What is required to become an Internet Radio Host?
- You should have a great personality
- You should be the type of person that can hold someones attention
- You should have something to say that people want to hear
- You should have a passion for speaking
- You need to interact with your listeners
To captivate an audience on radio is no small task. Just think about it for a minute, to get not one but many people to put their lives on pause to listen to what you have to say is an extraordinary task. It’s like you hypnotize your audience and they are just stuck on whatever you have to say for the next thirty (30),sixty (60) or One-Hundred and Twenty (120) minutes.
Step 1 Find an Internet Radio Station to Host Your Show.
You will need to find an Internet Radio Station that will sell you broadcasting time. That’s right. You will have to buy the air time. But, unlike traditional land radio, it is not that expensive. Radio time is usually sold in blocks.
You should also check out the Radio Station as well. You will need to find out
- What type of station are They. If they are a Country and Western Station and you are a Blues DJ that probably is not a good fit.
- Do they have a talk show format? Do they have any talk shows on their station?
- Are they a twenty-four hour station? Will they schedule you at three o’ clock in the morning?
- What is their blocking time like? If you wanted a two hour show 5 days a week would you be able to purchase that same time Monday through Friday?
Step 2 Format, Topic and Type of Show
Your show format is going to determine what type of show you will have and how many listeners that you will receive. You should be broadcasting something that people want to hear. Some formats that you could have would be
- Political talk Shows
- Sports Talk Shows
- Health and Wellness talk shows
- Religious talk shows
- Music shows ( just pick a Genre that you like)
You will need an interesting topic to keep listeners attention such as:
Interviews with recent newsmakers or local politicians
Controversial issues (the economy, crime, global warming, education, etc.)
Interviews with book authors (who always want publicity)
Ridiculous things that really happened to you or a friend
Music parodies and Internet memes
Sex & relationships (keep it clean)
Health and fitness advice
Step 3 Should you have a Co-Host?
Having a co-host is a great idea. It gives you someone to talk to when callers are slow. A co-host can provide a different point of view, or even a completely opposite one. Listeners love to hear co-hosts squabble! Just make sure your co-host is someone you respect, and whom you’re happy to disagree with. A co-host can also take over when you get sick, or go on vacation. In other words, two talking heads are better than one.
Step 4 Promoting Your Show.
Before you even start the show, talk to people who would be interested in listening. Talk to friends in your social, political, or religious groups, and tell them in advance where and when you’ll be on. If a group has your ideal listener, visit it! Also, write a press release and send it to local newspapers – and a number of others freebie papers. Some hosts also maintain a website, sponsor local events, advertise in local newspapers, or put up signs along major roadways.
Some Internet Radio Stations will run teasers (short radio ads promoting your show) in advance of your new show, display your profile and picture on a show host page, and link to your website. What works really depends on your audience – just ask yourself where your audience gets information and reads ads!
Step 5 Selling Advertising on your Show.
Getting people to advertise on your show is how you will make money. Since you are buying your time from the Internet Radio Station, you can take blocks of that time and sell it to local merchants, Advertising on the radio doesn’t have to mean the traditional 60-second spot with a silly jingle.
Ideally, advertisers should include a special offer available only to your listeners, since that would help them measure how effective their ads are. You could actually make a nice piece of money off of the advertising alone.
The popularity of a radio host is based upon how many listeners that they are able have tune into their show every time it is on. The more listeners that you have will show a Radio Station or Advertisers how popular that you are.
