5 Great Tips for Taking Your Show Online
By Rich Coleco
In today's era of corporate consolidation and tracked low-cost music shows, personality-driven radio is increasingly finding its way to the internet. In recent years, podcasting (yes, the dreaded "p-word,") has become more of a viable way to deliver your unique voice and brand of humor to the masses.
Whether it's your contract renegotiation gone awry, a programming re-shuffle that put you at the bottom of the deck or your whole station flipping like a silver dollar pancake, here's 8 great tips to help you stand out in the wild jungles of the online world.
Show what you know!
Some of the best content on the internet is what they call "DIY," which stands for "do it yourself." People love to learn new skills, hobbies & ways to make their lives easier, richer and more fun! Millennials in particular enjoy honing obscure crafts which they can use to set themselves apart from their friends and peers.
Got a unique talent? Teach it to your audience! Take on a new project each week and walk them through it step by step. Bonus points if you can draw from a pool of words and phrases specific to the craft — shop talk is another millennial staple!
Revive an old genre!
More than ever, old is new again — and this goes double for radio formatics! Skip back a generation or two and see what can be dusted off, polished up and brought back for modern audiences who crave something different than what their parents had. Radio plays, quirky fake news broadcasts, variety hours and more all do quite well. Who knows what else is left to unearth?
Snack on these facts!
Infuse facts with fun and deliver for your audience when you take bits of knowledge, spice them up with production and knock out daily "snack sized" audio bites!
Strapped for ideas? Fire up Wikipedia, click "random article" and you're off to the races. You'll be the next Mr. Peabody in no time!
Movies, TV and books, oh my!
This one requires you to shake off those mass market radio sensibilities, but don't worry, it'll pay off. Millennials like to go deep on topics. Much, much deeper than your average Program Director might allow! On FM, you might spend a single 5 minute break covering the new Harry Potter. On a podcast? You can do an entire series! Find a less-covered movie, television show, board game or book series and delve as deep as you can into every possible facet. Pedants welcome and encouraged!
Good sir, I disagree!
Hearing a lot of agreement on a popular issue? Well, it's time someone gave voice to the other side! Playing "the devil's advocate" for a highly engaging issue can provide a cathartic, or enraging, experience for the listening audience, either of which can help them form a tight emotional bond with your content. This format works very well for daily shows! Try providing a voicemail or email for listeners to "sound off," and play or read their messages on the following day's show.