As a Caribbean Native professional, I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I watch the Wendy Williams show. It began a few months back, when I was prepping for this Facebook Live event and wanted some insight to that ‘talk show set up’. Initially I was focused on the format of the show on Youtube, and even more fascinated by the Behind the Scenes segment, but eventually the Hot Topics segment grew on me. Admittedly I don’t agree with sharing ones opinion when most of the information is hearsay, but that’s the beauty of the United States of America, freedom of speech aka build profitable industries on Gossip. I also admire her hustle, she has been in the radio business longer than I’ve been alive, yet she has evolved her brand to remain relevant, something a lot of brands can learn…looking at you Nokia.
My limited knowledge of the show goes as far back as last month, however we all know Youtube pokes the productivity fire by suggesting the next video and I managed to catch a few Hot Topics episodes from last year. In my need to feel connected #FOMO, I did the needful and Googled all things Wendy, i.e. website, facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I was not at all impressed by the layout of her website and saw multiple loopholes of lost income based on the broken links that filled her menu layout. She also has a clothing line which she promotes on HSN, but it baffles me that her site isn’t efficient enough to support that.
The latest eye opener, came last week when she announced on her After Show that she wants to stop this segment as it’s too monotonous and boring. She asked the person behind the camera what he thought and he almost instantly agreed with her. You can see the video below. I’m not sure about the working culture that has been established i.e. he says what he really thinks after, but this was a shocker for me. I just always assume that the North American people, have it together and understand the power of technology, it may be a small islander complex. Regardless, if you read the comments below the video it’s clear that her audience does not agree.
From a Digital Marketer perspective, video is the new black for content. With close to a million subscribers, the only way to feed those content monsters is with short bursts of moving photos. Her suggestion to ‘give it to you good’ once a week for 20 minutes does not encourage organic growth. The evolution of Beyonce’s page is a great example of sharing your brand while keeping the mystery to increase ticket sales for her tour.
My suggestion; shorten the BTS segments to a maximum of 10 minutes and get every single staff member involved. Heck, sometimes the BTS doesn’t even need Wendy, the audience wants to learn about how it all works and the people who help. This widens her demographic from the housewives who need an update about George Clooney’s new wife, to the aspiring camerawoman, the next Pat McGrath and even the next Wendy!
As with most successful teams, the right dynamic is paramount to the growth of the business. Leaders must ensure there are multiple Subject Matter Experts, which will allow a broader picture to what success looks like. Wendy has mentioned multiple times, her inability to keep up with technology, however as a leader of a team it’s in her best interest to employ persons that do. We should also provide the necessary data to support just about any business decision. How you doing with your next business decision?
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