Academy

5 Engaging Topics for Your Next Radio

Radios are one of Clapper’s most popular features. This audio-only streaming option is a great way for creators to connect with their audience in real time. It’s more like a podcast or phone call, putting speakers at ease and making the conversation feel more natural. But the lack of visuals can make it difficult to keep the listener interested.  If you let conversation lull or don’t introduce new topics, it’s hard to for your audience to stay engaged…and the Radios get boring for you, the host.

With up to 20 speakers and thousands (yes, thousands) of guests, there are limitless possibilities for your Radios. They never need to be boring again! Here are 5 topics for your next Radio to keep you and your audience entertained.

Before we begin…

We suggest always posting a video sharing when your Radios are and what you’ll be doing in them. This will spread word of your Radio beyond the people that already follow you. Plus, it will notify your followers in advance and get them excited about your next Radio! If you want them to come with contributions and talking points of their own, be sure to mention them in your video.

If you plan to host Radios regularly, pin the video to the top of your profile! Post a general one sharing when the Radios will be, then post a video before the Radio detailing what it will be about.

Now, let’s get into the real meat of the article!

Ethical Dilemmas

Maybe it doesn’t sound so light-hearted, but we’ve done them in the office before and they’re super fun! Basically, you find an ethically complicated question and discuss how you’d make your choice. Sometimes you find an answer to the question and other times you start a conversation about the zombie apocalypse. Make sure to stress these are fake conversations you’re having for fun: there’s no need to be mean or attack each other over the choices you made.

Here are some questions to get you started!

  • If you were stranded on a lifeboat with limited space and resources, and one person had to be thrown overboard to save the rest, would you do it? What factors would influence your decision?
  • In a world where people can experience any scenario they wish in a virtual reality environment, would it be ethical for someone to simulate harmful or illegal activities?
  • If an advanced AI exhibited signs of consciousness and emotions, would it be unethical to turn it off, even if it was designed to be shut down when necessary?
  • Would you support destroying a pristine wilderness area to build renewable energy infrastructure that benefits society and reduces reliance on fossil fuels?
  • If you were a doctor and had to decide between saving one patient by taking organs from another who would die in the process, what ethical principles would guide your decision?

“If you could invite three famous people (living or from history) to a dinner party, who would they be and why?”

This is a classic conversation starter and can reveal a lot about a person. Ask your listeners who they’d invite to their dinner party, and even open it up to fictional characters. Take it a step further by asking what they’d serve these people! Michelle Obama and Daenerys Targaryen sharing s’mores sounds like a really good time to us.

Offer a Masterclass

If you’re an expert in something or have a passion you’d love to share, hop on a Radio! Whether it’s writing, marketing, herbology, or anything in-between, a Radio is a great way to share your knowledge with us. You can start an ongoing series or host a one-off masterclass when you have time. Or monetize your Radios by offering private classes via Radios as part of your Fam Tiers!

“If you could live in a fictional universe from a book, movie, or TV show, which one would it be and why?”

You can pose this question at the start of the Radio and bring people up to talk about their answers. To make it even more fun, try bringing people with the same answer up. You can also encourage them to share what they think they’d get up to while in that world! It might be fun to hear 5 people talk about the Lord of the Rings and what their fictional life would look like.

Fictional Mad Lips

For this game, you’d take fiction characters, settings, and challenges from different movies, TV shows, or books and discuss what they would look like together.  Ask your audience to come with their own combinations. Or bring multiple people up and grab one suggestion from each of them. Not only is it fun to play-out these scenarios, but taking suggestions from a variety of people means the combinations will be unexpected.

These are just a small selection of topics you can unpack or touch on in your next Radio. No matter what you share with your audience, be sure to let them know about the Radio beforehand – and be sure you enjoy it! Your viewers will have more fun no matter what topic you choose.