Radio needs new stars. We need innovative personalities that have vision. Are you that person? I hope that it is you! I cheer for new success. I love people who are trying new things. Because of TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, there are content creators building huge audiences. Does this translate to radio?
The skill of being a star online rarely has the legs to build a local or national radio audience. Here is why: A cool YouTube channel is frequently built on clickbait. You may notice a large channel on YouTube has a hook to get you to click. While these are skills that we all can learn from, there is an aspect to radio that demands authenticity. Radio listeners crave that from their favorite personalities.
The big YouTube channel may have several million subscribers and videos get huge views. Here is my thinking on this: Social Media dominance is a study in micro audience development. Here is an example… Joey runs a channel called King of DIY. Joey talks about tropical fish. How many people have subscribed to Joey? Over 1.6 million worldwide. Social Media dominance is not a reason to put Joey on your station.
Joey has mastered how to get huge views on a subject that does not have a mass interest. Would you put Joey on your station? He has a huge following. If you are passing on him, you are making the right call. The skills and the mandates for a radio station’s success and a YouTube star’s importance are completely different proficiencies.
If you are not familiar with MrBeast, you should be. This guy has over 225 million followers. This guy does stunts. He helps rescue dogs. His videos are well-produced. He has branched into selling snack foods and fast food.
Now, would I want to give this guy a show? He would probably help you pump up your online presence and would create a short bump to your ratings. This guy has mastered building cool experiences for people to watch on demand.
These content creators are not used to a hard timeline to do a daily radio show. It is a grind. I have done that daily show and we all probably reach moments of creative deserts.
When Howard Stern moved to Sirius, the idea was to develop the next show. You couldn’t replicate Howard. One of the guys they hired was David Lee Roth. I have a good friend who was close to that situation. In the limited amount of time that Roth’s show was on the air, he redecorated the studio three times. My friend on the inside said that Dave was good at being Dave, but show prep was the real problem. I think most successful social media personalities would have the same issues. I think that most of these influencers wait to be inspired. While every radio host wishes to be inspired, you can’t wait on it. You must do a radio show.
Radio is not on demand. We are in the now. I am not saying that listeners are not enjoying a segment on your station’s website from a previous day. I just think that probably the best way to get attention is to understand what animates online interest. It is different from what grabs people’s attention while listening to your show. These are separate skill sets. What creates interest online is separate from what works for radio.
Now, if you have a terrific segment or bit, it will translate well into online experiences. Online video also demands strong production values. I often see radio station videos online with minimal production values. This is very problematic. People want eye candy. They want to see professionalism. Radio personalities are used to the audio content aspect only. We often sit in dark studios. We have papers spread out all over the studio. Radio people are totally focused on the show. When video is demanded, we don’t always do the best job.
So, let’s talk about show business. The video should be produced like an actual TV show. The lighting should be good, and the visuals should be strong. So, be dressed for video. Combing your hair is a strong idea as well. Look into the camera. Smile. Facial expressions are strong.
Don’t do what Don Imus did. Imus’ radio show was simulcasted on TV for years. There was little going on. With millions of websites to view and videos to watch, you need to provide your audience with something to see. The online audience expects visuals with the content. Now, how do you create unique online content? I like the term organic. Perhaps there is a theme on your show that you can’t expand upon due to time constraints. You can build an online presence on this content.
Uploading content consistently at a predictable time. This works like a benchmark on radio. If your station is doing traffic and weather together every 10 minutes, you better hit it on time. It is an expected service that drives tune-ins. You can also promote it on your show. Get our new video on this subject today at 10. The content is up to you.
Perhaps, you can do an interview series with people in your community. These interviews may not necessarily work for your radio show but could really play well for an online audience. There are a lot of opportunities to expand your brand. You have ideas and finding your online mojo may take some time. Don’t be scared to try something different.
I would study these large channels and see what you can do to replicate their success. If you can find that secret sauce that gives your show a chance to build an online audience that will highly complement your radio brand. People love sharing videos. You can use this as an opportunity to promote your show without just doing a video commercial. Unique content that compliments your show is key.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He recently served as program director for WHO/KXNO in Des Moines, IA. Prior to that role he held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
