I Feel Like Quitting Sometimes

[BrianB]

Matt D, great point about goals. Thinking about that deeply is likely to only help someone with their show and help their audience get the goal and objectives of each show.

 

I'm shooting from the sidelines, admittedly, but going to dissent slightly from the seemingly prevailing opinion.

 

Study people who are successful in radio/podcasting. And not wrestling radio/podcasting.

 

I've got a group of hosts I study on a weekly basis. Most of them are millionaires but they all have distinctive styles and do things differently. I pay attention to the little things they do to keep listeners engaged and to get their personalities across.

 

I agree with some of what Parv said but disagree with Parv about not "getting yourself over". I believe that personal connection is vital. People can listen to wrestling talk anywhere. What nobody else can bring to the table is listening to Joe Lanza talk wrestling. The best and most successful radio shows have compelling, charismatic hosts and an overall vibe where the listener feels like they are part of a conversation among a close group of friends. I want the listener to feel like i'm talking directly to them, like they know who I am (or at least a reasonable facsimile of who I am, with some things turned up to ten, and others turned down to zero). Let them in on your life, be as honest about who you are as you are reasonably comfortable with. You are performing whether you like it or not. So perform. Entertain.

 

Energy, energy, energy. It isn't a visual media, people will zone out if you don't keep them engaged. When you make a key point, change your tone. Slow down and be deliberate. Raise your voice. Repeat yourself. Whatever type of emphasis the situation calls for. Bad content rarely drives me away from a podcast, it's a lack of energy, it's weak opinions, it's no emoting. Energy. Personality. Passion. People know when you're faking or forcing it. Talk about things your're passionate about, positive or negative. Have I mentioned energy? Be the most compelling version of yourself that you can possibly be.

 

 

Good points here. This reminded me of a segment I watched on a documentary about Stanley Kubrick's movies that seems fitting for this topic. Authenticity is important, but ultimately, to paraphrase Stanley Kubrick when talking to Jack Nicholson on The Shining, being compelling or interesting is more important.That doesn't mean somebody podcasting should do a bad hot take talk radio impression or something, but it does mean they need to work to capture people's attention. We're living in a world of a zillion podcasts and multiple media distractions you've got to seem special to break thorough all the noise and into the regular viewing/listening habits that people already have.

 

Definitely, when talking about wrestling podcasting in particular, I'd add and am in agreement with others that being informative is a key component. If you work hard to prepare for each show that usually translates to the show and, as I listener, I always can respect that. That's not limited to research, dropping sound clips, for instance, is another way to show you've put in time and effort and thought about how to pull off integrating things into your show. Plus, I think the vast majority of the wrestling podcast audience is going to really want and need a host to be informed in order to keep listening over time.

 

There are lots of different approaches and styles to podcasting, just as there are numerous styles to interviewing--Letterman, Stern, Cavett, Rose, King, Carson, Maron, Fallon, etc.. Who you are naturally probably should inform those decisions when you do a show because to make a pretentious sounding but accurate analogy...more often than not an artist's personality will come across in the art that they create over time. Enjoying what you're doing should translate and help, plus it's a good reason to do it to begin with. And make no mistake, ultimately, podcasting is a bit of a performance art for the audience you're looking to cultivate. Most people are going to need to feel some type of connection to your product to keep tuning in, as opposed to just appreciating it.