You are not teasing enough. Virtually every show should tease more often because effective teases are the key to more occasions of listening (ratings). But knowing when to tease is as important as what is teased.
The goal, of course, is to cause listeners to eagerly look forward to what happens next on the radio. Great teases can be the difference between beginning a talk segment with momentum and having to rebuild interest from scratch. Tease at the right time and those amazing moments become even more effective.
When To Tease
Here are the three best places to tease upcoming content:
#1: At the End Of A Talk Segment. Many programmers think the best way to end a talk segment is to hit a high point and get out quickly. “Leave them laughing” is a great concept, but isn’t that the absolute best time to promote?
Recommendation: Always match similar content by ending with a transition tease at the end of a break. There are many ways to hit that punchline and encourage another listening occasion.
#2: Just Before The Payoff. The art of the tease is seduction. The key to attracting another quarter-hour is leading listeners to the finish line and delaying the resolution. Building curiosity for the outcome is a popular tactic for contests and games and it works for radio shows.
Recommendation: Apply the 80/20 tease by taking the listener to the end of a segment. Then deliver the payoff after a commercial break. Here’s a great example of how a client used this technique as part of special weekend programming.
#3: At The End Of Each Segment In A Story Arc. Every television drama ends with a cliffhanger that builds anticipation for the next episode. The end of a chapter in a great novel entices us to read one more chapter. Apply the same principle to multiple-break content.
Recommendation: Great storylines advance from one segment to the next by dropping audio breadcrumbs. When planning a story that spans more than one talk break, craft clever teases to build greater anticipation to hear what happens next.
Conclusion
There are more opportunities to tease than most shows think. Of course, it’s not enough to simply schedule a tease. The content must also sparkle. For best results, match the type of tease with the timing as detailed here.
For more information, check out the resources with dozens of examples here.
