It’s not uncommon for some radio listeners to zone out while the radio is playing. Maybe they’re driving to work and focused on the road or multitasking with the radio playing in the background. However, there are certain things that you, as an advertiser, can do to effectively re-engage the listener.
Perhaps all of a sudden, they hear a catchy sound effect and an intriguing voiceover that draws the listeners’ attention. Or maybe the copywriting of your script is so sharp that they can’t afford to not listen to what’s being said.
With the right radio ad scripts, you can capitalize on that attention and drive awareness and sales for your business.
In this post, we’ll show you how you can write a radio commercial from scratch that will dazzle your prospective customers and engage listeners.
Why an effective radio advertisement script is so important
There’s a lot you need to do before you sit down and write your radio ad script. Without an engaging script with sharp, concise copy, you may bore your audience and lose their interest.
Writing your first radio ad script without looking at other impactful radio ads for guidance is like swimming in a triathlon without any buoys in the water. You might be able to hack it, but it’s so much easier when you know what to do.
Effective radio ad scripts often follow the same format but manipulate the core elements like the hook, pitch, offer, and call-to-action in different ways to make the messaging and presentation unique and memorable.
These components can be bent and twisted like a pretzel in order to make your ad unique. You don’t have to always include each one, but generally-speaking, most common radio ads or jingles include each of them in some form.
With the right script, you can drive meaningful results for your business. For example, radio is effective at driving more in-store traffic. In fact, companies that have deployed audio ads have seen an average of 22% increase in in-store traffic.
Mastering the art of a perfect radio script is an essential skill to have. That’s why we’ll show you how to write an effective radio script while using an existing example as a guide.
Step-by-step: How to write a radio ad script
The easiest way to learn how to write an effective radio script is to analyze an existing one that has mastered the format already.
In a way, this is like your cheat sheet that you can use to guide your process. In this post, we’ll use this sample script for a pizza shop as a guide:
Hold up! It’s the best pizza deals on the best pizza meals. At Pierre’s Pizzeria when you order online, for a limited time you’ll get OFFER/DEAL/SPECIAL. That’s right, for the freshest pizza fix just a single click away, go to https://pierresbusiness.com/ and get the cheesiest, ooey-est, gooey-est pizza that Montreal has to offer. That’s OFFER/DEAL/SPECIAL at Pierre’s Pizzeria. Get the online special today at https://pierresbusiness.com/. It’s as easy as pizza—pizza pie.
Let’s dive in and write an effective radio ad in four easy steps.
1. Lead with a hook
Much like Captain Hook, you need some sort of tool to make your listeners lean in.
The hook is the opening of your radio ad. It needs to make the listener feel a certain way. Maybe it’s a surprising interjection that grabs their attention. Or maybe you open with a question that makes your listeners think.
Consider this: How are you going to grab your prospective customer and get them to stop what they are doing and listen?
Pierre’s Pizzeria uses the interjection, “Hold up!” at the start of their ad. This will designate a clear break from the previous commercial or song that was playing before it. The voice talent will likely use a louder voice when screaming this phrase energetically, resulting in more listeners to tune in to hear what is next.
2. Pitch your product or service
With the hook engaging your customers, now you need to highlight how your product or service will make their lives better.
This is the time to put it all on the table and highlight your core competency in a one-line elevator pitch for your company.
Here are some tips to make your pitch more attractive:
- Differentiate your product/service from competitors.
- Outline the value or benefit that the customer will get from using your product/service.
- Briefly explain why customers love your product/service and how it can be used.
- Share why your product/service is needed and should be purchased now.
In the Pierre’s Pizzeria radio ad example, the pizza product is described as “the freshest pizza” and “the cheesiest, ooey-est, gooey-est pizza that Montreal has to offer.”
These phrases highlight what kind of pizza consumers can purchase at Pierre’s Pizzeria and how it might be tastier than other types in the market.
In addition, the ad mentions that ordering is “as easy as pizza,” making it known that the process to get your food might be easier than it is for competitors.
3. Explain the offer
Sometimes, consumers need just a little boost to purchase. This extra incentive can be a discount, bonus item, or special sale just for listeners.
Think about what you can offer the consumer that would tickle the listener’s ears. While not every commercial script needs an offer, some sort of promotion will help with conversions.
One popular offer type is to provide a coupon code that is unique to the radio spot and instruct consumers to purchase online with that code or mention it at check-out in stores. Other common offers include donation requests, discounts, and brand promotions.
With a clearly stated intriguing offer, you can impress your listeners and keep your business at the top of your target audience’s mind.
4. Finish with a call-to-action
Lastly, tell your consumers exactly what you want them to do.
Don’t beat around the bush or be sly with it. Explicitly have your announcer state your call-to-action (CTA) at the end of the ad so it is the last thing the listeners hear.
Some sample call-to-actions include:
- Buying off your website
- Calling the business’ phone number
- Going in-person to the business location
With your call to action, be sure to include a phone number, website URL, or store address, so your listeners can know where to go.
Pierre’s Pizzeria tells its listeners to “get the online special today at https://pierresbusiness.com/.” This is simple and straightforward. It can be easily remembered after the advert has concluded.
It’s important to note that you should only have one call-to-action in your 30-second ad. If you have too many, you may confuse the listener, and they won’t remember what to do. Instead, focus all your effort on providing one clear instruction for what to do next.
Bringing your radio ad script to life
The right radio ad script may need to be retooled through the revision process.
However, no matter how many rounds of edits it endures, it will likely still have the hook, the pitch, the offer, and the call-to-action. These are the core elements of any successful radio ad, and they should be found in almost every radio ad script.
With the right radio ad script, you can impress your prospective customers and engage them on a deeper level.
Use Decibel’s script templates as a foundation for your next radio ads. This resource will help you create your own personalized radio ad in a fraction of the time.