There are only three radio ads tips that you should focus on. Crafting the best radio ads starts with understanding who the ad is for. Then comes the writing of the script, and finally, making the script sound authentic.
Because there is so little involved in a radio advertisement, every single part of the radio ad must shine.
From the script to the voice talent and even the production equipment. Radio advertising relies very heavily on these factors as the audience has nothing to distract them from a bad script or a bad voice.
However, radio advertising varies depending on the audience, message, and type of delivery. This means that there is no magic formula to help you get the most out of all your radio ads, but…
These three radio ads tips that can get you through no matter your situation:
- Understand what your audience wants.
- Write a great radio ad script.
- Hire a professional voice talent to sell the script.
You can learn more about creating successful radio commercials here.
But if you prefer to watch a video instead, click here:
This post was updated in May 2021
Radio Ads Tips to Understanding Your Audience
Actually, there’s something you have to do before understanding your audience, and that is setting your brand goals. Do you want to boost website traffic with the ad, or get more business leads? It helps to know what you want to achieve because it determines the way you structure your ad and who you sell to.
Knowing your goals means having the right message, and knowing your audience is about finding the best way to present this message.
Radio ads usually reach a wider audience that is also very segmented. This means that without conducting the proper research, you might end up selling to the completely wrong people.
Talk Radio or Music Radio?
When considering your audience, also consider the type of radio they listen to. This information will help you craft the best possible radio ad. For instance, is it talk radio or music radio?
For talk radio, the audience is already actively paying attention. Advertisements for this medium must, therefore, be crafted to encourage further listening. Your ad should blend into the topic of discussion or provide information that is truly relevant to the listener.
For music radio, listeners are probably just playing the songs as background noise, so your radio ad should jump out of the background and capture their attention by interrupting their thoughts.
Tips for Writing Radio Ad Scripts
Have you ever listened to a friend tell a story and the whole time you kept wishing that they would get straight to the point? With radio ads, the faster you get to the point, the more time you have to emphasize this point. You can repeat your product or service at least three times in a 60-second radio ad. Every statement in the script should have an impact on the listeners.
You don’t have to be funny to sell a radio ad. You just have to deliver the message and make the audience believe in the potential of the product or offer.
The first radio ad tip to keep in mind when writing the script is…
Forget The Opening Line
While the attention-grabbing opener will get your audience to listen to the ad, it’s the last line that they will remember the most. Don’t end with the terms and conditions apply line because that’s all they remember. Imagine spending so much and all listeners take away from your radio ad is a joke. It might have been a good joke, but still…
Anyone can cough and attract people’s attention for two seconds, but it’s what you do with this time that matters in a radio ad. The last line should be what you want to stick in the minds of the listeners.
So there’s a fresh new radio ad tip for you: the last few seconds of the ad count more than the first few.
That being said, you can’t make a first impression twice. Besides, people sometimes listen to the radio as background noise. Your opening line should do its job (to GRAB attention) so that the last line can achieve its purpose. It’s a partnership. No one will remember your ad if they were not paying attention.
Show and Tell
Radio is not visual, but listeners can still use their imagination. Don’t be afraid to tell your audience to close their eyes and picture themselves sitting on a beach or flying first class. An important radio ad tip to remember is that you are not just writing for the ear. Engage all your listener’s senses, even their sense of smell (if you can make it work, why not?)
One thing that can really improve visuals is the use of music and sound effects.
Adding music and sound effects shouldn’t be a post-production process. It’s very easy to go wrong with sound effects since a lot of things sound the same. You should decide on the effects early on so you can be sure to compliment them with the words on the script.
Since listeners can’t see, they will assume the sound of rain is water running in a sink. So if you say something like… “The kitchen pipe is busted again!” it will help your audience understand the scene and therefore relate to the situation.
Finally, find a balance between logic and emotion. The audience might be drawn in because they have an emotional connection to your product, but they still need a logical reason to make the purchase.
Know Your Radio Ad Format
Depending on who you ask, there are as many as six radio ad formats to work with. You can decide between these formats based on what you want to achieve and how urgent your message is.
