With a little help from my friends: The Irish radio industry's strategic appropriation of social network sites for commercial growth.

Ireland has faced significant economic hardship since 2008, with the Irish radio industry suffering as advertising revenues evaporated. The difficult economic circumstances have forced radio station management to devise new and cost effective ways of generating much-needed income. The answer has come in the form of Facebook, the leading Social Network Site (SNS) in Ireland. Using Ireland as a case study, this chapter looks at how radio station management are utilising the social network strategically in a bid to enhance their audiences and revenues. Radio station management consider Facebook to be an invaluable promotional tool which is very easily integrated into radio programming and gives radio a digital online presence, reaching far greater audiences than possible through broadcasting. Some radio stations are showing ambition and are realising the marketing potential that Facebook and other SNSs hold. However, key changes in practice, technology and human resources are required to maximise the profit-making possibilities offered by Facebook.

Ireland has faced significant economic hardship since 2008, with the Irish radio industry suffering as
advertising revenues evaporated. The difficult economic circumstances have forced radio station management
to devise new and cost effective ways of generating much-needed income. The answer has come in
the form of Facebook, the leading Social Network Site (SNS) in Ireland. Using Ireland as a case study,
this chapter looks at how radio station management are utilising the social network strategically in a
bid to enhance their audiences and revenues. Radio station management consider Facebook to be an
invaluable promotional tool which is very easily integrated into radio programming and gives radio a
digital online presence, reaching far greater audiences than possible through broadcasting. Some radio
stations are showing ambition and are realising the marketing potential that Facebook and other SNSs
hold. However, key changes in practice, technology and human resources are required to maximise the
profit-making possibilities offered by Facebook.