Radio Spots
What do more than 80 percent of commuters do when they travel to work each day? They listen to the radio! It's an ideal target audience. No wonder such a wide range of businesses advertise using this medium — pitching everything from investment advice, gardening products, software upgrades, the latest movies, business consulting services, and even industrial fittings!
Radio advertising is often written by freelancers who specialize in this area, as well as staff writers at ad agencies and at the radio stations themselves.
The average ad is usually ten to thirty seconds long. So you have to make every word count. Even in a thirty-second spot with a fast-talking announcer, the maximum is only about one hundred words.
Types of Radio Spots
The simplest radio commercial to write is the announcer spot. This is essentially a person reading from a script, with little if any sound effects or interaction with anyone else. The announcer can be:
An actor, actress, or professional voice
An on-air personality at the radio station who agrees to do the commercial, usually for a fee
A spokesperson from the company placing the ad, such as the company president
At the other end of the spectrum is the multicharacter radio ad. This is a lot like a television commercial in its complexity in that it involves actors, dialogue, and scenes. For example, a radio commercial for a holiday resort might feature a husband asking a wife where to book their summer vacation. “Let's drive to Delawana Resort. It's just two hours away. And I just found out that if we book before May 15th, we get 25% off!”
Writing for the Ear
If you're used to print communications — brochures, Web pages, sales letters — then writing a radio advertising script can be a challenge. Although the basic elements of persuasive writing covered in Chapter 5 still apply, the format is very different. For example, there's no headline!
Unlike a printed piece, the listener can't go back and read something he didn't understand the first time. So you have to clearly and memorably convey your sales message. Here are some tips for doing just that:
Use an easy-to-remember phone number or Web address. A radio listener may not be able to write anything down, especially if he or she is in a car. So instead of saying 1-800-742-5877 say 1-800-PICK-UPS.
Use directions instead of street addresses. If your radio ad is for a local business, people will remember the intersection or other milestone location more so than the actual street address. Don't say “1254 Jamieson Street West.” Say “on the corner of Jamieson and Oak.”
Don't give too much information. Provide one or two bite-size nuggets at most. People are probably working or driving when they hear your spot; they don't need to be too distracted.
Mention your most important message, such as the business name, phone number, Web address, or special offer at least twice during the commercial — in the middle and at the end.
Be sure to read your script out loud. Make sure it sounds natural and does not run over the allotted time. If possible, also read it to other people. Ask them if they understand it the first time. If they don't, rewrite it.
