With great power comes great responsibility. Also when you are on-air.

Originally published on TommyFerraz.com.

This seems to be a well known quote from Spiderman saga, more specifically from Uncle Ben, the voice of wisdom for Peter Parker. Without being a fan, I found myself using it in a number of occasions lately.

This quote comes up every time I say I like helping radio presenters gain awareness of the impact everything they do and say on-air has.

Recently, I have also talked and written much about the positive effects of putting listener engagement measurement in the hands of on-air teams in radio.

When you connect these two ideas, you start to realise how wise the quote from (allegedly) Peter Parker‘s uncle really is for radio.

Something amazing happens when on-air professionals have the chance to see by yourselves the impact of what you say (and how) in front of the microphone has for listeners. You get to see, then, your superpower in action: an invisible bond with listeners.

They stay a bit longer if you tell them they won’t regret. They come back everyday because you invite them to do so. They give the show of your colleagues a try if you recommend it to them. And yes, they also tune-out if you show them the way out.

So… what’s your responsibility that comes with your power? Do not fail their trust.

In my experience, most radio professionals I work with, by just seeing firsthand the impact of their power on-air and learning from it daily, are actually firming up that trust, engaging listeners better and longer everyday.

You don’t need to be a superhero for doing that.