Boost Your Radio Commercial’s Effectiveness with Compelling Storytelling Techniques

radio broadcasting

Radio commercials have long been recognized as a powerful medium for advertising, reaching millions of listeners daily. To stand out amidst today’s saturation of advertising messages, it’s critical to make a listener’s experience engaging and memorable. At KillerSpots Inc., we recognize the importance of compelling storytelling in radio commercial production, as it captures the audience’s attention and drives your message home. By utilizing strategic storytelling techniques, you can effectively communicate your brand’s message while striking an emotional chord with your target audience.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore how to integrate storytelling into your radio commercial production to create an emotional connection with your audience and leave a lasting impression. We will dive into the following key areas, providing you with a solid foundation for crafting storytelling-driven scenarios that resonate with your listeners:

1. Understanding the Importance of Story in Radio Commercials

– Discover how incorporating a story into your radio commercial can capture your target audience’s attention, evoke emotions, and drive responsive action.

2. The Key Elements of a Compelling Story

– Familiarize yourself with the essential components of an engaging narrative, including relatable characters, conflict, resolution, and emotional impact.

3. Techniques to Enhance Your Storytelling

– Learn valuable tips for crafting an emotionally engaging story by utilizing descriptive language and vivid imagery and incorporating your brand’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

4. Collaborating with Radio Commercial Production Professionals

– Benefit from the expertise of radio commercial production professionals who can bring your narrative to life through high-quality production values, voiceover talent, and sound design.

By the end of this guide, you will possess the knowledge and tools required to create radio commercials that captivate your audience through storytelling. To embark on your storytelling journey and transform your radio commercials into engaging narratives that drive action, contact the professionals at KillerSpots Inc. by visiting our contact page or calling us at 513-270-2500.

1. Understanding the Importance of Story in Radio Commercials

Incorporating a story into your radio commercial serves several essential purposes:

– Capturing Attention: A well-crafted story engages listeners from the start, compelling them to pay attention and listen until the end.

– Evoking Emotions: Stories can evoke an emotional response in the audience, creating a deeper, more personal connection to your brand and message.

– Encouraging Action: By presenting a relatable narrative and emphasizing the benefits of your product or service, you can inspire your audience to take action, such as making a purchase or visiting your website.

2. The Key Elements of a Compelling Story

To craft an engaging story for your radio commercial, consider these crucial elements:

– Characters: Introduce relatable characters in your story, as they serve as an essential point of connection with the audience.

– Conflict: Introducing a conflict in your narrative adds interest and keeps the audience invested in the outcome. Ensure your product or service is positioned as the solution to the conflict.

– Resolution: Resolving the conflict in the story creates a satisfying conclusion for the audience and demonstrates the value of your product or service.

– Emotional Impact: Aim to engage your audience emotionally, whether through humor, empathy, or excitement. An emotional connection leads to better retention of your brand message.

3. Techniques to Enhance Your Storytelling

To create a captivating story, employ the following techniques:

– Descriptive Language: Use vivid and descriptive words to paint a mental picture for the listener, as it helps them visualize the story and remain immersed in the narrative.

– Sensory Details: Incorporate sensory details such as sound, taste, and touch to make your story more relatable and stimulating for the listener.

– Brand Integration: Weave your brand’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP) throughout the storyline, ensuring it’s an integral part of the narrative. This inclusion helps to associate your brand with the story’s solution and benefits.

4. Collaborating with Radio Commercial Production Professionals

Working with experienced commercial production professionals can enhance your storytelling efforts by ensuring the highest production quality, engaging voiceovers, and masterful sound design.

– Expertise: Radio commercial production professionals bring years of experience to the table, offering insightful feedback and suggestions to enhance your story and maximize its impact.

– Voiceover Talent: Experienced voiceover professionals can elevate your story by expertly conveying emotions, intensifying character connections, and adapting their delivery style to complement your narrative.

– Sound Design: Skilled sound designers can bring your story to life through background music, sound effects, and audio transitions, creating a seamless and immersive experience for the listener.

Conclusion

Utilizing compelling storytelling techniques in your radio commercial can significantly elevate its effectiveness by capturing the audience’s attention, evoking emotions, and encouraging action. By employing these strategies and partnering with experienced radio commercial production professionals, you can create captivating narratives that resonate with your target audience.

Ready to boost your radio commercial’s impact through the power of storytelling? Contact KillerSpots Inc. to collaborate with our team of digital marketing professionals. From expert voiceover talent to sound design and production, we can help you create engaging radio commercials that captivate and inspire action.

6 Types of Radio Ads

Types of Radio Ads

While it may seem that Americans are shifting from radio to streaming platforms to listen to music, that isn’t quite the case. According to a 2021 Nielsen study, 88% of Americans listen to AM/FM radio weekly. That leaves plenty of opportunities for radio advertisements to reach their intended audience.

If you have a small business, advertising on the radio is a no-brainer. It has an incredible amount of reach, and a relatively low cost compared to other forms of advertising. But when writing a radio ad, what type of radio ad should you choose?  There are many types of radio ads out there and deciding which style to write in can be a challenge.

In this blog, we’ve rounded up the top 6 types of radio ads. Here, you can learn a little bit about what they are, their effectiveness, and the pros and cons of writing in that style.

1. Straight Read

A straight read radio ad is the most straightforward type of radio ad. It’s a produced segment where one or more voices read from a script about the product or service. Typically, the voice talent is talking directly to the audience, telling them about the benefits of the product and why they should buy it. Straight read ads typically will include a call-to-action at the end of the ad, usually directing the listener to call a phone number or visit a website to learn more and make a purchase.

Straight reads tend to be easier to write and produce than other types of radio ads. They’re best suited for shorter ads, as well, usually at 30 seconds or less. Depending on the voice talent, however, they can easily be tuned out by the audience if the line delivery isn’t engaging enough.

2. Live Read

A live read ad is similar to a straight read, but it involves a radio personality reading from a script live on-air. The host of the radio show or DJ typically reads these ads out during short breaks between the other segments of the show.

Live reads can help your company stand out from the crowd, as the host’s familiar voice will hold listeners’ attention. A popular host reading your radio ad can also sound like an endorsement, which could incentivize listeners to check out your services.

3. Jingle Ad

Often combined with the straight read, a jingle ad is one of the most popular types of radio ads. Jingles are effective at getting listeners to remember a brand, due to their repetitiveness and use of melody. When combined with a straight read radio ad, the talent will typically talk about the product or service, and then the jingle will play in the background and/or at the end of the advertisement.

Jingles evoke emotion, increase recognition, and can often get stuck in listeners’ heads. If you combine a jingle with a memorable script for a straight read, you can create an effective commercial that will get listeners to follow your call to action.

Jingle ads can be a little more difficult to produce than a straight read, however. If you don’t already have a jingle for your company, you’ll need to write one or have a songwriter compose it for you. This can be costly at first, but the return on investment of a catchy jingle can be invaluable for future advertising.

4. Personified Ad

A personified ad is a type of radio ad where one or more speakers assume a character to deliver the script of the ad. These ads can be particularly memorable with the right script and voice actors, as they will catch listeners’ attention due to their narrative nature.

A typical personified ad script will usually have a character voice a problem, and then another character offers a solution in the product or service that is being advertised. The characters will discuss the product or service and its benefits, and the ad can close out with a jingle, a call to action delivered by an announcer, or the characters themselves talking about what to do next.

Personified ads can be humorous or play it straight, but either way, you don’t want the script to sound too cheesy. You can run the risk of making your audience roll their eyes, or become annoyed with the ad. A talented scriptwriter and voice actors can sell a personified ad effectively, but it may take several rounds of writing and recording to get it right.

5. Testimonial Ad

Testimonials can be a powerful tool to encourage radio listeners to purchase your product or service. Having a real customer record their thoughts on your product not only provides valuable feedback for your business, but it can be an effective type of radio ad. You can interview customers yourself, or request that customers send you recordings to utilize within a straight read ad. Keep in mind, however, that having a customer record their own audio may result in quality issues. If you or your producer has a good microphone and sound system, it may be worth the investment to interview the customer personally to receive the best quality audio for your radio ad.

6. Sponsorships

Finally, the last type of radio ad is the sponsorship ad. Sponsorships are a little different than most radio ads, as they are more subtle, but they can be quite effective. Like with a live read, the host of a radio show tells the audience at regular intervals that the broadcast is sponsored by your company. The host can then talk about your business, or just keep the ad to simple reminders to check out your product or service and thank you for sponsoring the show.

Sponsorships are more popular in other forms of audio advertisements, like podcasts, but they can still be effective on AM/FM radio. They take advantage of audience attention when they’re the most engaged, which is when they’re listening to the host talk about the topic of the day. You can reach out to local radio stations to ask about sponsorship opportunities.

