It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it!
Top 10 Tips to get the most out of your radio commercial content
When working on radio commercial copywriting and audio production for a range of clients, I believe it’s not the content of the marketing piece that’s the most important, it’s the context. Particularly when it comes to writing radio campaigns for clients in a certain location, channel or for a certain audience, the businesses or products being promoted are sometimes very similar.
Take a cocktail bar for example. They all want to be the most stylish, elegant and THE place to see and be seen with their similar menus and interior aesthetic. So, in a commercial break amongst so many competing retail and leisure businesses offering very similar products and services, how do they stand out from the crowd?
This is where the fun starts with my job!
I get to do a deep dive into the personality of the business, the brand and the people behind it. By getting under the skin of the business and going deeper than surface-level communications, I’m able to uncover exactly what makes them unique and how we can create a style and sound that truly reflects their brand personality perfectly.
In order to stand out in a crowded marketplace, the marketing content needs to look, feel and sound different to those offering the same thing. Maybe the language we use could be more comical than others? Maybe more elegant and eloquent? The basic information of the content may be similar to others, but the way in which we deliver it can be unique to the brand. If we’re looking at a commercial radio advert, let’s use a voice that isn’t anything like competitors! Maybe a voice style and delivery that isn’t often associated with the industry? Choosing the right voice and directing them to achieve the desired delivery is key to ensuring the context of the piece is perfect; no matter the content of the script.
Once we have the script and voiceover recorded, we can begin to add depth and texture to the sound with appropriate music or SFX. Let’s not forget that some of the most endearing and compelling audio out there is ‘dry’ (voice only). This often works well with hard-hitting or emotional messaging in which we need to feel an intimacy or one-to-one connection with the voiceover for full impact and emotional reaction. However, music and sound effects can really enhance the theme and style of a commercial to evoke true brand personality and style. It’s important to ensure the music chosen compliments the voiceover and script, not overshadowing it and aligns with the language and delivery of the overall message.
Again, sound effects may indeed not be necessary in a commercial. They require precision in application and mixing to reach the desired outcome and for the full ‘theatre of the mind’ experience. When used correctly, they can really add fun and flavour to messaging, but aren’t always appropriate for every campaign or every channel. SFX for In-store messaging for example can work really well in some retail outlets, but for others with a busier, noisier shopfloor, the SFX can sometimes be lost in the mix and barely noticed at all. However, on commercial radio that may be listened to through headphones, home speakers or in the car, SFX can be highly noticeable and engaging within a crowded and creative commercial break.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to the creativity we can have with audio. I absolutely love working on each and every brief that comes my way, and every script that leaves my studio is something I have enjoyed working on… I think the buzz of hearing a campaign of mine out in the wild never gets old!
So, here are some of my top ten considerations when looking to get a radio commercial created and things to be mindful of. If you are a fellow creative in the industry and have more ideas and guidance, let me know your thoughts too!
1: What truly matters to your ideal customer?
Do they care that you’ve been in business 20 years? Or is it important to them that you’re open earlier or later than competitors? Are they price or quality-conscious? What are you bringing to the table that really matters to them? When creating a brief, share two or three things at most that make you the ideal brand, service or product of choice.
2: What is your CTA?
Choose one call to action for your commercial to have the most impact. Trying to include your address, website, social media handles and phone number will pretty much guarantee that none will be remembered. Choose one outcome you want from the campaign and be bold in only including that one. Try to avoid including phone numbers and keep the contact information as short and clear as possible. What are we telling them and what do we want them to do about it?
3: Where is this commercial being used?
Be fully across where the commercial is being used, and why. Knowing the audience of the channel is also a key consideration in creating a script. What is the target audience of that radio station? Or what consumer type does that retail store have most? External commercial radio campaigns are always different to internal/in-store commercials as the latter is talking to a captive audience and unique scripts or content should always be created to reflect that (never use the same advert for both).
4: What is your personality?
This isn’t just about what you wish people to think, it’s about what experience they will truly get when engaging with your brand. Are you cheeky, lively and fun? Or are you professional, calm and reliable? Your own personality will often be reflected within your brand and being as true as possible in the marketing will create a more authentic end-to-end experience for the consumer.
5: Don’t read in your head!
When you read a script that has been created, ask the writer to present it to you, or read it out loud. No script ever LOOKS as good on paper as it will sound once produced. The layout, grammar and style has not been designed to be ‘read’ but to be ‘heard’ so be mindful that it may not look how it should. However, when presented as imagined, it will begin to come alive and take shape like magic!
6: What’s the word count?
The age-old saying in radio is that a 30-second commercial is around 80 words. However, take this with a pinch of salt! This really depends on the complexity of the language involved and the style of delivery. You only truly know the length of a script when read appropriately out loud and timed. Be mindful of SFX and music intros or jingles that also take up valuable and vital seconds of an audio piece.
7: I don’t like it!
Remove personal preferences from the agenda! Keep the ideal consumer avatar at the forefront of your mind at all times. You may not personally like the voiceover, style of delivery or musical genre chosen, but there is a rationale behind every creative choice and direction in a commercial and the end user should always be the deciding factor over whether something is appropriate and appealing.
8: Where do I listen to it?
Listen to the commercial in context! So many clients in the past have listened to an advert on their iPhone between meetings and then felt disappointed that it didn’t deliver from the signed-off script. However, it’s important to listen to the audio produced in a variety of ways. Maybe listen on your phone if that is convenient, but also take a listen in your car speakers, on headphones, on the computer or Bluetooth speaker. Not only will this give you a better idea of how it will sound in different environments but also enable you to truly hear the depth of the elements and how they coexist.
9: Switch it up!
If you’re planning on using your commercial for a long period of time, be mindful of the OTH (Opportunity to Hear) and repetition the potential consumer will experience. Your commercial will be part of a wider-planned campaign in which channels, frequency and dayparting will have been considered so for heavy-weight campaigns it’s likely you’ll want to switch the commercial up after a couple of months, or at least run in rotation to avoid the commercial becoming repetitive, or even worse, irritating!
10: Trust the process.
Audio advertising isn’t an instant fix. You need to use it as part of a wider, longterm campaign to increase brand awareness and remain top of mind to the consumers. You are an expert in your business and your industry, and the writers, voice actors, producers and schedulers are experts in theirs; so trust their expertise in achieving the results you require.