Justin Taylor

To advertise effectively today, you have to understand the listeners reluctance to believe the claims that are made by advertising. We have to volunteer the proof they need. Loud music, screaming announcers, and worn out cliches are no longer convincing people that they are getting good value.

Its no longer enough to simply tell bigger lies in as louder voice than the next guy. If you want the advertising to be productive, you have to tell a story, and tell it persuasively.

Some of the best radio ads never made it to the airwaves because they got shot down by the client's wife, husband, partner, neighbor, or friend. Usually, the one phrase or statement that had to be eliminated was the most powerful line in the spot. Remember, the result of poor copy editing, could sacrifice the success of the ad campaign.

Roy H. Williams of Williams Marketing puts it this way. There are 2 types of ads. "Echoic" (sound), and Iconic (sight). Echoic ads are far more intrusive than iconic ads. It is the intrusive nature of sound that often makes people complain about hearing a certain ad too often on the radio.

The problem with echoic ads is that they require much repetition to be effective. The reader of an iconic ad can choose to study the fine print read it over and over, or skip it altogether. The listener to an echoic ad does not have this control. They cant hear your ad over and over again unless you decide they should. To gain the results needed, you must repeat the ads relentlessly.

The radio ad arrives as an uninvited guest. If there is nothing to make it familiar with something in the life of the listener, the subconscious will not allow entrance. However, if there is something that is even new and unknown, yet touches the familiar and known of the listener … it is more quickly accepted.

People must relate to what it is you're trying to say. They don’t care about the who, what, where, and when. The only question the listener has is why should I care? They want you to tell them a story that has them in it. Something that can make them, or save them, more money, save them time, or reduce stress. The subconscious mind says "what's in it for me? … if nothing, then leave me alone!"

Most ads about the product or the company that makes it yield disappointing results. The best ads are about the customer and how the product will change their life.

Medical science tells us that it takes 29% longer to understand the written word than it does to understand the spoken word. This is because the brain must translate the written word into the spoken word before it can be understood. It is the sound of the words that we remember, not their written form. Even when we read something silently, we are hearing the words in our mind.

Put simply, you can remember what you hear easier than what you saw. A properly implanted spoken statement will cause the prospective customers to think of your clients company or product when they have a need for it. "Are you listening?"

You have to entice the listener with something that’s far more interesting than what they are thinking about. The skillful use of words can offer the listener a thought more interesting than what currently occupies their mind. The common, predictable, and average will be ignored. The intriguing, fascinating, and unusual are immediately examined. It's not that the listener is not paying attention, it's that they simply have too many other things to think about. Remember a spot that sells, is a spot the motivates the listener to act!

As long as you can present the information from the listeners point of view, not the advertiser … you'll have a spot that works. The listener is the Art Director. What essential need in the consumers life does this product or service satisfy and how can you best tell them. Focus on the listener. The "look how great we are" spots do nothing to command interest. Dan O'Day puts it like this. Bad print and TV ads just fail to sell. Bad radio ads fail to sell and … they drive the listener away. Radio allows the listener to escape by simply hitting that annoying little button. Lost ears … lost revenue.

Good commercials, liners, promos, etc. are a radio station's secret weapon. It keeps the listener tuned in longer, and more often. The image of the radio station should not take a vacation during a stopset. It should be every 60 minutes of every hour.

Music is like pizza. Not many people dislike it and in radio commercials it’s a natural. Music can carry a message all by itself in a subliminal sort of way. It can shoot straight to the listeners emotions. As a copy writer … you can offer your view of just what you have in mind as a music or sfx compliment to your copy in its final post production phase. Be mindful that stock production music caters to many styles and moods and most are readily available for use.

Pre-recorded music (music that has been recorded, written, or published by someone for commercial use) such as songs having been heard on the radio or for sale in record stores pose sticky legal issues. There is a fee, licensing cost, or rental arrangement that must be negotiated from the necessary publishers, labels, and songwriters. Unless you are promoting a commercial artist's work, concert appearance, or CD sale, do not use it. Stick to stock production music. Use sound effects sparingly and only if necessary. The word is mightier than the sound breaking glass and screeching tires.

Focus your message. Nothing messes up a perfectly good idea like a cluttered, unfocused radio spot. A good spot should punch one key point. When you try to mention 3 product lines, 2 services, 8 locations, and multiple phone numbers, listeners will be lost! The entire spot and the message will be lost. If you must deliver several different messages, create several different spots. Focus!

Despite what you've heard, the first few seconds are not for establishing the client's name. They should be reserved for only one thing - hooking the listener. Let the listener know that this is going to be 60 seconds worth listening to.

The first few moments of your spot should set the scene. Where is it taking place? Home? Work? Outer space? Remember that context can usually establish the location even if you don’t identify where you are. For example, sound effects and ambient sound can establish a train ride, restaurant, etc.

You should also establish your character(s). Who is this person or persons talking to me. A doctor, lawyer, friend, fast food attendant, what?? Keep in mind as you write that the most important word to use in writing copy is the word "you". It makes the listener a participant in your spot. It engages the imagination of the listener.

Get to the point of the spot without a lot of chit chat. Don’t waste a lot of time on introductions. Get right to it. As you write, work your words into real, believable speech patterns and not a classic novel. Be conversational in your choice of words. The key thing to remember is that you must hook the listener. Skip the cliches and the unbelievable claims. Claims like 80% off, or sale, sale, sale.

Consider not only the content, but the perspective of your copy. Instead of standing in front of your home movies and narrating everything as you bore everyone, point the camera (or the copy) at the experience. Let the listeners imagination be the participant in your movie. Let them experience the adventure instead of telling them just how it is.