Killerspots can Write All Types of Radio Ads for Your Business

No matter which type of radio ad is best for your business, Killerspots can write and produce effective and engaging ads for you. Our agency has been crafting killer radio spots for our clients since 1999, with award-winning results. Get in touch with us today for a quote, and you’ll be hearing your company’s name on the airwaves in no time.

On Hold Messaging: Is It Worth It?

On Hold Messaging

On hold messaging is important because 60% of consumers will call your company after they see it on Google. There’s no way for you to answer them all and you don’t want a potential client to get frustrated after trying multiple times. You may be able to ease their frustration by upgrading your on-hold messages.

When you think about on-hold messaging, your first thought is probably of elevator music playing and the message informing your caller that their wait time will be “approximately ten minutes.” But today’s on-hold messaging offers much more than that.

Custom On Hold for business

A good on-hold messaging program can help you make an impression on your callers and drive more sales with each call you receive. Read on to learn how it works.

What Is On-Hold Messaging?

On-hold messaging is the process of playing music and notices to callers while they’re waiting for a representative. For example, if your organization doesn’t have a live receptionist and you want to let callers know that they’ll be waiting for a while, you can use an on-hold message to offer them an estimated wait time so they can plan accordingly.

Custom On-Hold Messaging

Today, on-hold messaging offers much more than just music and a simple message. Instead, you can use it to create a mood or convey information while the caller waits. This can help keep callers engaged in your brand and ultimately drive sales.

On-hold messages are an opportunity for you to make an impression on potential customers before they even speak with someone from your company.

Benefits of On-Hold Messaging

When you upgrade your on-hold messaging to include marketing messages, you can create a memorable impression on your callers. You can help them feel valued and informed. This, in turn, can help to reduce caller frustration.

They’re not just on hold, they’re learning about your brand!

Besides informing your customers, on-hold messaging offers other advantages:

Getting Feedback

While you may not be able to get into your callers’ heads, you can certainly help them feel heard by listening closely. We’re not just talking about what they want to buy; we mean hearing the reasons behind their needs.

The best way to do this? By asking questions!

Use your on-hold message to ask about the customer experience, and gather data to improve that experience.

For example, you might ask them to rate their most recent transaction with your company, or you can seek feedback on specific products or services. Asking for product reviews is a great way to get actionable feedback that helps you improve your offerings.

Product Promotion

You could include a call to action in your on-hold script that directly promotes a product or service. Mention a sale you’re currently having or a new service you’ve recently launched. This is a great way to get customers interested in what you have to offer while they’re waiting in the queue.

If you have multiple products or services, point out how they work together and offer discounts for bundling them.

Loyalty Program

If you have a loyalty program, make sure your on-hold message mentions it! You can use this time to remind customers of the benefits they receive by being loyal to your brand. This is a great way to keep your business top of mind and encourage customers to come back again and again.

Thank Your Customers

Be sure to thank your customers for their patience and patronage. A simple “thank you for holding” can go a long way in keeping customers feeling valued by your business. Remind them how much you appreciate their business and that you’re looking forward to serving them.

Promote Your Social Accounts

A strong social media presence is essential to all business strategies. Let your customers know how they can interact with you on social media and how to find you online. You could even promote an exclusive offer, deal, or contest that they can only get by following your business on social media!

Building Relationships

On-hold messaging isn’t just for keeping callers occupied while they wait. It’s also a way to communicate with callers in new ways that you might not have considered before. By getting creative with your on-hold messaging, you can use it to build relationships with your customers that will last long after they hang up the phone.

Announce Partnerships

No matter what industry you work in, chances are that you have partners or affiliates that help make your business run smoothly. Your customers might not know that, though. By announcing your partnerships while they’re waiting, you can give callers a better idea of who your company works with and establish a reputation.

Get Personal

With the right program, you can even create custom messages for particular times of day or days of the week to ensure that your current campaigns are always well-represented. Your customers will feel connected to your brand and the people who represent it, which can help them see your business as more than just a faceless entity.

Market Your Business More Effectively

On-hold messaging is an excellent choice for marketing your business in a new way. It’s cost-effective and easy to implement, but the benefits go beyond just giving callers a place to listen while they wait. It allows businesses to cultivate customer relationships.

These are just a few of the ways that you can use on-hold messaging to boost customer satisfaction. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can use this tool to make your clients happier, call us. We’ll help you upgrade your on-hold system, or start a new one!

6 Tips on How to Develop a Catchy Jingle for Small Business

jingle for small business

Advertising your small business on the radio is still one of the most effective methods of advertising. In fact, even in 2022, more Americans listen to the radio than use Facebook every week. And radio holds the highest collective trust of any advertising channel. If you want to get your small business out there, advertising with a jingle for small business is the best way to do it.

Jingles have been widely used in advertising for decades. From the first jingle broadcast for Wheaties on Christmas Eve, 1926, jingles use the power of music and repetition to stick their associated product into the heads of customers for good. You probably can think of at least five jingles off the top of your head without trying too hard. They’re just that powerful.

But what goes into a catchy jingle for a small business? How do you get customers to remember your brand without annoying them or overwhelming them? Writing jingles is a bit of a science, but we’ve broken down the top 6 factors to keep in mind when writing a jingle for small business. With this guide, you’ll have a catchy earworm of a jingle in no time.

1. Audience

The first rule of thumb for any advertising campaign is to think of your target audience. Jingles are no different. The audience you’re trying to capture is going to determine the type of small business jingle that they’ll respond to. In general, you’ll need to create an audience profile before you start writing so you can determine who your ideal audience is.

There are a lot of factors that go into an audience profile, but here are the big ones:

  • Gender
  • Age range
  • Geographical location
  • Occupation
  • Family/Marital status
  • Race and/or ethnicity
  • Income status

With your ideal audience in mind, you’ll need to think about what factors appeal to them. Younger demographics will likely gravitate towards a jingle that’s more upbeat or resembles pop music. A higher-class crowd may like something classical, instead. A rural audience may like acoustic sounds instead of electronic ones. The words and instruments you use in your jingle all have different meanings to different people, so choose carefully.

2. Product/Service

The product or service that your jingle is advertising is the second most important factor to consider when writing a jingle for small business. This will determine the style of the jingle and the content almost as much as the audience. What do you want your audience to remember about your jingle? What does your small business offer that your competitors don’t? Think about your overall brand image and the call to action you’d like your customers to take and use that to write taglines or lyrics to be sung for the jingle.

Make sure the style of your jingle matches your business, as well. If you have a tech company, futuristic, electronic tones will sound better than acoustic or rock music. A jingle for a car dealership should sound fast, upbeat, and inspired by rock or pop. If the image the music evokes is the opposite of what your business is associated with, audiences may be confused and not realize what the jingle is advertising.

3. Mood/Tone

Evoking the right mood and tone with your jingle for small business is the key to making sure your company stands out. You’ll need to determine what you want your audience to remember most when they hear your jingle. What should they think about your company? A real estate agent’s jingle should evoke trustworthiness and professionalism, while a jingle for a toy company should be fun, playful, and energetic.

4. Wording

If your small business jingle isn’t instrumental only, chances are, it’s going to be your tagline, slogan, name, or phone number that is going to be sung. Out of these choices, you should pick the one that will drive your audience to your intended call to action. If you want listeners to call your business, having your phone number as part of the jingle is the best course of action. If you want to drive home what makes your business different than the others, a strong, memorable tagline is a better choice for the jingle wording.

Choose words for a tagline or slogan that are simple to pronounce and evoke strong imagery. Use famous jingles as examples—which company’s jingle gets stuck in your head the most? Take the elements that make their slogan so effective and use them for your jingle for small business.

5. Repetition

Repeated sounds, notes, or words are what make a song or jingle stick inside someone’s head. In fact, the human brain loves repetition so much, that it will start to create melodies out of repeated sounds even if they aren’t being sung. Use repetition to your advantage when creating your small business jingle. Whether it’s repeating words, notes, or even nonsense sounds (e.g. “la la la”), utilizing repetition in your jingle is the best way to keep your business at the top of your audience’s memory.

6. Short, Sweet, to the Point

Finally, remember that your small business jingle should be short, sweet, and to the point. Most jingles are only a few seconds long, with a maximum length of 30 seconds for an entire melody to be used under radio ads. The “hook” of the jingle, or the sung tagline or phrase, should be around 5-10 seconds in length. Choose just a few short words to be sung, and don’t make it too complex. You want your audience to be humming the tagline over and over. If it’s too long, the repetition is less likely to stick. Less is definitely more!

