How to Write a Radio Ad

When you write a radio ad, the most important thing to remember is that you are writing for a listener, not a reader or viewer. Plus, you have a limited amount of time to convey the message because the advertisements are just fifteen, thirty or sixty seconds. Here are some tips in writing an effective radio commercial.

Things You'll Need

• pen
• computer
• paper

Instructions

1. Know your audience. Ask your client what sort of customer they want to target. A commercial selling yachts will definitely be different than a commercial promoting specials at the local sports bar.

2. Formulate your idea. Bounce some creative ideas off other writers or with the client. The commercial will be short, so pick one idea and stick to it.

3. Begin your first draft. Radio ads are either fifteen, thirty or sixty seconds in length. Find out which, and then write the advertisement.

4. Insert the business name into the draft. Do this twice for a fifteen second commercial, three times for thirty second commercials and at least four times for a sixty second commercial.

5. Read the draft out loud with a stopwatch. Read at an even, realistic pace, and time how long the script runs. Add or delete words to get the commercial to the right length. Do not try to read faster, just read it as you would any script.

6. Let the script sit for awhile, take a break, and then return to it with fresh eyes. Edit it as necessary, but remember to time it again once you are done.

7. Present the script to your editor or client for final approval.

Tips & Warnings

• Use landmarks or crossroads when describing a location. Such as "Across from Miller's Water tower on Main Street." Try to avoid using specific addresses, which may fly over the listeners head.

• Write out numbers within the text, don't just use numerals.

• Adjectives and adverbs can easily be deleted to shorten the copy.

• Save time by removing www before Web addresses.

• Phone numbers will go in one ear and out the other, unless you have a memorable number like 555-Home or 555-Beer.

• If you are using sound effects in place of text, give ample time for those sound effects when timing the commercial.