So, you’re keen to try out a radio ad for your small local business but find yourself stuck on what to say? Steve Manning, Senior Copywriter at Business Copywriter, shares some insider tips to help you write an effective radio script that brings in the sales.
We can’t all be great scriptwriters – that’s why copywriters exist (check out the Flying Solo Directory to find one near you)! However, with the right foundations, you can whip your radio ad copy into something that a) gets your business noticed, and b) converts to real customers.
Steve’s written heaps of radio ad scripts for global companies like Rebel Sport as part of his business and he certainly knows his stuff, as you’ll discover. Here are his top tips for small business owners who want to try their hand at writing their own radio ad.
What’s the process of writing a radio ad script?
Steve says it starts with answering some crucial questions:
- What’s the purpose of the ad? What would you like to achieve?
- What’s the offer or key benefits?
- Who is your target market?
- What do you want the listener to do?
- Does the ad require just one voiceover, or can you use multiple voiceovers?
- Is it a 15-second ad or a 30-second ad?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’re in a good position to build the skeleton of the script.
Key ingredients that a radio ad script must have
As well as the usual who, what, where, when and why elements, every radio ad must feature three major ingredients:
- An attention-grabbing introduction to engage the listener
- A powerful offer and/or benefits to create desire
- A clear call to action to motivate the listener to act
Mistakes to avoid in your radio script
As with all forms of copywriting, these fall into four key areas:
- Too much information: Less is definitely more when it comes to radio scripts. The message needs to be short, sharp and simple.
- Too clever or confusing: Radio scripts that rely on subtlety or innuendo run the risk of confusing listeners. Simple messages work best.
- No benefits, offer, or point of difference: If your radio ad doesn’t articulate why a listener should use your product or service, you’ve wasted your money.
- No clear call to action: You may have written a fantastic script but if it fails to include a clear and strong call to action that makes it easy for the listener to do what you want them to, it won’t translate into sales.
Source: Going It Alone – Flying Solo’s step-by-step course for solopreneurs. Sign up for Flying Solo Business Class for full course access, plus loads of other great benefits to help your business grow!
Radio ad script example
Steve kindly wrote a specific example of a radio ad script for Flying Solo that we can all learn from. Let it inspire you to get writing yours!
ACTOR:
Hello … hello … ? Is there anybody out there?
VOICEOVER:
Being a solo business owner can be lonely.
No colleagues to bounce ideas off.
No performance reviews.
Thankfully, there’s a website dedicated to the needs of solo entrepreneurs.
It’s called www.flyingsolo.com.au
Featuring articles, strategy advice, podcasts and forums, www.flyingsolo.com.au can help you and your business flourish.
And with the opportunity to connect with over 130,000 members, you’re definitely not alone!
www.flyingsolo.com.au – Australia’s small and micro business community.
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Have you tried writing your own radio ad scripts? We’d love to learn more about what worked and what didn’t, so please broadcast your thoughts and experiences in our forum discussion here.
This article was originally published in 2011 and has been updated for 2022.
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