Killer Jingles from Killerspots

If you’re not a songwriter or lyricist, Killerspots has been producing jingles for small businesses since 1999. Our talented team of writers, musicians, and singers will help you through the jingle development process, from the initial concept meeting, all the way to hearing your jingle on the radio, in commercials, and beyond. Listen to some of our previous work and get in touch with us for a free jingle quote.

Custom on Hold for Business: Why Is It So Effective?

Custom On Hold for business

While on hold, around 15% of callers hang up after only 40 seconds. This means that many businesses are losing out on potential sales or potential customers through this process. However, it is sometimes necessary to leave customers on hold for at least a little while, so how can businesses change the outcome? 

One way to encourage callers to stay on the line is through a custom on-hold message. A custom on hold for business has the potential to make a huge difference! In fact, it has benefits that go beyond just retaining callers. 

So, how does this work? Read on to find out! 

Reassure Customers

Part of the reason customers hang up while they are on hold is that they have no assurance that they are even getting through to anyone. Many people have had experiences calling a business that resulted in them staying on hold for hours only to have the company disconnect them unexpectedly. Both TV and movies have even parodied this idea because it is so common. 

This has led to a general disillusionment with the on-hold process. People do not trust it and, because of this, they give up on it. 

This is where a custom on-hold message comes into play. Messages like this reassure callers that their call is being taken seriously and will be answered as soon as possible. Simply hearing this helps. 

Prevent Boredom

With most generic on-hold messages, the customer is treated to an endless loop of repeating and annoying music. This becomes tiresome extremely quickly and is even more likely to lead to a customer hanging up in frustration. 

With a custom on-hold message, you have the ability to extend the loop further than usual. This keeps customers from becoming too tired of your message too quickly. In fact, if your message is long enough and your customer service is responsive enough, customers may not even make it through a single loop before their call is answered. 

Reinforce Brand Identity

In the modern business age, branding is more important than ever before. With branding, a company connects with customers and stays present whenever the customer needs them again. When it comes to business tips, finding and reinforcing an image is at the top of the list. 

An on-hold message is always an opportunity to do this. It is a moment when the customer is trying to connect with the company and the company needs a way to connect back to them. Any moment like this is an opportunity to be capitalized upon. 

With a generic on-hold message, this is difficult. A random song might match the vibe of a business but will struggle with anything beyond this. 

Meanwhile, a custom on-hold message is more personal. It has the ability to be specifically tailored to suit the business. 

This starts with music. For a business focused on fun, a bubbly jingle is perfect. For a business focused on relaxation, tranquil sounds are better.

This then extends to vocals. For the same business focused on fun, the bubbly jingle should be accompanied by an upbeat message. Meanwhile, the business focused on relaxation should pair their tranquil sounds with a calm voice. 

In fact, with a catchy enough jingle, you may find that customers keep your business in mind far longer than you would imagine. After listening to your custom jingle while on hold, they may find themselves singing your tune days later, which means your business is still in their head. 

A custom message should also include pertinent business details. It should remind customers of your business name, slogan, mission, and anything else that is important to your company. Hearing this information will further reinforce your brand identity in your customer’s mind.

Deliver Information

Regarding delivering information, one of the best features of a custom on-hold message is the ability to deliver additional information. We’ve already discussed how this relates to branding. However, custom messages go beyond just branding and extend into general marketing. 

While on hold for business calls, customers and potential customers are a captive audience. They have to keep listening to their phone in order to find out when they will connect with an employee. This is an opportunity that should not be wasted. 

Your business can use the time on hold time to alert your customers to anything you desire. This includes special sales, upcoming events, limited-time deals, featured products, and more. Basically, if you want your customers to know about it, this is the time to tell them.

This is even better than traditional marketing because you are directly interacting with someone who is already interested in your business. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping to reach a potential customer, you already have a customer or potential customer on the line. You simply need to deliver information to this individual.  

Most successful business strategies rely on using every dollar of a marketing budget to its full potential. With a custom on-hold message, you have the potential to reduce hang-ups while simultaneously using a marketing opportunity. This is an effective combination. 

Custom On-Hold for Business Benefits

There are plenty of reasons to consider a custom on hold for business. They retain customers, reinforce your brand identity, and even do a little marketing. When used properly, messages like these can make a large, positive impact on your business. 

If you are interested in creating your own custom on-hold message, contact the Killer Spots Agency to get the process started.

Top 6 Benefits of Using on Hold Greetings

On Hold greetings

The rule of 7 says that a person needs to hear a message at least 7 times before they will take action on it. Your on-hold greeting can do some heavy lifting for your business by repeating your branding and marketing messages while your customers wait.

Custom on-hold messages also give you a chance to upsell your products or services, cross-sell related items, and build customer loyalty. By using an on-hold greeting, you can turn a wasted opportunity into a powerful marketing tool.

Keep reading as we discuss some of the benefits of using an on-hold greeting.

What Is an On-Hold Greeting?

An on-hold greeting is a recorded message that plays when customers call your business and are placed on hold. On-hold greetings can be used to inform customers about your business, promote your products or services, provide helpful information, or simply thank them for their call.

There are some benefits to using on-hold greetings in your business which we discuss below.

1. Increase Brand Awareness

When customers hear your company name and message regularly, they’ll start to remember it. This is especially important for businesses with a new product or service that they want to promote.

On-hold greetings are a great way to educate your customers about your products or services. You can use them to describe features, highlight benefits, and explain how your product works.

Your brand awareness will increase, and customers will be more likely to choose your company when they need the services or products you offer.

2. Improve Customer Loyalty

On-hold messages give you a chance to show off your company’s personality and build a relationship with your customers. By humanizing your brand, you’ll make it more relatable and trustworthy.

Regularly updated on-hold messages also keep your customers engaged and let them know that you’re always thinking of them. This will improve customer loyalty and make them more likely to do business with you again in the future.

Make your customers feel valued by showing them that you care about their time. By thanking them for their patience and letting them know that you appreciate their business, you can build customer loyalty.

3. Increase Sales

On-hold messages present a perfect opportunity to upsell your products or services. For example, if a customer is on hold waiting for customer service, you could use the opportunity to promote a related product that they might be interested in.

You can also use on-hold messages to cross-sell products that complement each other. For example, if a customer is buying a dress from your store, you could suggest they buy a pair of shoes to go with it.

On-hold messages are an effective way to increase sales and boost your bottom line.

4. Save Money

On-hold messages are a cost-effective way to market your business. They’re relatively inexpensive to create, and you can use them over and over again.

On-hold messages are also a great way to reach a wide audience without breaking the bank. You can use them to target new customers and market to your existing customer base.

By using an on-hold message, you can save money and get more bang for your marketing budget.

5. Improve Customer Service

On-hold messages can improve customer service by reducing wait times and holding times. By providing information about your products or services, you can answer common questions and help customers resolve issues without having to speak to a customer service representative.

You can also use on-hold messages to direct callers to your website or other resources where they can find more information. This will reduce the number of calls to your customer service line, freeing up representatives to handle more complex issues.

On-hold messages are a valuable tool that can be used to improve customer service and reduce costs.

6. Enhance Your Professional Image

On-hold messages present an opportunity to enhance your company’s professional image. By using a professional voice-over artist and creating high-quality messages, you can project a positive image of your business.

This is important for businesses that want to attract new customers and build trust with their existing customer base. On-hold messages are a reflection of your company, so it’s important to make sure they’re polished and professional.

The Dangers of Dead Air When Placing Callers on Hold

If you have to place a caller on hold or they’re waiting to be transferred to someone, it’s very important that you don’t leave them in silence. Dead air is very off-putting for callers and makes them feel like they’re not valued.

It can also be confusing, as they don’t know if they’ve been disconnected or if they’re still on hold. This can lead to frustration which is the main emotion callers feel when they’re on hold.

So, it’s important to have some form of on-hold greeting, even if it’s just music, so the caller knows they haven’t been disconnected and that you value their time. Don’t leave your callers in silence, use on-hold greetings to humanize your brand and build customer loyalty.

Reduce Hang-Ups with On-Hold Greetings

On-hold greetings are a powerful marketing tool that can help you increase brand awareness, improve customer loyalty, and increase sales. By using custom on-hold greetings, you can turn a wasted opportunity into a powerful marketing tool.

If you’re not using on-hold messages as part of your marketing business strategies, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to engage with your customers. Ready to get started?

The Killer Spots Agency produces high-quality on-hold messages that will engage your callers and leave a lasting impression. Contact us today to learn more about our services and order your custom on-hold greeting.

Radio Ad Production: How to Improve Ad Quality

People listen to the radio everyday, which means it’s the perfect chance to place an ad for them to hear. The problem is what goes into quality radio production, and how can you pull it off?

