Radio is one of the most effective tools for building your brand as a small business owner. It offers an excellent return on investment, allows you to zero in on your local area, and choosing the right station will give you access to your target audience. But the prospect of creating your first radio ad, let alone a whole campaign, can be intimidating. Fortunately, putting together a radio advertising campaign is not as challenging as it may appear.
Ask What Makes Your Business Different
The first step to writing a radio ad or campaign is to know what makes your business unique. Finding your message is all about understanding what your company does best and putting it succinctly. You want your potential customers to understand what makes you unique and remember it!
Look at the example of one of our branding clients: Anderson's Car and Tractor. They built a persuasive and entertaining message about their company based on a unique aspect of their dealership. What was it? They had been unfortunate enough to have some of their Kubota tractors stolen from their dealership, but they took that and flipped around into their new branding message. They had a new slogan, a jingle, and a popular radio ads campaign based on Kubota envy. That's how you build a branding message.
Listen now: Anderson's Car and Tractor - Kubota Envy Press Conference
Write for Hearing and Seeing
It's easy to assume that the radio ad script is just for listeners' ears. However, hearing is not a passive sense. With the right script, you can use sound to conjure up images that make your message more enticing. If you tap into the theatre of the mind and create a script that evokes mental images, associations, and emotions - it will be more powerful.
Use Branding Elements
What are branding elements, and how are they used in radio ad scripts? Put simply, the branding elements are those features of the ads that remain consistent in each. Let's take a look at some types of branding elements.
Music
In each campaign radio ad, the background music should be the same. Upbeat but non-distracting music serves more than just to set the mood. People remember what they hear. With enough repetition, radio listeners will hear the music in your ads and think of your business, even without consciously listening to your ad.
Voice
Each of your ads will differ in certain respects. Whether your ad begins with a skit or a story, one element that should stay consistent is your voice. The voice of your ad is whoever does the narration. You may opt for a professional voice actor, use your voice, or opt for the voice of a dedicated staff member. Whichever direction you go, your voice will come to represent your business and brand.
Slogan
The final branding element we'll discuss is your slogan: Your slogan should put your primary message into a short and easy-to-remember sentence or phrase. Every time one of your ads runs, your slogan will reinforce what makes your business unique to your target audience.
Bonus Tip: Plan for the Long Run
Our last piece of advice doesn't have so much to do with writing your radio ad scripts as it does with planning your campaign as a whole. Every year advertisers waste money on short-term ad campaigns that fail to gain traction. If your planning timeframe is measured in weeks rather than months or years, you're likely wasting your marketing budget. Build your ads around solid messaging, then stay the course for at least a year to see the full benefit from your effort.
We're Your Idea People!
At Zimmer Marketing, our creative team consistently helps marketing clients find the spark they need to brand their business and make their mark on the communities they serve. We were recently recognized at the Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards in four categories and swept the service announcement or campaign slot!