Write for the Ear and Make Money for Your Wallet

by David Hughes

Freelance writers often overlook a market for their work that allows them to approach the craft of writing from a different angle than any other market, and make some money while they do. That market is writing for radio advertising copy.

Writing for radio requires a different approach from any other type of writing, because unlike most outlets, the grammatically correct way of saying something is not always the best way to say something. To understand what is meant by this, and to get a firm grasp of how to write for radio, pay close attention to the ads on your favorite local station. If possible, tape several commercial breaks, and transcribe the copy into text. While you do this, notice that most successful ads use several smaller words where one larger word would work as well. This is because radio ads are written for the ear alone; there is no chance for the listener to go back and "re-hear" a part of an ad they might have missed. For copy to be effective, it has to be very easy to assimilate. For example, never use the word "assimilate" in a radio ad . . . using it in an article is one thing; if you don't understand it, you can reread it until you do, or even stop and look it up in your dictionary.

Radio doesn't offer the audience that chance. Just remember to keep it simple without making it stupid, and you'll be on your way. It's just like any other type of writing in this respect...the more you practice, the better you will be.

Now that you've copied some ads from the radio, it's time to try your hand at one of your own! You can use the general information from one of the ads that you copied, or pick out a local business that you think might be interested in improving their image. The elements you need in a radio ad are the same elements you need for a good news story:

• Who (is this ad about?)
• What (is the message they want you to hear?)
• Where (are they located?)
• When (does the listener need to act? [Hint: the answer to this one is always "Now!"])
• How (does the listener take advantage of the offer, or find out more about it?)

Once you have all five of these, start writing! A 30-second ad takes about six to eight lines of type; a 60-second ad needs about twelve to fourteen lines.

Every piece of radio copy is unique, but most follow these general guidelines:

• The advertiser's name (or the name of his business) should appear at least twice per thirty seconds of copy, but more is better.
• The advertiser's address should appear at least once.
• The ad copy should make an offer to the listener.
• The copy should set a time limit on the offer, or use some other method to give the listener a sense of urgency about responding to the offer in the ad.
• The copy should set a price on the offer.

These guidelines are just that: guidelines. They are not hard laws of radio copywriting, and shouldn't be followed to the letter, or followed in this order. However, most successful copywriters follow these guidelines for the best reason of all -- they work.

When you get through writing your masterpiece, read it aloud into a tape recorder while timing it with a stopwatch, and then play it back. How does it sound? (Ignore your voice...no one likes the sound of their recorded voice. That's normal.) Did anything jump out at you as being clumsy? Did anything seem to be out of place or missing? Did the copy flow properly? Compare your ad with the ones you taped earlier. How do they compare?

The best way to learn is by doing. Call the radio stations in your area, and ask if you could write some copy for them for free. Most smaller stations will be happy to let you try your hand, and it could turn into paying work. More importantly, it will allow you to practice your craft, and you can get feedback from the pros who read advertising copy for a living. However, don't count on getting paying work as a copywriter from a radio station; most stations use the on-air personnel or sales staff to write their copy, and won't be willing to pay someone else to write it for them. The markets you are interested in are advertising agencies and advertisers.

When writing radio copy for an advertiser, they will have a definite idea about what they want in their ad. Unfortunately, what they want and what they need are sometimes two different things. You must be comfortable enough with your ability as a radio copywriter to explain to an advertiser why something will or will not work, and then tell them why. Again, practice will pay off in a big way...it will make it easier to identify why an idea won't work, and it will give you the confidence in your assessment to tell the advertiser.

Advertising agencies are a much better source of work. Almost all ad agencies use outside copywriters to fill in the gaps that their staffs don't have the time to cover, and that's where you come in. Prepare a resumé, and two or three samples of your copywriting work. If you've written some ads that have been produced and played on a radio station, include those first. If not, don't worry...just include your best two or three samples and indicate that they are spec ads in your cover letter.

Good luck, and remember...practice, practice, practice! (Did I mention practice?)

-- DH
© 1999 David Hughes

David Hughes has worked in the radio business for over 14 years, and currently hosts a morning drive show on WAPF-980 AM in McComb, MS, along with his freelance copywriting business, Hughes Enterprises. David has won over 14 awards over the last three years for copywriting, including having one of his commercials chosen as a top-five finalist in the National Radio And Production Awards in 1997. You may contact David with questions or comments at hughesenterprises@yahoo.com.