If you have ever listened to the radio before, there are probably a few things that you noticed that presenters do which really bugs you. There are a few common mistakes that a lot of different radio presenters make, and if you are looking to make it in the industry you need to be aware of these mistakes.
If you are aware of the potential pitfalls, then you can actively look to avoid them. Most of the time, radio presenters don’t actually know they are making these types of mistakes. This is why it could be a good idea to listen to yourself back after the radio show. This is a pretty easy way to find if you are making some errors.
Remember, not everyone is going to be perfect, especially if they are just starting out, but it is important to be always looking for improvements as this is one of the things that will help you stand out from the rest. Be on the look out for the hottest trends and the latest advancements, be an innovator in your industry, not just a follower!
We all make mistakes at one point or another, but it is how you learn and grow from them is the main thing. If you keep making the same mistakes over and over again then you probably won’t get anywhere.
So, the first step is to actually be aware of the most common mistakes radio presenters make. Then you need to think about if you are making any of those mistakes. If you are then you will need to work out strategies to overcome your mistakes.
Make sure you are very critical of yourself; you could even get others to analyse you. That way you know for sure if you are doing anything that should be corrected. If you are reviewing yourself you may not be as harsh as others, so get a team member or even one of your family/ friends to give you any pointers on potential mistakes you are making.
In order to correct the mistakes you are making when presenting on the radio the first thing you need to do is actually understand most of the common mistakes that presenters are currently making. Have a look below at some of these common mistakes you need to be aware of:
Not being prepared
This issue is certainly amplified if your radio show is live. It is imperative that you are prepared for your show, if not the segment may lack direction and could even confuse your listeners. Being prepared comes in a lot of different forms. The more prepared you are the better you can deal with any unexpected situations.
As you may already be aware, there is a lot that can go wrong on live radio/ TV etc. So, it is important that you plan and prepared for every potential thing that could go wrong, that way you can spring into action quickly and squash the issue.
Being prepared also means writing a script and/ or dot point on the things you want to talk about and/ or the songs you want to play during your show. If you do write a proper script, then it is important you review it a couple of times before you go live on the airwaves.
Not being original
There is only one of you in this world, so if you try to be fake or like someone else you will be found out pretty quickly by your listeners. Just be yourself, original, people like that as it can provide something different and interesting that they haven’t heard before. It’s a good idea to talk about personal stories and actually try to relate to people.
Make your show relevant and interesting, this is one of the things that will ensure listeners will come back and don’t just listen to a different radio station. Think about it, if you are the same as everyone else, then you aren’t offering anything different to listeners and you aren’t giving them a reason to turn on your radio station and listen to you.
Cutting callers off
This is a really big no-no when it comes to radio presenting. Most radio shows encourage listeners to call up, it is a great way to be engaging and creates awesome talking points. But this is an area where things can go wrong, as you cannot control who calls up and what they say (this is why it is important to be prepared!).
When it comes to having callers live on the air, it is important that you don’t cut them off. Remember that everybody is going to have their own opinion on a certain topic, so you need to listen to them and their views. No one likes to be interrupted and if you cut the caller off it will probably not just annoy them but all your other listeners as well.
Not listening to the radio
After a long day at the office the last thing you may want to do it put on the radio! But it is important that every now and again you have a listen to the radio and what your competitor radio channels as well as presenters are up to. This is basically like doing a competitor analysis and it is vital especially in most businesses.
Write down things that you competitor radio stations are doing right and thing they are doing wrong (for you to avoid them). That way you have a pretty comprehensive list and you can pick and choose the best parts of what they are doing and put your own individual spin to it. This is especially great if you feel as though you are getting a bit stuck for ideas.
Talking on top of songs
This is something that quite a number of radio presenters do, and it is not really any issue for most listeners. The issue arises when the radio presenter talks over the song when there are lyrics being sung. This is pretty annoying because the listener would want to hear the song and instead, they are listening to you.
There is no issue with talking a little bit at the beginning and/ or end of the song, but make sure you aren’t cutting off the lyrics. Imagine having two people talking at once, super annoying right? Well, that is essentially what it is like, so make sure you are really mindful of this.
Forgetting to turn the microphone off
This is something really easy that radio presenters forget. With so much going on in your radio show it is easy to forget the simplest of things, like turning off your microphone when advertisements or songs are playing. When ads or songs are playing, this is your chance to have drink of water or talk to someone else (like a producer) about something.
If your microphone is on, then all your listeners may be able to hear you, which certainly isn’t a good thing. So make sure you turn your microphone off and double check before you make any noise. In the same train of thought, make sure you turn your microphone back on again when it is time for you to speak.