Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

Sometimes running in the opposite direction is a smart strategic move.  Seems like there’s negative news no matter where you turn.  It’s Trump this, Biden that.  So if you become the show that shares positive, uplifting news, you’ll gain an image not as the escape from all that, but as a respite.  This week’s audio proves that, and a few other things.  Before heading off for high school one morning, Tolland, CT resident Lauren Lews saw her 140-pound Great Dane, Jackson, fall through the ice of a pond in her backyard.  The dog started to struggle so Lauren did what any of us would do, she risked her life to save her dog’s.  In this on-air conversation she had with Christine and Salt, 96.5 TIC-FM, Hartford, Lauren tells her story.  You will never miss if you get the people in stories to tell their version of it to you audience.  Images received here:  it’s a story that fills you with pride, it’s local, and it’s very human, reinforcing that there is good in the world.

One of the most efficient things you can do is ask the audience a question.  Do that and those paying attention are grabbed emotionally.  In this relatable break about stolen Amazon packages, Carlin and Brent, Indie 88, Toronto do this.  “Would you confront someone you saw stealing an Amazon package from a neighbor’s porch?”  Any listener would answer in their head and pay closer attention.  That’s what they do here.  One other thing to point out in this week’s audio is how little time they spend on the initial scenario about Carlin’s sister.  A typical show would talk around that story for several minutes without advancing the narrative.  In this break, they make that crucial pivot early from talking about their story to a listener telling theirs.  Two major takeaways:  questions grab listeners and make them more vicarious to your content and make sure you put that pivot in early to keep their attention.