Creating high-quality audio ads is a critical part of the advertising process. After all, the last thing you want is to annoy your listeners and drive them away. To ensure that doesn’t happen, we’ve outlined some essential tips on improving radio ad quality.

If you’re not happy with the quality of your radio ads, there are things you can do to make them better. You need to know where to start.

Creating a great advertising campaign isn’t easy, but it does involve a lot of testing and tweaking until you get it right. Follow these tips for ways to improve radio ad production quality and increase the effectiveness of your ads going forward.

Define Your Target Audience

Before you start recording your ad, you’ll first need to create a clear target audience in your mind.

This means you’ll need to define who your audience is and what they’re like. This will help give you a better foundation for creating your ad.

By creating an all-encompassing, yet detailed description of your audience, you’ll have a better idea of how to craft your ad to appeal to them. This will make your ad more effective, as it’ll be tailored to a specific group of people.

You can also use this information to help decide on the type of language you use in the ad. If your target audience is young people, you’ll want to use language that appeals to them, like slang or emojis.

Defining your target audience is a critical part of improving radio ad quality.

Scripting and Copywriting

Once you’ve defined your target audience and have an idea of whom you’re trying to reach, it’s time to start writing and scripting your ad. The more refined your ad’s script is, the better.

Ideally, you’ll have a finished, polished script before you start recording your audio ad. If you’re not a professional copywriter, don’t worry.

Plenty of online guides can help you craft the perfect script. You can use these as a source of inspiration for your own ad. Once you have a finished script, read through it multiple times to ensure you understand every word.

You don’t want to make silly mistakes that will ruin the quality of your ad. You want your ad to sound as professional as possible. Having a polished script will help you achieve that.

Choose the Right Music

Once you’ve written and polished your script, you’ll need to decide on the right music to go with it. You don’t want to overlook this, as it can make or break your ad.

In radio ads, the music is a huge part of the overall appeal of the ad. You want the melody and rhythm of your music to be catchy and memorable. You also want it to have a flow that matches your script perfectly.

If you make mistakes here, it can seriously hurt the quality of your ad. When choosing music, make sure you’re not ripping it off from somewhere else. There are tons of royalty-free music sources that you can use to avoid copyright issues.

This will also prevent you from getting in trouble with the law. You can also use music that you already own. Some radio stations allow you to use your own music, as long as it meets specific criteria.

Select Appropriate Ad Length

Another thing to consider when improving radio ad quality is ad length. While making your ad memorable is essential, you also don’t want it to be too long. Ideally, your ad will be between 15 and 30 seconds long. Any less than 15 seconds, and you risk being too short.

This means people might not get the full message or remember your ad at all. Any more than 30 seconds, you might lose your listeners’ attention. This means they might tune out before hearing your entire ad.

This could mean that your ad ends up falling flat, which is something you want to avoid. The best way to determine the correct length for your ad is to test different lengths.

This will help you find an ad length that works best for your audience.

Record High-Quality Audio

Once you’ve finished writing your script and selecting the right music, it’s time to record the ad. This is where you’ll put all your hard work to use.

You want to ensure that you’re recording the ad in a quality way. This means recording in a quiet environment and with high-quality equipment. Ideally, you want to record your ad in a soundproof room with minimal noise.

This will help you produce high-quality audio that will sound great on the radio. You can even hire a studio to record your ad if you have a budget.

This will ensure that your ad has the highest quality possible and doesn’t have any distracting background noises. Recording your ad in a high-quality way will help improve radio ad quality and make it more effective.

Decide on a Catchy Jingle

Once you’ve written and recorded your ad, you’ll need to decide if you want to use a jingle. A jingle is a catchy tune often played over the end of an ad or during a break in the middle of an ad.

It’s essentially an audio logo representing your radio station and your brand as a whole. Jingles are a great way to improve radio ad quality and increase the effectiveness of your ad.

They’re catchy and memorable, so people will remember them. They’re also a great way to inform your audience about the name of your station. Jingles can also be helpful when it comes to branding your station.

Jingles are great for helping your station stand out. They can also be used to promote upcoming shows or special events. They’re a valuable tool to have in your toolbelt.

Radio Ad Production: Tips & Tricks

When done right, radio ad production can be a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website or store. However, creating high-quality radio ads isn’t easy, and it can take time to get it right.

Fortunately, there are ways to improve radio ad quality and make your ads more effective. You can make your ads shine by defining your target audience, scripting and copywriting, choosing the right music, selecting an appropriate ad length, and recording high-quality audio.

And don’t forget your jingle, but speaking of jingles, are you stumped about how to create one? Contact Killerspots for more help with your radio ads today.

How to Make Custom Radio Ads for Your Business

custom radio ads for business

AM/FM radio in the United States has nineteen times the audience share of streaming services like Spotify. If your business isn’t making its voice heard on the radio, you need to ask yourself why not!

Custom radio ads for your business can introduce you to a local customer base that you might not reach through other means. An effective radio ad can also drive brand awareness. We’ve all had a charming radio jingle stuck in our heads for weeks at a time – with the right radio ad, that jingle could belong to your business.

Keep reading, and we’ll teach you the basics of creating a custom radio ad. You’ll be all over the airwaves in no time!

Why Advertise on the Radio?

When you advertise on the radio, you can target your audience much more narrowly than you can with TV or digital ads. Radio stations are constantly assessing their listener bases, trying to see what specific demographics like best about their programming. They almost always know which age groups listen when or who tends to like which show.

That makes it easy for you to target the customers you want. When you advertise on the radio, half of your market research has already been done for you!

Radio is also much more affordable than television or digital advertising, even though they have roughly the same reach. Because radio advertising relies on repetition, you get more plays for your money on the radio than on TV. Overall, it’s a cost-effective way of getting your message out there.

And if you’re hoping to target local customers in particular, advertising on local radio stations is a great way to help them find your business. 

When to Place Your Custom Radio Ad

You’ll need to do market research to figure out when to place your custom radio ad. If you know your ideal customer, you’ll be in a better position to reach them. Think about who they are, what they want, and what problems they have that your product or service can solve.

Once you have a profile of your ideal customer, you can investigate which radio stations they’re most likely to listen to. Look into the most common listening times for your target demographics, so you can plan exactly when and where to place your ad.

If you’re looking for the under-35s, try top 40 or alternative radio at peak times of the day. Over-55s are likelier to listen to classical or talk radio, usually at peak hours and sometimes in the evenings. Radio stations will have data on their listeners’ habits, so get in touch and use their expertise.

Figure out which radio stations fit your ideal customer’s persona, then start reaching out to discuss your advertising options. They’ll probably be happy to work with you!

The Cost of Radio Advertising

Radio advertising is more affordable than TV or digital advertising. However, you also need to factor in the cost of producing a radio ad.

Creating custom radio ads for your business can cost between $300 and $1000, depending on the service you use. While it’s possible to save money by creating your own radio ad, you may compromise on quality. Your ad might be less effective as a result.

Running a radio ad can cost anything from $200 to $8,000 weekly. Costs vary depending on when you’d like to advertise, the listening audience size, the demand for radio ad spots in your area, and more. A local radio station in a less populated state will have more affordable radio advertising spots than a radio station in busy, expensive New York City!

When making a radio advertising budget, you’ll need to account for your business’s location and priorities. Remember, the goal is to create an ad that ultimately pays for itself.

Tips for Effective Ads

Want to make your radio ad sing? When it’s time to start production, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Hook

Your ad needs to grab listeners’ attention from the very first seconds. That’s a hook – a striking, unusual attention-grabber, like a catchphrase or even a jingle.

Your hook should tell the listener something about what your business has to offer. But, more than that, it should speak to them in a way they’ll remember. Punchy copywriting, a catchy tune, and an energetic voiceover are all ways to help a hook land with your audience.

Without a hook, you risk listeners tuning out of your ad before you can get to the point. Open strong, and you won’t have to take that chance.

Value Propositions

Once you have your listeners on the hook, it’s time to reel them in. You can do this by talking about your business’s value propositions. Good value propositions explain why your product or service is the best available and why your listener needs it immediately.

Build on your hook, and tell your listeners exactly why they need to buy your product. Focus on what your business can do that other businesses simply can’t. Whether that’s local expertise, long experience, or state-of-the-art technology, make sure your ad lets them know!

Call-to-Action

The best radio ads end on a call-to-action or CTA. Don’t leave it to chance: tell your listeners exactly what you want them to do once they’ve finished listening to your ad.

Give them a phone number, a web address, or a store to visit in person. Encourage them to buy the product, sign up for the service, or call your business for further information.

If you don’t offer a clear call-to-action, your customers may not know how to access your business, and you may not get the best results from your ad. Be brief, clear, and specific, and your ad will do the rest!

