We’ve all heard thousands of radio ads over the course of our lives. Some we remember more than others, and it’s not always for a good reason. Sometimes even the most annoying radio ads (for products we’ll never buy) are almost impossible to get out of our heads.
That’s why it’s important that your radio ads are not just memorable, but effective as well. Radio ads are an incredible opportunity to showcase your brand and share a jingle or slogan. But if done the wrong way, listeners will just come away annoyed or indifferent.
The good news is, there are certain steps you can take to ensure this doesn’t happen. Here are a few tips that will help you in creating effective radio advertising and grow your business.
Tell a story
Great radio ads aren’t just a simple plug for your business, product or service. You need to tell a story in a way that’s relatable to your audience. If you’re a plumber, for example, you might want to tell the story of how you helped a customer fix their drain in a timely, cost-effective manner. And a key part of your story is a “happy ending” for the customer, which can then lead into your jingle, tagline, or slogan. Creating a fun, easy-to-remember jingle is at the top of the list when it comes to radio advertising best practices. Your jingle should integrate well with the story your radio ads tell and be used in all of your internal and external marketing as well.
Avoid cliches
The best radio ads come across in a unique, authentic way. Anything that appears too cliche or overly “salesy” will be an automatic turnoff for listeners. So try to avoid these kinds of “do-nothing” phrases that will make your commercial sound, well, like a commercial. Here are some of the top cliche phrases in radio that you should steer clear of:
- “Going on NOW!”
- “And what’s more…”
- “You owe it to yourself!”
- “Conveniently located…”
- “Come see the experts…”
- “Savings throughout the store!”
Include a clear, powerful call to action
While having an ad or jingle that’s memorable is important, don’t forget your ads are there to accomplish a specific goal. You want your radio ads to be effective in terms of getting people to take the action you want. Having a call-to-action in your radio ads, along with tracking the results, is the best way to determine the ROI of your campaigns. That’s why you want your call-to-action to be something trackable, like “follow us on Twitter” or “visit our website for more information.”
Use great production partners
When it comes to the production value and overall quality of your radio ads, it’s crucial you leverage the right production partners to ensure a top-notch product. Thousands of people will be hearing the spot and associating it with your brand, so it’s imperative your commercial sound as professional as possible. Your production partner can ensure this by getting the right people and voices that best align with the commercial and your brand. Production partners will also be able to edit the recording to double check for audio quality and make sure that the entire spot is “tight.”
If you know how to create good radio ads, you’ll be able to reach new potential customers who possibly haven’t heard of your business previously. Just make sure your ads are high-quality, memorable, and effective. And most importantly, work closely with your media partner to make sure your spot is as good as it possibly can be.