The stage in radio is small. Sixty seconds is not a lot of time. Each word must be perfect. Telling the listener that the grass is green does nothing new. It's boring. Tell the listener something unique and defining about the grass. Describe the texture, brown patches, the glisten of morning dew. Look for the things that are unique.

Write your copy too long. Then start to edit. Edit out the needless words and phrases. Keep editing until you come in at under the time limits. Less is more. Carefully choose your words and don’t clutter. Don’t jam too many copy points in and try to avoid addresses and phone numbers. When the listener needs the product or service they will find the client.

Yellow pages, websites, etc. are an easy way for the listener to find the client. Don’t waste valuable time on phone numbers and addresses. How many times have you stopped your car to write down a phone number you heard on the radio? Does McDonalds use one? Microsoft? Outback Steakhouse? … you get my point. Now if you simply have to use a phone number, write it out. One-eight-hundred- four-seven-eight-seven-nine-five-three. See what I mean. Wasted words that wont be remembered.

You should be writing an ad that will be remembered when the prospect has a need for your product or service and not as a means to generate immediate traffic. If I am not in need for a car, why do you want me to go to Joe's Ford and eat the hot dogs this Saturday from 10 to 4? When I am in need of a car, I need to be able to remember what it was that the Joe's Ford spot I heard last August told me about. Was it the lifetime free oil changes, loaner car, and car washes, or the free hot dogs?

The plain truth is that X number of people will buy a car on any given day. You won't change that. But when the time comes for each of those consumers to have their turn, give them a reason to buy it from Joe's.

Read it out loud. Read it out loud. Does it flow? Are there any phrases that don’t come off right in spoken form? If so … change it. While you read it out loud, time the spot. Don’t assume that the talent will probably read it faster than you because chances are that they will act the read and take longer. Aim for under :60 or under :30 safely.

Radio commercials are heard not read. Faxing the script to your client is a big mistake unless you can present your script orally at the same time. Better in person, acceptable on the phone, but always best as a spec spot demo especially if it’s a new client. Do the demo. Go the extra mile to present your concept.

Clients want you to write all these wonderful things about them but in all honestly those spots rarely work. The listener simply doesn’t care if it doesn’t affect them personally. Present your demo to the client and explain the concept to them from a radio professional's point of view. Your client cant hear a script in paper form. They must hear the message in spoken form.

Before you actually begin writing your spot, ask the following:

Who is the sales target?

Who cares about the benefits offered by this product or service?

What will this product or service do for the listener?

What is so exciting about this product or service?

Why should the listener act now?

What questions might the listener have about the product or service?

What objections might the listener have?

Why should someone patronize this sponsor and not some other merchant?

Ask the client: What's so special about your store?

Ask the client: What's so special about this product?

Ask to speak with some of the client's patrons and ask them what they like about the client's product or service.

What did you see happening at the store or when you used the product?

According to Dan O'Day these are the Seven Deadly Sins Of Radio Advertising:

1. Failure to attract the listeners attention.
2. Failure to appeal to the listeners self interest.
3. Failure to use words that paint pictures.
4. Being so clever or creative that you fail to sell.
5. Failure to give a listener a reason to act.
6. Cliché filled copy.
7. Too much copy!

The do not use commercial copy babble samples:

Going on now

Now is the time…

Wont last long

Service second to none

Savings throughout the store

The sale you’ve been waiting for

It's midsummer madness time

It's bargain time

Its clearance time

Storewide savings

Its happening now

We service what we sell

Friendly, knowledgeable staff

Conveniently located…

And what's more….

Hurry on down

Not to mention

Operators are standing by

But wait there's more

Tell them you heard it here and get a discount

That’s right

The fine folks at…

Stop by today…

Any address or phone number used

Prices too low to mention

Everything is marked down

Fine dining experience

Come see your friends at….

We've built our reputation on it

You're going to love the….

The sale you’ve been waiting for

Save, save, save

Much, much, more

And that’s not all…

Call ###-####, that’s ###-####

Your one stop shopping experience

Save like never before

Hurry for the best selection

See you there

You heard me right

Anything using the word "receive"

The time is now

Conveniently located

Quality service

Everyday low prices

Call now for a free estimate

A family owned business for over ___ years

You owe it to yourself

Do yourself a favor

Be there

Dial …

There's never been a better time to buy

New and Improved

I'm sure you can add a few to this ever growing list yourself. Simply put … do not use these tired old cliches in your spots. Period.

Once the actual copy is complete and ready to be produced in final form, submit it with your traffic instructions. Give it time to be produced. Don’t try and start the schedule tomorrow morning.

When you write your copy, and if you anticipate an "update" version (i.e.: tomorrow, tonight, etc…) submit those updates at the same time. It is easier to produce an update version at the time the original is produced than it is at a later time. If you anticipate that spot to return at a later date "as Is" with no changes ask that it be archived rather than having it produced again.

Keep track of the music titles, CD's, and cut numbers that are used so that the client can have their next spot produced with the same music for obvious branding reasons.

Provide a pronunciation guide with your copy. Although you may know how to pronounce your client's menu items, the voice talent may not. Always provide some form of pronunciation guide and if its absolutely necessary to include a phone number in the copy, be sure to type it as the client wishes it. For example. If the client phone number is 703-222-2120 … it can be said triple two twenty one twenty, two two two two one twenty one … etc. Then be sure you type out the phone number in words and not numbers. Its always best not to have a phone number mentioned but if you must … please type it out.

Try not to over-plan, and always expect changes to occur. Remember Murphy's 11^th law. "It is impossible to make anything foolproof … because fools are so ingenious."

 Now go write some killer copy!

Credits to:

Roy H. Williams, Laurence W. Norjean, Chris Lytle, Dan O'Day, Andy Capp, Soundscapes, VoiceImage Productions, and of course … 20+ years of radio experience.