Radio ads are and have been popular for years with no end looking likely. When it comes to creating the ads, it takes time as it is a process. However, all the ads you hear are well-thought off and follow a clear strategy.
They do this because the audience’s attention needs to be captured for the ad to be a success. So, what makes a great radio ad? And what do you need to know about creating a great radio ad?
Below is a little bit of what makes a radio advertisement a great one.
Benefit Orientation
The first thing you need to put into context is the benefit of any love of the product. Then, you need to talk about the features, specifications, and how they will benefit the user.
The ad will need to answer a few questions the audience has about the product. Some of the questions include:
- What’s in it for me?
- How does it impact my life?
- Will my life be more manageable, happier, and so on?
- How does it solve my problem quickly?
- Is it safe to use?
For the first 60 sec, you need to answer these questions, or else you’re wasting both your and the audience’s time.
Hook
An excellent advertisement will need something that will grab people’s attention. So it would help if you had something that will get people thinking and even talking. This is what is referred to as the hook, and basically, this is what sells the ad.
It would help if you sold the ad as you sell the product – there are no two ways about it.
This has got to be the most tedious part of creating an ad and also the most difficult one. It would help if you made a hook that will live on in people’s minds. You only get five seconds for this to capture the audience’s mind, pick their curiosity or surprise them.
Call to Action
If you are in the marketing field, you know how important calls to action are for any copy you try to sell. When it comes to radio ads, the situation is very much the same. This something relevant that compels people to act on the product.
This should be a ‘wow’ factor, and in most cases, people tend to use an offer. After making the audience fall in love with the product, they need to be nudged to buy. It is something as simple as “call this number to make a reservation.”
But you need to wow the buyer in the call to action. If it’s an offer, it needs to have the backing of an offer, don’t just state it’s an offer when it isn’t.
Don’t Clutter
If you add too much info in an ad, it may cause the audience to lose interest. You only have a few seconds to capture the imagination and call on them to act. Use these seconds precisely for that and not much.
You can have a number to call for more info at the ending, though. which will still be part of the CTA. Make the ad as simple as possible, and remember that one good point is what the listener will take to heart.
Visual Aids
When you’re doing a billboard or TV ad or an internet banner, it is pretty simple to use visuals as these are visual ads. However, when it comes to radio, you need to be creative enough to help the listeners create visuals in their minds. The making of effective radio ads needs to provoke listeners’ imagination, and you need to involve them throughout the ad as they are part of the ad. This can be challenging if you aren’t creative enough. And when they create the image in their heads, it will last longer than with an already created image.
Originality
It would help if you stood out when you’re going to sell a radio ad. So there needs to be originality in the ad; it shouldn’t be something that people are used to. So you need to package the product a unique even if it’s something people are used to.
There needs to be a distinctiveness between what you’re selling and what others are. This is what will drive the market your way. If there’s nothing that sets your product apart, why should they come for yours? Especially if there are others in the market like it.
Conclusion
An excellent radio ad needs a lot to go into it in terms of thought, creativity, and considering the audience. So, before you set out the ad, here are a few things to put into perspective. Then, you can follow the above ideas to make a great radio ad.