Custom Radio Ads for Your Business

If you’re looking to produce custom radio ads for your business, Killerspots can help! We’re the industry leader in radio ad production, with decades of experience helping companies to speak to the world. No matter your budget, we’re ready to work with you.

Reach out to us for a quote today, and we’ll get your business the killer spot it deserves.

Tips for Creating an Effective Custom On Hold Message for Your Business

Custom On Hold for business

Every detail of marketing matters when it comes to leaving a lasting impression on your audience. Studies show that 99% of people will make a decision based on the sound of an advertisement. 

When you think of what should be included in your content plan and what jingles for business to pick, you most likely don’t prioritize making on-hold messaging the main sound element in your marketing…

Because the majority of us are used to custom on hold for business ideas being dull and repetitive. For example, most on-hold greetings consist of cheesy elevator music that can slowly drive you crazy after a while. 

But, what if there was a way to make an on-hold message that would leave a lasting impression, instead of filling time with bland, generic music?

Here are some tips and tricks for converting listeners to loyal consumers. 

How To Succeed With Custom On Hold for Business Messages

Custom on hold for business messages are meant to provide the listener with useful information. This is valuable time for your business. For instance, you should use both a custom jingles production and craft a compelling script. 

Therefore, the first thing to focus on is not on hold messaging equipment, but what you’re going to say in the message. Keep in mind that you have limited time, so you want to make every word count! 

Write the Script 

Without a great script, nobody will pay attention to the custom jingles for business you’ve created, or the radio commercial production. They’ll hang up and never think about your business again. 

Now, to avoid the cost of on-hold messages being for nothing, you have to begin with putting yourself in the caller’s shoes. This means the message should start with a clear explanation of the company.

However, you want to make the first section quick and efficient. Briefly introduce the company, highlight a standout feature, and move on.

Other on-hold examples include jingles for commercials which provide an interlude between waiting and talking to an agent. Plus, who doesn’t love to hear some soothing tunes?

It’s also important to give the caller a rough estimate of how long they might have to wait until they can speak to someone. After all, people take time out of their days to get in contact on the phone. 

So, you want to show that you appreciate their time and patience in the on-hold message. 

Make Announcements About Your Business

Custom radio ads for business, and on-hold messages are great ways to promote an upcoming product or highlight an exciting event that has happened in the company. 

You can inform callers about seasonal sales, a recently won award, or an additional feature that is being added to the business. Of course, these elements will be dependent on your brand. 

Therefore, try to keep them relevant and up-to-date as much as possible. Otherwise, someone might be calling in summer, and your on-hold message is still talking about Christmas deals. 

Keep It Short and Sweet 

Everyone knows that the first few minutes of interacting with a business could make or break the future relationship. That’s why you should never make your on-hold message longer than a couple of minutes.

If you write a good script that converts in those first few minutes, the caller will be willing to stay on the line a little longer. Then, you just need to provide them with a pleasant waiting experience. 

Focus on the Sound 

As already mentioned at the start of the article, the sound is essential for keeping callers on the line. However, you need to strike the balance between an enjoyable sound and making it clear it’s a recording. 

We’ve all had those moments when you call a customer service line and you hear a ring thinking you’re through to an agent. Then, the subtle elevator music starts playing and you realize you’re waiting in the queue…

It’s not a fun experience.

So, the trick is to make the music appeal to your listener and encourage them to wait around for a short while. Picking the correct background noise is arguably one of the hardest parts of making a successful on-hold message.

Therefore, you want a company that is experienced in commercial production and on-hold messaging to take care of it for you.

Benefits of On-Hold Messaging 

Running a business is not an easy thing to do, there are constantly piles of paperwork piling up on your desks and calls to be made. But, investing in the small details of your company like on-hold messaging is worth the effort.

 1. Marketing Opportunity

People are always looking for ways to optimize marketing opportunities, however, sometimes the most obvious resources are overlooked. After you’ve given a caller an update about your company, they can respond immediately.

You don’t need to wait for engagement rates to increase, you have someone interested in your brand straight away. This allows you to promote your services and products one-to-one. 

2. Answers Important Questions

An on-hold message is also ideal for answering important questions about your company. You can include details such as phone numbers, discount codes, and opening hours. 

This gives callers the key information to get in contact and use your business without having to scroll through pages of text. 

3. Build Better Connections 

At the end of the day, on-hold messages are key to building lasting and loyal connections with your audience. There’s nothing better than having someone listen to your concerns and wanting to help.

Callers value this interaction and will be more inclined to use your business afterward. 

Set the Right Tone With On Hold Messaging

Ultimately, creating the perfect custom on hold for business message is about setting the right tone. You need to think about your caller and write a script that addresses their needs. 

At Killerspots Agency we create radio ad production, on-hold messaging, and social media marketing that takes your brand to a new level. You can even hire a green screen studio rental in Cincinnati as well!

The options are endless. It’s up to you how you use them. 

Let us help you create a killer on-hold message and get in contact with our team today. 

What Is Commercial Radio Production?

commercial radio production

If you think radio is a dying medium, think again – over 272 million Americans listen to the radio every month. That’s a huge percentage of the total US population.

Radio isn’t going away any time soon, which is why you need to understand what it can do for you and your business. Understanding the ins and outs of commercial radio production can unlock whole new audiences for your business. It can help you to expand your customer base and raise the profile of your brand.

If you’ve ever wondered what commercial radio production involves, keep reading! We’ll take you on a tour of the world of commercial radio, so you can sell your business with confidence.

Public vs Commercial Radio

There are two main types of radio stations in the US: public radio and commercial radio. Though the differences might look superficial at first, they operate very differently. If you’re planning to advertise your business on the radio, it’s important to know the difference between the two.

Public radio is considered not-for-profit and doesn’t air ads. Instead, a public radio station will air sponsorship messages from organizations or businesses that support the station financially. This is because the FCC forbids public radio stations from promoting for-profit businesses.

Non-commercial radio isn’t dependent on ratings to function and can offer more varied and unusual programming as a result. But for businesses, the obvious downside is that it’s hard to advertise on public radio without directly investing in a public radio station.

While sponsoring public radio will catch the attention of that station’s audience, it’s a big commitment, and it may not be accessible to every business.

Commercial radio stations know their niche, and they target it carefully. Commercial programming is built around a clear, specific audience, and so are commercial radio ads. These radio stations make money by selling ad spots, so they have a vested interest in promoting your business.

In 2020, there were over 15,000 commercial radio stations in the US. No matter your target demographic, you’ll be able to find a radio station that can reach them.

The Limitations of Commercial Radio

While commercial radio is an effective way to promote your business, it isn’t perfect. Before you commit to a campaign of radio commercials, you need to consider the limitations of commercial radio as a medium.

Because commercial radio stations target niche audiences, you may not be able to reach all the listeners you want by advertising on a single radio station. You could end up paying more money to promote your business on multiple stations, just to reach your core customer base.

You could also end up paying more for the time spots you want on a commercial radio station. These stations are run for profit and will charge you more to advertise at peak times. Depending on the audience you need to reach, those costs could add up fast.

You should also keep in mind that, while radio ads are a highly successful form of marketing, they can be seen as intrusive. This is especially true in comparison to non-commercial radio sponsorship messages, which listeners perceive as more philanthropic and trustworthy.

But these limitations aren’t the end of the world, and they shouldn’t stop you from looking into your commercial radio advertising options. Ultimately, commercial radio advertising still offers the best value for money compared to any other form of advertising. The drawbacks are minor, and they won’t stop your business from reaching the audience you need it to reach.

Commercial Radio Production

Commercial radio production is the creation and direction of what you hear on commercial radio. It’s usually a behind-the-scenes process, as radio producers aren’t often the same people who present or announce on the radio.

Radio producers working on commercial radio might produce anything from talk shows to radio ads. An audio producer will design sound effects, jingles, and musical cues. A content producer will oversee the production of radio shows and content, whether selecting callers for competitions or finding a voice actor for a radio ad spot.

A radio producer’s job, particularly in the competitive field of commercial radio, is to create the kind of content that people want to listen to. They’re specialists in putting across a clear message in a limited amount of time, in a way that will catch listeners’ attention.

Working With a Production Company

Making ads is a big part of commercial radio production. Working with a professional radio production company can give you the expertise you need to promote your business on the radio. Sure, you could try to produce a radio commercial on your own – but without knowing the ins and outs of commercial radio production, the quality of your ad would take a hit.

Here are just a few things a commercial radio production company can do for your business:

  • Scriptwriting
  • Jingle writing
  • Sound effect production
  • Music cue production
  • Voice actor casting
  • Delivery to radio stations

That’s everything you need to get your business out on the airwaves. It’s worth the investment to hire a company that can do everything necessary to kick-start your promotional campaign. 

