Written By: Gaye Swan

Radio and podcast ad copy must accomplish quite a bit in 30 to 60 seconds. You want to grab listeners’ attention, sound credible, paint a verbal picture, and engage your audience – all without sounding boring or obnoxious. It’s a tall order, but it can be done!

The Basics

Remember you are writing to the speed that people speak, not read. A 30-second ad should be about 80 words, while a 60-second ad will include 120-150 words. You can go even shorter; a 15-second radio ad is about 30 - 40 words.

Read your copy aloud and time it. Put on your radio announcer voice and speak deliberately and distinctly. It may help to have another person read what you wrote since we tend to read our own copy faster.

As with every single piece of marketing and communication, know your audience and target your copy to them.

Make every word count. If ever there was a need to strike out the fluff, this is it. Focus on one and only one offer, benefit, or piece of information.

Define your call to action and make sure it is clearly spelled out. Throughout the entire ad, keep your message strictly in line with what you want your listeners to do.

Say your client’s name three times in the copy. Repeat the call-to-action phone number or website at least twice.

The Color

While you don’t have many words to play with, you can still make your radio copy shine. A good radio ad will:

Establish a connection.

Engage your reader by understanding their problem or concern and showing that you care. Empathy is the key here; put yourself in your listeners’ shoes and speak to them as a friend.

Build a story.

Your tale will put the listener front and center as you describe the problem or concern, then offer a solution. Keep it simple and easy-to-follow, using everyday language.

Focus on the benefit to the listener.

Get to the point and sell that benefit! Are you offering a sale? Does your service address a need in the community? How will your product help your customer save time or money? Tailor your copy to focus on what you have to offer.

Even in the age of digital marketing, radio and podcast advertisements still have a place. Choose your words wisely, and these ads will be an important component in a well-thought-out marketing strategy.