A good host understands the audience and their expectations, a great host connects them with at a personal level.
As a host, you want your audience to be glued to the screen throughout the discussion. It’s a difficult task, given how the inflow of 15-second videos has reduced the attention span of people.
Now people want to be excited quickly, else they’ll lose interest, and you’ll lose their attention.
What do you need to do to be a great host?
- Keep the audience’s expectations realistic. Don’t promise them something just to reel them in.
- The show headline must be catchy. The audience should feel like joining in.
- You should genuinely be interested in the subject.
- Make your guest comfortable. Don’t jump into the subject matter straightaway. Start casual, and reel them in slowly.
- The guest doesn’t necessarily need to be famous, but well versed in the subject.
- Keep the language as lucid as possible. Speak in vernacular if it suits the target audience.
- Any audience member who’s giving constructive inputs in the comments, invite them to be live.
- Even if you don’t agree, voice your disagreement respectfully.
Being a great host is all about being curious and empathetic. You have to care deeply about the things you talk about and have to be inquisitive enough to dwell deep.