Make Your Business Heard

If you think radio advertising is a good fit for your business, get in touch with Killerspots today! We’re the market leader in commercial radio production, with commercial production rates to suit any budget. Plus, with decades of experience in radio, we know exactly what will turn your listeners into repeat customers.

Send us a message now, and let’s work together to spread the word!

The Benefits of Having a Jingle for Your Business

jingles for business

Many businesses owe almost all of their growth to the assistance they receive from advertising agencies. Maybe that is why the industry for advertising agencies is worth more than $59 billion each year in the United States alone! However, many businesses are failing to make the most of jingles for business advertising, one of the most efficient advertising techniques out there!

Many business leaders do not realize how many benefits come with using a jingle for advertising. If more people appreciated the power of the jingle, more businesses would be likely to use them.

Of course, since businesses often do not use jingles, that means that it is easier for those that do to stand out from their competition.

So what are all of the benefits of using a jingle for your marketing? Read on to learn all about the most important advantages that come with using a business jingle!

Branding Benefits of a Jingle

Many people find it hard to describe exactly what branding is. One powerful way to think about branding is that it is like creating an artificial personality.

People are used to forming relationships with other people and getting to know their personalities. Businesses do not have personalities, but branding can help them appear to have personalities.

Business leaders can put together a personality for their business and then potential customers are more likely to feel like they have a social connection with a business. That sort of connection can lead to greater trust in a business.

So how can a jingle help with this process? Almost everybody defines themselves at least in some way by the music that they enjoy. A person who does not have any relationship to music may have trouble connecting to people, at least along that dimension.

If a business brand does not have any relationship to music, then it can have trouble connecting to people along the dimension of music. Creating a signature jingle for a business means giving people the sense that the business has a certain personality that relates to music as well as to other things that are important to humans.

You Can Use Catchy Jingles Over and Over Again

One of the amazing advantages of jingles that many people overlook is that you can use them over and over again. The vast majority of individual ads do not provide that much value. That is why businesses need to create new ads all of the time.

Every time they create a new ad, they pay a certain expense to do so. In contrast, you only pay for the cost of creating a jingle one time. Once that is done, you can use it over and over again, which makes it unique among advertising tools.

Whereas most advertising tools get less effective if you use them many times, jingles get more and more effective when you use them over and over again.

Jingles Are Easy to Remember

There is a reason that we have a song to teach children the alphabet. It is much easier to learn sequences of words and ideas when they are placed to music.

People have a deep instinct for music that helps it stick in their minds. That means that not only can you use a jingle many times, but people will be much more likely to remember your jingle than anything else about your advertising.

That makes it one of the single most potent advertising tools a business can have. 

A Jingle Branding Element Makes a Strong Impression

We already talked about how associating a business with music can help people feel like the personality of the business is more real. However, jingles can help you with branding in other ways as well.

Just making a business seem like it appreciates music is not the same thing as deciding what message to send with the music of the jingle. Whatever ideas you associate with the jingle will be disproportionately salient in the minds of potential customers.

For example, if a jingle talks about the importance of community, consumers are more likely to think of community as one of the strongest values of a business.

You might also choose to represent cost savings or reliability as among the highest values of a business. Whatever value you express with a jingle, people will remember it more than almost anything else you express about your company.

Catchy Jingles Can Brighten Moods

Many people hate advertising. They feel that it is intrusive and does not provide value to them the vast majority of the time.

However, jingles can be much more pleasant to experience. As a result, you can turn what could feel like an intrusive ad into an enjoyable experience for consumers.

Enjoy Less Competition

Most companies are already saturating other marketing spaces. Using a jingle can mean standing out because fewer businesses realize how effective a good jingle can be.

Jingles Become More Powerful With Time

Other ads tend to lose value over time. What seemed relevant before becomes irrelevant as the years go by.

However, jingles enjoy the opposite dynamic. The more you use them, the more powerful they become. Years later, they can even provide the benefits of nostalgia.

Understand the Benefits of Having Jingles for Business

It is hard to deny the significance of the benefits of having jingles for business advertising. They provide a unique combination of efficiency and efficacy. The more you understand the power of the jingle, the better able you will be to assess if a jingle is the right marketing move for your business.

To learn more about how you can obtain a powerful jingle, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!

5 Things to Know About Radio Ads

Things to know about radio ads

Radio ads tend to be one of the more underrated outlets chosen as a form of marketing for new or smaller businesses. In reality, radio has the greatest reach across every age group in American culture. Radio can reach over 243 million American listeners in just one week. Compared to other media outlets, radio tends to have the most consistent listeners. Most people get in their cars in the morning and choose to listen to something, whether it be music, podcasts, etc. on their drive to work. Some people choose Apple Music, Spotify, or even regular AM/FM radio. Regardless of the platform users choose to stream, each of those platforms respectively has advertisements they choose and/or get paid to stream.

If you’re looking to increase exposure to your brand, advertising on the radio is a worthwhile outlet to learn more about. Below are 5 things you should know about radio ads before starting on your radio advertising journey:

1. Audience

Before you draft scripts for your radio ads, you will need to know who your audience is. The product or service you’re advertising will largely determine your target audience. These demographic factors are some of the ones you’ll want to account for:

  • Sex (Males or Females)
  • Age (Kids/Teens, Young Adults, Middle-Aged Adults, or Seniors)
  • Urban, Suburban, or Rural
  • Geographical Location (East, West, South, Midwest, or Other Countries)
  • Income Level
  • Education Level
  • Occupation
  • Family Status

Create a couple of profiles of your ideal customers based on the list above. Once your profiles are complete, then you can start drafting bullet points for a script your target audience would respond to.

2. Platform

With your audience in mind, you should then determine the platform your radio ads will play on. As we already said, AM/FM radio reaches millions of listeners every week. But there are other audio platforms that also run “radio” ads. You can choose to run ads on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, or Amazon Music.

What will your ideal audience listen to the most? Age, income, and occupation will likely be the most important factors. If your product is geared towards rural retirees, you would want to stick to AM/FM radio. However, if your ad is targeting middle-class millennials or Gen Z, you would want to run your radio ads on music streaming platforms. You can also do both for maximum exposure, but as we’ll cover later, the cost will largely be the determining factor for this decision.

3. Stations

If you choose AM/FM radio ads, you also will need to determine the stations on which your ads will play. Large, national stations will have the largest audience, but they will also cost more to run ads, and they may not target your ideal audience. You may want to select a local or independent station to run your ads if your target audience is rural, or if you have a local product/service you’re trying to promote. The number of listeners may be less, but the quality of your leads will be greater if they’re more likely to have a use for your product.

4. Frequency and Timing

The next thing you need to consider is when your ads will be played and how frequently. Your target audience will be actively listening at different times during the day, so it’s important to go back to your audience profile to make this decision. If you’re targeting white-collar workers, the morning commute hour would be prime time for multiple airings and the same with the afternoon or evening commute. If your target audience is stay-at-home mothers, mid-afternoon or evening would be the best time to catch their attention.

Unless your audience is overnight workers or night owls, chances are you won’t have much luck airing in the middle of the night. But look closely at your audience profile, and the optimal times to reach them could surprise you!

5. Cost

Finally, you’ll need to take into consideration your budget and the cost of radio ads. Radio tends to be of much greater value than television and print. Even so, knowing what you’re spending your money on is imperative. To get the most bang for your buck, making sure that you’re informed on the ins and outs of radio advertising before heading into a business will prove to be highly beneficial.

The cost of your advertisements will vary greatly depending on a few factors. Radio advertising can range roughly anywhere from $200 – $5,000 per week depending on your location. There is a significant difference in costs for advertising in a smaller regional marketing station, as opposed to a larger city metro station. Radio ads are priced through the evaluation and consideration of factors such as frequency of play, reach, and cost-per-point. Cost-per-point is what it may cost to reach 1% of your ideal audience.

If you’re going the streaming service route, the costs will be different. Spotify has a minimum of $250 to advertise on their platform, with each individual ad play costing fractions of a cent. Pandora charges between $8-12 CPM for audio ads, which means that for every thousand people Pandora shows your ad, you’ll be charged that amount. They also have a $250 minimum spend.

You’ll need to do your research and determine what your budget is for radio ad spending. Ask around, get quotes from different stations and different platforms. Using the factors above and your audience profile, you’ll be able to determine which station or platform will be the most lucrative, and how frequently your ads should run to reach your target demographic.

Killer Radio Ad Production from Killerspots

With all this in mind, you may be wondering how you can draft radio ads that will grab your audience’s attention. Killerspots has been producing radio ads for our clients since 1999, with many awards under our belt. When it comes to radio—we can do it all: script writing, voiceovers, producing, jingles, media buying, and ad placement. We do all this while delivering the best ads with the most value for your budget. Get in touch with us today for a quote, and in no time at all, you’ll be hearing your business all over the airwaves.

