How to Write an Effective Radio Commercial

Local Radio Sales Reps Aren't Much Help

If you are a local radio advertiser and you depend on a radio station sales rep to create your radio copy and ad campaigns, you are most likely getting ineffective results from your advertising dollar.

I have been involved in local radio advertising for nearly 30 years, or all of my adult life. There is a constant in the radio sales area and that is that a radio salesperson is really more concerned about his or her next order than getting you effective results from yours. Most of the time a salesperson has no real experience in writing effective copy. Most of them dislike the task and consider it a chore. You might be surprised to know that most radio properties don't feel the need to have a full time copy writer on staff. So it is up to the sales rep to put something together for you. They'll sit down and start writing until they've come up with the requisite number of words but with no real concept. The copy tends to be full of superlatives like "for the best in…" and "for all your (insert product here) needs…." Other favorites are… "the best service at the lowest price with the most knowledgeable sales people." What are they really saying? The truth is, almost nothing.