The Button Fans Wish They Could Hit

Have you ever watched the latest installment of a favorite Netflix show and not hit the “skip intro” button that appears on the screen?  We always hit that button.

TV shows living in the yesteryear had memorable, sing-along theme songs we can all still recall.  Who doesn’t know the name of the bar where everyone knows their name?  Or the familiar guitar twangs of the Seinfeld intro?  Both are iconic music markers signaling fun was about to happen with characters we know and love.

But, no more.

Increasingly, streaming services give us the chance to opt out of a show’s intro.  Know why?  Because it’s fluff that delays what we came for:  content.  Let the storytelling begin.  And to delay the reason we’re there heightens chances we might leave or feel unsatisfied.  The story, the drama, and the humor of characters interacting around the plot is why we show up everywhere.

Yet, in radio, we still do these BIG LONG SETUPS on almost every break.  Our version of a theme song wasting valuable seconds that delay what listeners crave:  content.

If we could put a “skip intro” button on the radio, it’s a guarantee the audience would do what we do – hit it.

So, take this one-day challenge:  on every single break, when the song ends, and the break is about to start, begin with the first sentence of your story or content, indicating its drama and hook, to get the audience to lean in and pay attention.  Lest they grow restless and seize the chance to change the channel because intros delay what fans really want – entertaining and engaging content.

It’ll be uncomfortable in your headsets, but when you nix the prelude, you’ll see engagement in the break go up.  Then do it every day, every break.

Because listeners don’t have a “skip intro” button is even more reason to do it when you prep your content.  Great shows conquer content and create connection – this is a puzzle piece that will help.

Snuff the fluff, and just give them the good stuff.