Green Screen Studio Rental in Cincinnati: Create Advertising Magic

green screen studio rental in Cincinnati

Movie magic isn’t just for Hollywood anymore. You too can create magic in your next television advertisement. How? A green screen studio!

Yes, it’s that simple. Local television ads can be very effective for your business and a green screen studio rental in Cincinnati is exactly what your business needs to create your next ad.

From a studio, you can create a strong brand identity in a professional and effective way. Keep reading to explore the many possibilities that a green screen studio can bring you. 

What Is a Green Screen Studio?

First things first, what is a green screen? A green screen is like a blank canvas. You or an actor can stand in front of the green screen, and the green screen is then used to edit other images and videos onto it during post-production. This process is called “chroma-keying.”

In other words, the green screen is used so that the video editor can change the background behind the person standing in front of it so that it looks seamless and professional. 

A green screen studio is a set place where the green screen is set up professionally, and there is professional lighting. A green screen is basically used for an editing trick, so there needs to be proper lighting, or it will not work. 

A green screen studio rental is the perfect place to film your next ad because you will have amazing equipment at your fingertips and the professionals to help you use that equipment. 

Creating an Ad With a Green Screen Studio

Utilizing a green screen studio rental gives you the freedom to create advertising magic. With the blank canvas that a green screen can be, you are able to do a number of different things. 

Let’s say your business is in the middle of a busy city. If you wanted to film an advertisement at your storefront, the bustling city is going to be way too loud for anyone to be able to hear you. You’ll create a sub-par commercial that isn’t going to look very professional. 

If you use a green screen studio, you could take a high-quality photo of your storefront and edit it into the background. Then, you can still show the front of your store and talk to your audience. Since you are in a quiet studio, everyone will be able to hear you.

If you sell a product you want to be demonstrated, but you don’t have the budget for an entire set, this is a perfect time to use a green screen. You can rent a green screen space and put any desired background behind the product demonstration. This can help you save money and gives you creative control over your ad. 

These are just two simple ways that you can raise the quality of your advertisements with a green screen. 

Benefits of Using a Green Screen Studio Rental

There are many different benefits to using a green screen for your next ad. 

First off, it looks very professional. Green screen technology has come a long way from looking awkward and cheesy. Now, you can create a professional and sleek look for your business through a green screen ad. 

You can also use the green screen to create a brand identity. With the green screen, you have full creative control. This way, you can use your brand elements like colors, font, and logos, to help the audience understand your brand. 

Crafting a brand identity is very important for any business, and a green screen studio can make that simple. 

Not only are you able to have control over the environment, but you’ll be able to film practically anywhere in the world. Not literally, of course, but the magic of editing can make it look like you are anywhere in the world. You could be standing in Cincinnati and look like you’re on the beach! 

Most importantly, the professional equipment is already set up for you! As we mentioned before, the correct lighting is very important in a green screen studio. You do not want to be responsible for learning all the ins and outs of studio lighting. Let the professionals handle that for you. 

If you are curious about using a green screen and looking for some tips, you can learn more here.

A green screen studio is exactly what you need for your next ad. Your business will see growth with a professional ad like what you can create in a studio.

Why Use a Green Screen Studio Rental in Cincinnati?

Renting a studio in Cincinnati can be very affordable in terms of creating an ad. Filming an ad and getting all the right equipment can be a very daunting task. Luckily, renting a green screen studio can be simple and within your budget. 

Renting the right equipment you would need would not only take a lot more time but would cost way more than it would to simply rent out the studio. 

Our green screen services at Killer Spots Agency have great options for hourly or full-day rentals, making it affordable and straightforward for your business. 

We are here to help the less experienced or fade into the background for the more experienced filmmakers. No need to worry!

Need to Rent a Green Screen Studio?

Creating advertising magic doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. To create the perfect ad for your business, you need to rent a green screen studio. 

Looking for a green screen studio rental in Cincinnati? We provide brilliant services to help your business grow and succeed. Whether you are a seasoned videographer or a business owner looking to create their next ad, we’re here to help.

Contact us today to get a quote for your green screen studio needs. 

On Hold Greetings: Making a Positive First Impression

On Hold greetings

Did you know that 60% of callers will hang up after they’ve been on hold for 1 minute? While you can’t always avoid putting callers on hold, there are ways to make their hold experience more pleasant.

On-hold greetings are often the introduction to your company, so you need to make sure that you introduce yourself to customers the right way.

How can you put together an on-hold greeting that will make a good impression? And how will your on-hold music, or an on-hold message, help to keep your customer on the line? Here’s our guide on how to make sure your on-hold greetings make the right impression every time.

What On-Hold Greetings Will You Need?

When you’re starting out with on-hold greetings, you’ll need to decide which greetings to record. Depending on the size of your business, you may need just one of each greeting or several greetings for different departments. Whatever your business size, you’ll likely need the following greeting types:

Opening Greeting

This is the message that plays as soon as your phone system picks up a call. The opening greeting will include some sort of welcome message, along with your business name and a next step. For example:

Thank you for calling Dog Groomers R Us. To best answer your call, please choose from one of the following options.

Your caller will feel welcomed and will also know what to do to have their query addressed.

On-Hold Messaging

An on-hold message will let callers know that there is a queue and that they’ll need to hold to speak to an advisor. For example:

All of our agents are dealing with other calls. Please hold, and we will answer your call as soon as possible.

Voicemail Greeting

A voicemail greeting is used for out-of-hours calls. If a customer calls outside of business hours, a voicemail greeting will let them know of alternative ways to answer their query.

It will also let them know when they can call back and can welcome them to leave a message if you have that service enabled. For example:

Thank you for calling Popsicle Vacations. We are now closed. Please visit our website, www.popsiclevacations.com, and use our live chat feature. Alternatively, you can call us back between 9 AM and 5 PM Monday through Friday.

How to Ensure a Successful Greeting

Now you know which greetings you need, how do you record a greeting that’ll keep callers on the line? One way is by recording custom on-hold messages with the following:

Use a Pleasant Tone

First off, you don’t want callers to feel like an inconvenience. Don’t ever record a message that sounds frustrated, stern, or tired.

Instead, you want to use a pleasant, upbeat tone that sounds warm and welcoming, as well as eager to help with their inquiry.

Do Apologize

Your customers are paying you good money, so they should be able to speak to you whenever they need to. Of course, sometimes calls can stack up, so there’s a delay in responding to everyone. Callers understand that, but they appreciate an apology.

Saying sorry for making them wait is good manners, and it’ll help customers to feel that you’re aware of their inconvenience.

Don’t Overwhelm Them With Information

One alternative to on-hold music is to give your customers information on other products or services you offer. Or, you may want to let them know other ways to get in touch. Whatever the information you offer, don’t overwhelm your callers by giving them too much information all at once.

Doing so will probably give them a headache and either make them want to hang up or will get them more worked up before speaking to an agent. Instead, break any information down into manageable chunks, and disperse it throughout the message. This will give them a chance to digest the first lot of info before moving on to the next. 

Make Your Hold Music Count

While on-hold music can be frustrating as it means a caller isn’t speaking to an operator, it’s still a vital part of your call answering system. And you can’t just put any old music on and expect to keep customers happy. Here are a couple of things to think about when choosing your on-hold music. 

Silence Is Deadly

What’s worse than annoying on-hold music? No hold music at all. When callers hear silence at the end of the line, they’ll think that they’ve been cut off and are more likely to hang up.

So, be sure to choose some hold music to include on the line while your callers wait to be attended to. It will boost your call retention and may even help them feel better in the process.

Choose Music To Suit Your Audience

If you have a very specific target market, then you may want to choose hold music that will appeal to them. For example, if most of your customers are millennials, then songs they knew all the lyrics to a few years ago might get their feet tapping.

If you have a wide audience, though, opt for music that is soothing and inoffensive. Classical music is often a popular choice because it’s loved by many and doesn’t get on your nerves.

On-Hold Greetings: The Takeaway

A custom on-hold for business greeting is a way to introduce your company to your customers and is the first step in solving their query. Decide which messages you need to record, and then record your on-hold greetings in a style that will keep callers on the line.

Apologize for any inconvenience, and use a pleasant, upbeat tone to help them feel listened to. If you record your greeting the right way, you’ll boost customer retention and provide great customer service along the way.

Are you ready to customize your on-hold greetings but don’t know what to say? Then contact us and order a custom on-hold message today. 

Radio Commercial Production: 5 Tips to Create a Successful Ad

radio commercial production

In this age of technology, things are constantly changing and updating. All except for one thing: radio.

