Rules and boundaries are great things that can keep people and plans on track. However if you are a radio producer you may need to disregard or play with the rules in order to create great radio. Always remember that it’s better to take a risk than sit and stagnate.

Check out the following 5 places you can think outside the box!

• Radio is built around tight formats but sometimes it necessary to turn it on its head. Often rules are followed simply because they are the established rules, and it takes a creative person to ask why. If there is no real reason to follow the format then change it up and surprise the listener. Often innovators become leaders, formerly old format rules have been re-written by creative producers; why not give it a go yourself at an opportune moment.
• Ads for the sake of Ads. Too many times an oddly placed ad or promo has gone to air in an inappropriate spot without any thought put to it. Yeah sure your local brunch advertiser has paid for you to play their ad 6 times a day, but is it really going to help your paying advertiser or listener to broadcast it at 3am? Schedule ads at the best time for their worth.
• Focus on benefits. Encourage your advertisers to sell the benefits to their potential customers. It’s all well and good to hear the advertisers name and address repeatedly but how is that helping the listener to make a decision? Be brave and let the advertiser know what works for both them and their listener.
• Treat your customers like intelligent adults. Consumers are savvy; the old tricks just don’t work anymore. Don’t lie about easily searchable information in advertising; a claim that ‘this is the number one restaurant in the bay’ is easily debunked by Google if untrue.
• It’s ok to alienate a few people. The phrase goes ‘you can only help some of the people some of the time’, and it’s also true in radio. If absolutely no one is annoyed or irritated by your work then you are doing wrong. Your station may as well be a tepid bowl of vanilla custard, safe, mild and going absolutely nowhere. You station needs to have personality and trying to please everyone isn’t going to cut it. Excite your listeners and your advertisers with a bit of spirit.

Break out of the cookie cutter radio producing mold, flex your creative muscle and enjoy your well deserved success.