Economy of words is KEY in breaking through our listener’s busy life. Let’s be honest, we all over explain. Take 10 minutes and listen to one of your airchecks this week and look for the spaces you could have used more words with meaning, so you can have less filler. Use VERBS instead of adjectives. (Verbs are action words, while adjectives are descriptors)
Look for the ways to grab our listener’s attention in the first 15 seconds of EVERY break. Yes, every break should have a grab right up front because our listeners are distracted. Headline where you are going, so you can grab the listener’s attention right off the bat. After you intentionally grab their attention, dive into the story/the content/the spiritual thought or the discussion question. Start with a bang by grabbing the listener’s attention FIRST. That’s how you cut through in your show.
Intentionally use words with meaning! The Wizard of Ads, Roy H Williams explains how here. Cut the clutter by using more VERBS and start with something that will grab our listeners in every break.  

-Scott Herrold

Speak to the stress in your listener’s headspace is this week. Speak to the things that feel like burdens. Address the elements of life that make her “to do list” feel like it’s never ending. Outline 12 things that stress your listener out this week and find a song, a theme from the Bible or a quote to speak right into that stress! Share it in your show!

1. Time management, 2. budgeting, 3. meal planning, 4. health concerns, 5. weather challenges, 6. social obligations, 7. travel planning, 8. technology boundaries, 9. volunteering, 10. family drama, 11. giving back and 12. unrealistic expectations from everyone around her.

We have lifechanging Christmas songs that speak to ALL of this. Just point it out! – Scott Herrold

Look around you for the simple observations of humor as your kids start a new school year. The car pickup line, the bus stop, the kitchen mess as you prep and pack lunches. Kids who religiously complete their homework but consistently forget to turn it in. Think about the characters in your life. The setting around you that casts a texture. Think about overcoming the angst & conflict in your life. Tell those stories with more verbs in your communication style! (Use the ACTION words instead of overloading with adjectives.)

Think about the simple observations. Bougie snack request. Over-excitement over school supplies. Tiny kiddos with huge backpacks. Bus stop drama. New shoes that your kids outgrew in two months. Backpack archaeology. (You left this in here how long?) Think about both the joys AND quirks that come with the back-to-school season.

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What’s on HER mind this Valentine’s week? Romance!

I hope he got a reservation, because Valentine’s weekend is going to be busy!

(Don’t try to wing it guys. A text is NOT the same as a Valentine!)

Click HERE for a HUGE list of Valentine’s idea starters! Think about ways to develop these into stories, bits or on air discussions.

Sometimes we forget how overworked our air team is. Everyone’s wearing more hats at the radio station than they did before the pandemic. How about giving your team some time back with showprep help?

$40 per month would be lifechanging for one of your hardest working talent! Sign up HERE or call 702.287.2477 to charge by phone. (There’s no contract, you can cancel anytime no questions asked!) Give your team time for creativity!

We also have packages to give access to your entire airteam too!

We need to change our view of radio marketing. It’s not a shotgun approach anymore. It’s relationships. Basic technology can make our marketing plans very targeted today. You just have to make sure your show incorporates that targeted, personal approach. Don’t look at marketing as hype. Look at marketing as a strategic plan to build deeper relationships with your listeners. By the way, you do have to carve out budget to pay for marketing if you want to reach people who aren’t already listening to you!

Be an “introducer” rather than a megaphone. Be an “influencer” and share your heart. Be a “role model” who stands on God’s Word. Be a “friend” rather than a deal closer.  Marketing has shifted from billboards & broad shotgun approaches to listener engagement and influence. When you’re doing your show, make sure your approach reflects a personal relationship with your listener.

There’s a difference between building cume (total number of listeners) and building AQH (Average Quarter Hour) listening. The easiest way to build cume is to spend money on marketing or generate a huge buzz in the community. But building AQH is something you CAN do today for your show. It’s simply going deeper with your listeners. Make this a priority! Look for ways to invite more people in. Most radio personalities use their radio shows to promote their social media and websites. However, the most influential personalities have learned how to use social media to connect with potential listeners and bring them back to actually listen to their shows. There’s a huge difference. Give real content to the people who are already listening. Look for ways to use social media to engage potential listeners and bring them back to your show. (Use some of your marketing budget to highlight your connective content on social media & Youtube.) Show people what you do, and invite them to come back and actually listen to your radio station. Make it easy for casual listeners to get more involved. Invite them! Remind them! Welcome them! All of this can help facilitate community, and that makes your show personal & memorable. -Scott Herrold

We hosted a Christmas brainstorm  this week and many of you called in with so many awesome topic & story ideas! We’ve posted the audio of the entire brainstorm call inside our site for our paid members.

If you want to try Creative Cardio FREE for 30 days, make a login below and you can download the audio inside our site on our BRAINSTORM page here.

“Good leaders create vision, articulate vision, passionately own the vision & relentlessly drive it to completion.” – Jack Welch

You might think of leadership as something your boss does, or doesn’t do, but YOU are a shepherd to your community. Lead with the voice you have in your show. You have been given a circle of influence. Shepherd your listeners toward values & worldview. Cast vision toward your listeners!

This fall we all feel like we’re running at an unsustainable pace! If we’re not careful, our student’s schedule will affect our sanity as parents! All these clothes really add up. We bought new jeans back in August, but do I really need to buy new shoes already? (Are they growing that fast or are my kids just destructive? Sports physicals and new equipment again? I thought we bought new cleats in the spring. They already outgrew them? Hopefully my kid’s wont’ realize last year’s clothes are already out of style at this middle school. Lord give me a few more months please!

The homework load seems much more challenging this year. Was it just backed up from everything our kids didn’t really learn this year or does Google Classroom just make it harder for me to follow along as a parent. My kids would appear so much smarter if they would just turn in the actual assignments they completed! Ahhh, common core. I miss good old multiplication tables! Brushing up on my long division because the kids might need help from me now that the first quarter is over! Yikes! Do I look like a cheater if I check our work with the calculator on my iphone?

Are my kids going to make better friends this year? What new influences do I need to be proactive about? How do I challenge my kids to make better choices in who they spend their time with? Who’s going to influence my kids this year? The teacher? The coach? Your pastor? Youtube? Friends from their soccer team? The TV? What role do I play in shaping all that? We have to be regimented again! We’re finally getting some order to our crazy life! Waking up on time, meals on time, making lunches and keeping cash for lunch money. What is our plan B if we forget our child’s lunch? What are the schools going to teach my kids this year that I don’t really agree with? (How am I going to be proactive about new agendas?) How will our family lay a foundation to address the tough social issues that don’t line up with our family values?

Need fresh idea starters? Join the Creative Cardio showprep community for $40 per month! Try it HERE! You can cancel anytime.

We have two different resources for pledge drive/sharathon season. We have a DRY AUDIO page with stories and listener calls for your pledge drive. Plus we have an additional PLEDGE DRIVE FORUM full of ideas for pledge drive angles, listener stories and invites for listeners to call and give. $40 per month, gets you into the resources! Click here to join!