The radio ads tips below are based on two major formats.
The first involves a single voice talent (announcer), and the other involves two or more talents.
Announcer
This format is probably the oldest of them all, and here is a radio ad tip you probably know already, but the announcer style has a special advantage over other radio ad formats:
The announcer’s voice addresses a single person.
If done right, the radio ad can have a conversation with the listener. If done wrong, announcer radio ads can feel like a lecture or a command.
One way to do it right is by asking questions and creating scenarios for the listeners…
Don’t you hate it when…? Did you know….?
Getting this radio ad right in about delivering a strong but simple and direct message to the audience.
Dialog
If you’re not addressing the listener directly, then give them other reasons to listen to your radio ad. Make the characters interesting, relatable, believable, and if it’s in the best interest of your audience, use local voice talents.
Here, its all about perfecting the scenario that will best help the listener understand the product.
You could set up one voice talent to ask the questions as the other provides all the benefits of your product. Or they can act as a random person on the street being interviewed about your product. The voice talents could also illustrate a problem you want to solve for your listeners. In this case, you can introduce an announcer at the end to deliver the solution to this problem and tell your audience where and how to get their hands on it.
There’s a little flexibility when it comes to this radio ad format.
You can even re-introduce your voice talents at the end just to further the story and also illustrate how your product helped them solve a problem.
Simplicity
A radio ad is usually over before its even begun. Don’t go listing every benefit your business has to offer. Pick one or two things that will be most suitable for your customers and focus on those.
Simplicity means getting straight to the point and starting with a statement that not only grabs your listeners’ attention but also gives them value.
Radio ads are not just about being clever and creative, although these factors play a front-seat role when it comes to crafting the best radio ads. Don’t focus on entertaining your audience so much that you forget to sell to them. In as much as you want to be creative with your ad and do something no one has ever done before, put your selling idea at the center of it all.
In simpler terms; always write radio ads that cannot function without your product. If you remove the name of your product or offer from the ad, it should feel incomplete. Otherwise, you are not doing it right.
Simplicity doesn’t mean cutting your radio ad short. 30-second ads are cheaper than 60-second ads, but if your message can’t be said in 30 seconds, go for a longer ad. You should take exactly the amount of time you need to sell your radio ad. If you’re not sure which one to go with, test both. If 60 seconds is what you need to sell your product, not even your budget should get in the way.
Radio Ads Tips to Selling the Perfect Ad
People expect a lot from radio ads. The production value, for instance, should be nothing less than perfect. This is because the audio is all you have. If your words don’t come across clearly to the audience, that’s the death of your radio ad.
So the voice should be clear, the effects should be clear, and the timing should be perfect.
Voice Talent
This goes without saying, but you need a voice talent who understands what they are doing. Your radio ad is not for everyone. It’s for your audience, and the message needs to get across in a clear and authentic voice.
You should carefully select this voice depending on the ad you want to run.
Read our guide on how to discover voice talent.
The Call To Action
If you want something, ask for it.
There’s a lot of bad radio ads tips going around about the call to action. If your goal is to generate phone calls with your ad, then that’s exactly what you should do. It’s not enough to create awareness around your product.
Most people go wrong because they tell listeners to CALL NOW without giving them a good reason to do so. The call to action is not limited to the last line of the radio ad script. Offer some information, a special price or a free consultation so your audience has a reason to reach out to you.
To get your free e-book on How to Eat Healthy, visit healthyeating.com NOW!
You can also implement time-limited offers if you really want people to CALL NOW.
Wrapping Up…
You need the right music, sound effects, and voice to bring your script to life. All this will depend on the type of radio ad you want to create. And when you do hire a voice talent that fits the profile, let them do their job and voice the radio ad without your interruption.
Radio advertising can either go very right or very wrong. The difference often depends on how well you can implement the tips discussed here.
Want to take the guesswork out of the whole process? Submit a project at Bunny Studio and we’ll help you create the right audio ad for your brand!
