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Forward Promotion Common Mistakes 4/01/08

FOUR PROMO PITFALLS!
  • Promoting something that is "coming up next." This promo example was nicely written and delivered but fell short in terms of maximizing listener loyalty. Why? It's much more likely that a listener will stay tuned for the next 60-90 seconds than for a report airing in 15 or 20 minutes. That's why your goal should always be to aim for that next quarter hour - not the next minute.
  • Revealing too much about the upcoming story. Give listeners a compelling reason to continue listening. But don't steal the punchline.
  • Not telling listeners when the upcoming story will be aired. Providing an exact time is a service that differentiates us from the commercial TV "teases" so despised by our core listeners.
  • Writing crutches like "coming up." Overuse equals reduced impact. The relentless use of "coming up" also echoes the "tease" approach our listeners regard as manipulative.
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