Here Come The Radio Orphans
In a previous post I described how corporate radio is throwing its undesirable audiences overboard, and how podcasting was perfectly situated to catch those discards and turn them into loyal listeners. Today, I’m offering some actions we can take to bring these listeners into the podcasting community and, equally important, keep them there.
Get Naked
What is your social media program like? Do you simply plug your podcast or retweet industry-related topics? Or do you reveal who you are as a person? As a listener, I will never have a personal relationship with Tom Leykis (I’ve tried) or Howard Stern; but, I can message many podcasting hosts and engage them in conversations that go beyond their shows. Never underestimate the power of a close, personal relationship in podcasting (or any other arm of the entertainment business).
Be There
I used to do a 6-10AM shift on a radio station in Northern California. One day, our transmitter blew a transformer and we were off the air until about 8AM. I got a string of phone calls from listeners letting me know they were late for work or school because I wasn’t there to wake them up. Not that the station wasn’t there. I wasn’t there. Are you there for your listeners, not only with content, but with a quality show, on schedule, as promised?
Be Good
You can’t always be funny and make people laugh. You can’t always make people cry or make them smart or protect them from themselves. You can’t always offer them content that makes them sit in their driveways until your show is done or rave about it, endlessly, to their friends. All these things are out of your control. But, there is one thing you can control. You can always give your listeners your best. Be good. Always.
Never Forget Who Got You Where You Are
A disc jockey of my acquaintance was doing a show celebrating 20 years on the air in New York City. (This is the equivalent of living to 146 or something. Top 40 DJs didn’t typically last that long in major markets.) Here’s one of the things he said at the close of the broadcast. “Hal Neal (the former station general manager who hired him) put me here, but you’ve kept me here.” This guy never forgot it was his listeners who made it possible for him to earn a living in a most pleasing way. Never forget it’s your listeners that let you enjoy whatever reward you get from podcasting.
The radio industry and, as a reader noted in a comment to an earlier post, the advertising industry as well, is tossing us the gift of an audience. We ought to be ready to catch it.
