How to Write a Bad Radio Ad
by Nick Jack Pappas
Radio is still the best place to advertise in the world. You’re speaking directly to a captive audience who wants to hear good news as they grind their way through a long commute.
Yet, many radio ads don’t stand out. Why? They blend into each other and become background noise. Drivers tune out until their music starts up. Or worse, they change the station. If you haven’t given them a reason to listen, they have plenty of reasons not to.
Here are the components of writing a bad radio ad:
- Your first sentence doesn’t grab their attention.
You don’t have a lot of time. Most radio ads are only 30 seconds, and if you haven’t grabbed their attention with your first sentence, it doesn’t matter how great the rest of your ad is. They’re already staring out the window dreaming about getting home and watching TV ads on their couch.
Bad radio ads start describing their service or product in the first sentence without finding out if the listener cares.
2. Not focusing on the value your product provides.
Sure, you should always describe what your service or product is, but it’s meaningless if you don’t tell listeners why it matters to them. Don’t focus on what it does; focus on how it makes them feel.
Ask questions they can relate to. Are you tired of doing this? Is this causing you stress? Well, we have something that will make your life a whole lot better.
3. Not offering them anything special.
It’s great that they know about your product or service now, but their lives are busy, and they’ll get to it eventually. When your potential customer finally gets around to making a purchase, they may have already forgotten who you are.
Great ads have an attractive offer, and they want you to “act now” because this offer isn’t going to last forever. Your audience is sitting in an air-conditioned car, listening to music, and generally being complacent. You’re going to need a great value proposition to get them out of their seat.
4. Not giving them any directions.
You’ve made it this far. Your audience knows they have a problem, they know you can fix it, and they want to know how to feel better. If you don’t have a clear, understandable call to action, all that great work was for nothing.
Make their lives easy! Give them specific directions to visit your website and click the right link. If you want them to visit, point to a landmark nearby they already know. If you want them to give you a call, choose an easy to remember phone number and don’t forget to say it a few times.
You can have the best product in the world, but no one will ever know if you have the worst marketing.
Nick Jack Pappas is the Executive Creative Director at WriteLabel.com. If you’re interested in having the largest writers’ room in the world help you write your ads, give them a try.
