in planning next weeks final show!

During the week I monitored the social outputs as usual to make sure they were posted as scheduled. I also edited the podcast and wrote the Seafood Food Hacks article:

INSERT LINKS

Then it was time to move on to planning dessert week! We had a brief team meeting to brainstorm ideas and landed on visualising part of the show where Kaylee and Joe would learn how to decorate cakes and make easy no-bake desserts. I offered to bake and ice 2 cakes beforehand so Kaylee and Joe could do the decorating without the hassle. I also got a guest from Free Cakes for Kids, a charity that bakes and donates cakes to homeless and in need children, to come in for an interview. She will also be taking the cakes to a charity after the broadcast.

At the end of this week I will write and schedule all social media content for Dessert week and change the website over to the dessert branding!

• To do next week:
  • Film show menu
  • Film What the Food
  • Schedule remaining Dessert week content
  • Record and edit weekly podcast
  • Re brand the website for Dessert week
  • Upload all dessert content on website
  • Edit dessert digital content to match branding
  • Write Dessert social media copy
  • Create live content during the show that aligns with the running order, and stay connected with Gabriel to make sure he is reminding the presenter of live social content
  • Bake an ice two cakes
  • Get additional social help for live streaming

Week 6- 28/03/19

Our last week on Bite was all about desserts and it went very well!

Prior to the broadcast, we had brainstormed as a group on how we wanted to make this last broadcast stand out and we decided we wanted to visualise some of the broadcast. Gabriel worked with the SU to secure the computer with WireCast capabilities and I liaised with the photography department and Tim to source a suitable green screen set up. We also asked that as many as could come on Friday to help set up and set up the equipment.

After the green screen was set up, I met with Rhys to go over the running order as Gabriel and Mathew worked on setting up the cameras and the WireCast. Rhys and I went over each guest and I asked that he get a photo of each of them ahead of the broadcast for social media use. We went through the links and I noted what would be posted on social media so the presenters could add it to their script. Rhys and Gabriel decided then that they wanted to visualise the whole show. I was against this idea as I was worried it would take attention away from the radio output but in the end we differed to Gabriel’s decision- with everyone’s support.

Over the weekend, I updated the website and the social media channels to match the dessert branding. I also scheduled in all the articles that myself, Kate, Joise and Stuart had written for the week. Gabriel updated the listen live button to include the video output as well. I also scheduled the social media output across all channels for the week and as much of the Monday broadcast output as possible.

  

On Monday, we all arrived early and began testing the cameras, mics and studio equipment one last time. I went over the scripts with Mary one more time to make sure all of the social media plugs where included and then began scheduling and editing the rest of the social content for the day. Last week we were given two notes; to utilise a website called headliner to post clips from the show and to be more elusive with the web articles to draw people to the website. I took both suggestions on board this week:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvbruH-HJZp/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Ideally I would have liked to have more clips up throughout the show, but the person I asked to help me throughout the broadcast was unable to do that. Other than small hiccups like being given the wrong images of the guests, the social content on the day ran very smoothly. My priority was to make sure I made the earlier changes I mentioned and that I pushed the audience towards the live video whenever there was a chance and I believe I accomplished both!

Reflection: 

Overall I am very proud of the work I did on Bite and all of the new skills I have gained. Before beginning I decided to take on the role of Digital Content Manager because I wanted to challenge myself to try a new role and take on new tasks. This role pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me take the time to work with new people and new software. I have learned how to efficiently and creatively create a website and programme web content. I have also learned a lot about social media scheduling software and the best ways to utilise that. I have learned more about social media SEO’s and how certain posts and hashtag can booth your following and your association with other brands. And lastly, I have learned a lot about myself and the ability I have to adapt and overcome challenges. This module was extremely time consuming and challenging at times but I learned to schedule my time, say no to things, and most importantly, enjoy what I was creating! If I could do it again I would definitely do a lot more of the graphic editing within the pilot weeks and I would have taken the time to teach the website in and outs to more people so that I would have had more help when I needed it.

I can definitely say that this module tested me and my peers in new ways and ultimately brought us closer together!

 

PS. I got my social media dream of the colour change!