Tips for Getting the Best Copy on the Air, Every Time

We all know that the most successful credit copy – for stations and sponsors – is brief, concise, uncluttered, and consistent with the public radio tone. And yet some of our copy on-air isn’t hitting all of those marks. Sometimes it’s because we need to write better copy from the start. And sometimes good copy gets questioned before it gets to air. So how do we write the best copy and make sure that’s what our audience hears? Here are some tips.  

Start by thinking about what is most important to the client.

When writing a sample script for a new client, start at their website, specifically the “About Us” page, if it exists. You’ll want to know why they are in business and how they got started. See if some of the language they use on their site is permissible for public radio.

Example: Vintage Kitchens is a home remodeler in New England. This is what their website said:

Jennifer got her start designing kitchens in 1985 after becoming inspired by renovating her own Bungalow kitchen. She favors a collaborative approach with clients, with an emphasis on architectural awareness. “Clients generally know how they want to work in their space. I consider myself a facilitator in helping them get there.”

So, from that we came up with this:

SUPPORT COMES FROM VINTAGE KITCHENS, GUIDED BY ARCHITECTURAL AWARENESS, DRIVEN BY FUNCTIONALITY.  FOR ALL KINDS OF REMODELS IN HOMES OLD AND NEW.  MORE AT VINTAGE KITCHENS DOT COM. 

It is simple, legal, and designed to drive people to the Vintage Kitchens website, not talk about the kind of cabinets they make, the countertop options, the flooring, the awards, certifications, blah, blah, blah. Don’t overload your copy with too much detail!

[Continued below…]

Always include copy in your proposals.  

This puts a big issue on the table early. Nobody wants unhappy surprises after the client has agreed to the investment. If clients push back, emphasize these points:

• It’s best to communicate in a voice that our audience will appreciate.
• They don’t want to know everything about you in 15 or 20 seconds. They just want to know that you support “their” station.
• The goal is to drive them to your store or website.

In these conversations, talk about what you can say, rather than what you can’t say. And consider referring to FCC “guidelines,” which is less negative than FCC “restrictions.”

And if a client says that “you can’t say anything in 15 seconds,” tell them you can say the Pledge of Allegiance in that time!

Have a strategy for a client with too much to say.

What do you do with the client who simply has to include multiple products? The FCC has fined stations for including too many products, so this is an important point.  

Think about writing more than one announcement; each one containing a different aspect of their business. They will start and end the same; if they have a slogan you can use, all the better.

So, let’s say the client is an Orthopedics Doctor. He fixes injured knees, shoulders, ankles, etc. He also treats chronic joint pain from arthritis, bursitis, etc. He really wants everything covered in his spot so people know that he can help them all.

One important thing to tell this kind of client that his is a thin market. In other words, people won’t come to him until they have a need. He can run 100 spots a week, but until someone has an injury or gets to the point of needing help, they won’t call.

Secondly, the message won’t sound good and people will tune out. Plus, this would be illegal in the eyes of the FCC, so the station could be in a bad situation.  

Solution: you can run different two spots, each focusing on one aspect of his business. When people need orthopedic services of any kind, his spot will pop out at them.

Be clever about humor.

It’s possible to inject humor into underwriting announcements, but it’s not easy.  I remember a client who had a natural food restaurant and he was a big health nut. We came up with this line:

SUPPORT COMES FROM VICKIS…

A FAMILY RESTAURANT FOCUSING ON HEALTHY EATING. SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER. VICKIS – A PLACE FOR GROWING BODIES AND FOR BODIES THAT DON’T WANT TO GROW TOO BIG. IN ANYTOWN AND AT VICKIS RESTAURANTS SEATTLE DOT COM.  

Again, simple, no laundry list, legal, and, best of all, the client loved the play on words. 

Another great example from a rep who is a true wordsmith is this:

PRESENTING LYLE LOVETT. NO BOAT, NO PONY, BUT APPEARING ONSTAGE WITH ROBERT EARL KEEN IN AN ACOUSTIC DUO PERFORMANCE.

Writing copy for public radio is an art form. I think it’s more about what you don’t say than what you do say.  Simple, elegant, intelligent. These are the traits that make great copy!