5 Steps on How to Become an Internet Radio Host!
What does it take to become an internet radio host?
- You should have a great personality
- You must be the type of person who can get someone’s 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.
Captivating an audience on the radio is not an easy task. Just think about it for a minute, getting not one but many people to put their lives on pause to hear what you have to say is an extraordinary task. It is as if you hypnotize your audience and they get caught up in what 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 sells the broadcast time for you. That’s right. You will have to buy the airtime. But, unlike traditional terrestrial radio, it is not that expensive. Radio time is generally sold in blocks.
You should also take a look at the radio station. You will need to find out
- What kind of season are they? If they are a Country and Western station and you are a Blues DJ, this is probably not a good choice.
- Do they have a talk show format? Do you have talk shows on your station?
- Are they a twenty-four hour station? Will they schedule you at three in the morning?
- How is your lockout time? If you wanted a two-hour program 5 days a week, could you buy that same schedule from Monday to Friday?
Step 2 Format, theme and type of program
The format of your program will determine what type of program you will have and how many listeners you will receive. You should broadcast 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 choose a genre you like)
You will need an interesting topic to hold your 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 and relationships (keep it clean)
Health and fitness tips
Step 3 Should I 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 hearing the fights of the co-hosts! Just make sure your co-host is someone you respect and are 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 Promote your program.
Before even starting the program, talk to people who are interested in listening. Talk to friends from your social, political or religious groups and tell them in advance where and when you will be. If a group has your ideal listener, visit them! Also, write a press release and send it to local newspapers and other free newspapers. Some hosts also maintain a website, sponsor local events, advertise in local newspapers, or post signs along major roads.
Some Internet radio stations will broadcast teasers (short radio spots promoting your show) before your new show, display your profile and image on a show show page, and link to your website. What really works depends on your audience, just ask yourself where your audience gets information from and reads ads!
Step 5 Sell advertising on your show.
Getting people to advertise on your show is how you will earn 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. Radio advertising doesn’t have to mean the traditional 60-second ad with a silly jingle.
Ideally, advertisers should include a special offer available only to their listeners, as that would help them measure the effectiveness of their ads. In fact, you could make a good amount of money just from advertising.
The popularity of a radio host is based on the number of listeners who can tune in to his show each time it airs. The more listeners you have, the more you will show a radio station or advertisers how popular you are.