School was fun. You get to meet new friends, socialize, participate in sports, and maybe even get a date for Saturday night. Going to school was fantastic. The problem was homework. Nobody likes homework. It’s tedious and difficult, turning an otherwise enjoyable experience into work. Most presenters assign their audience homework nearly every day. The problem is, they won’t do it because you can’t make them.
Okay, follow along. Step outside the radio bubble, and it’s easy to see that listeners don’t pay much attention. They push a button and expect to be entertained. They won’t work to figure out what they’re listening to. The top two complaints that send them rushing for the scan button are commercials and songs they don’t like. But the #3 problem is confusion.
This is not just a radio thing. The same rules apply to all forms of entertainment. You make instant decisions based on the title and description when looking for a movie or TV show to stream. If that passes the test, you make it to the trailer. But if you are confused, you move on. There are plenty of other things to watch.
Nobody will do homework unless they have to. And your audience doesn’t have to.