To this day, radio is still widely used as one of the most effective ways to reach people. About 92% of Americans still listen to the regular AM/FM radio, with other mediums falling short. 

It’s only reasonable then to make use of this medium to advertise your business. With its repetitive nature and quick, pointed messages, radio ad production is one of the best ways for people to know and remember you. 

Although, there is one issue. How can you captivate listeners and encourage them to look at your business? 

Here are 5 ways you can make a successful radio commercial production. 

1. Know Your Audience 

Do your research.

Figure out which demographic your business appeals to, and make a list of what they would be interested in. See who or what is popular among that group and use that information to draw them in. 

By doing a deep dive into the potential customers of your business, you will end up with a list of dos and don’ts that will help you out in the long run. 

For example, if your business appeals to a younger generation, talking to them in a serious tone might not be the way to go. 

2. Brand Voice and Tone 

How people see you and your brand is of vital importance. You want them to connect to your business and the message that you want to share. 

Develop the personality of your business and how you intend to speak to your audience. Getting your brand voice right will help people become familiarized with you and your business. 

Just make sure to keep your brand voice consistent so that each radio commercial production is connected to your business. 

Once you have your brand voice, you can look into the right tone for your radio ads. Is your business light-hearted and fun-oriented? Or are you a little more subdued and serious? 

Brand tone can change over time, so make sure to keep up to date with what your audience needs. 

When you have mastered both the brand voice and tone, you’ll have a guide to how you will present your custom radio ads for business to the public. 

3. Simplicity in Your Radio Commercial Production

The average radio ad is about 30-60 seconds long. That’s hardly enough time to get into detail about your business. 

So, how do you manage to keep your authenticity, brand voice, and tone as well as remain charming enough to get people to keep listening in such a short period of time? 

Focus on the important aspects of your business and leave the audience wanting more. Be direct and to the point. 

Simplicity could also apply to the way that the message is delivered. While emotional, dramatic lines in your radio ad can be an effective way to appeal to someone’s emotions, sometimes a commercial radio production set as a casual conversation is better.

It will make the listener feel as if they’re part of the conversation. 

4. Be Creative and Appeal to Emotion

An effective strategy when making a successful radio ad is to appeal to your audience’s emotions. 

Why? 

A lot of our everyday decisions are affected by emotion. 

Creativity comes into the picture when we make use of the art of storytelling. While a fictional story can move others to act, a relatable story, on the other hand, could draw in your audience as well as let them know that your business understands them. 

By being creative, you can ensure that your content is always fresh and unique. Look into the trends that can help you relate to your audience.

Knowing what your audience needs and is interested in does require some research, but it will ultimately set you apart from the others and keep your listeners interested. 

5. Strong Conclusion and Call to Action

Within the 30-60 second time limit, the conclusion of your radio ad is just as important as your introduction. 

In these last seconds, use a call to action and remind the audience what your message is.  

What’s next? 

Describe what steps to take. Lead your audience to you by giving them various ways to get into contact, be it a phone number or a website.

Repetition is Key 

Timing is everything in commercial radio production. 

Once you’ve applied all the steps mentioned above, all that’s left is to repeat your radio ad during certain times of the day or week. It’s important to find the right balance of repetition without making your audience feel as if they’re being “nagged.” 

Additionally, keep in mind that certain times during the day, week, month, and year are going to apply differently to your audience. 

For example, a Christmas-oriented business may find it more effective to broadcast its radio ads towards the end of the year. 

This is a process that takes time, but it’s a guarantee that the result is well worth it. 

After all, the listener would be moved to act upon the radio ad they hear only after listening to it a few more times. 

Explore Your Options

Aside from radio commercial production, we offer additional services that will elevate the quality of your radio ads. 

Need something catchy and fun? We have talented producers who work hard to produce custom jingles for your business. 

For other aspects of your business, we offer special on-hold greetings that are designed to keep the caller online and engaged.

Let Us Help

Of course, these are just a few of the ways you can draw your audience into the product or service that you provide.  

It’s only natural that you want the best radio commercial production company with the experience and professionalism to help you out. 

We have been in the commercial radio production business for over 20 years. We know our stuff, and we’re more than happy to share our expertise with you and your business. 

Ready for a high-quality radio commercial production? Contact us now!

Jingles Production: Catchiest Lyrics of All Time

Jingles production

You might be shocked to learn that approximately 89 percent of people believe musical jingles to be a very effective form of advertising. Giving your brand or product a catchy tune and lyrics is one of the easiest ways for people to remember it. Odds are, if you hear “catchy advertising jingle”, you’re already hearing a few top candidates in your head!

As it turns out, creating a lasting and memorable advertising jingle is a delicate art that requires a keen eye for music and marketing. This brief guide will break down some of the all-time classics of jingle production.

Kit Kat – “Give Me a Break”

Not only is the Kit Kat bar practically synonymous with its enduring jingle, but the phrase “give me a break” has never been the same since!

First introduced in a 1986 TV ad, “Give Me a Break” was written on a whim by a junior copywriter before becoming an immediate favorite of test audiences. Since then, it’s landed among the most iconic jingles for ads. You likely know it’s impossible not to think of whenever you snap off a piece of any candy bar for that matter!

State Farm – “Like A Good Neighbor”

Enlisting the catchy musical expertise of Barry Manilow, State Farm debuted one of the most instantly recognizable jingles for business in 1971.

With the help of the “Copacabana” singer, “Like A Good Neighbor” became ingrained in the culture’s musical memory. To this day, almost every State Farm ad either begins or ends with a quick, truncated instrumental version of the song title’s five simple notes.

McDonald’s – “I’m Lovin’ It”: An All-Star Jingles Production Duo

Even when writing a jingle for commercials that are only a few seconds long, sometimes bringing together A-list jingle production talent yields only the best results.

In 2003, the iconic “ba-da ba pa-pa” was first sung by none other than Justin Timberlake over a composition by Grammy-winning rapper Pusha T. Tragically for Pusha, he missed out on the profits from the jingle’s publishing rights. “I want artists to know that,” he attests to this day, “Keep the publishing.”

Chili’s – “I Want My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back…”

It could perhaps be dubbed “the commercial jingle that never ends”. Chili’s first debuted this repetitious earworm all the way back in 1986.

With a cyclical, never-ending baritone backdrop of “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back…”, Chili’s made its signature dish a staple in the cultural consciousness. The song has been spoofed and referenced all over, from the Austin Powers films to Scrubs. The catchiness is unimpeachable, and it makes the temptation to order at least one rack difficult to not indulge.

Empire – “800 Number”

At the end of the day, remembering brands, product names, or snappy slogans is easy enough. As Empire Carpet Today proved, it’s a next-level feat altogether for jingles in commercials to get an audience to easily recall an entire ten-digit phone number.

The enterprise once known as “The Empire Carpet Man” has changed its name and number since first introducing the song. Nonetheless, over the image of CGI employees installing carpets, it’s hard not to hear the company’s entire contact number right as you see it: “800-588-2300 Empire!”

Subway – “Five Dollar Footlong”

Sometime around 2008, Subway was offering new daily specials and very much wanted the world to know. With endless variations of repeating “Five. Five dollar. Five dollar footlong”, they succeeded in this goal without a doubt.

Subway originally conceived the “five dollar footlong” as a sly sales tactic. However, the company quickly realized the viral deal of their jingle’s namesake had run away from them. Unfortunately, the five dollar footlong deal ended for good in 2018.

Folgers – “The Best Part of Wakin’ Up”

For over thirty years, Folgers had coffee enthusiasts of the world rejoicing around the unforgettable refrain: “The best part of wakin’ up is Folgers in your cup”.

The song proved so influential for so that a fan even purchased the rights to it as recently as 2021!

Snagging the song’s rights for ninety thousand dollars at an auction, one enterprising stranger somewhere in the world will be bringing in residuals every time it’s played publicly.

Oscar Meyer – “I Wish I Was An Oscar Meyer Wiener”

To this day, “I Wish I Was An Oscar Meyer Weiner” perhaps remains an undeniable candidate for “weirdest slogan ever coined”. If anything, that goes to show you the staying power of a catchy and memorable song!

The tune was first cooked up by Richard Trentlage, a Chicago musician who simply held a unique fondness for jingle writing. In his kooky theme song, he imagines muses upon the key to being loved by everyone you meet: living out an existence as an Oscar Meyer wiener.

Originally accompanied by a goofy cartoon in its first 1965 ad, the song has spent decades giving us an odd reminder that life as a hot dog…might not be so bad?

Produce A Jingle Worthy of The Hall of Fame

If the countless success stories weren’t enough to speak for themselves, quality jingles production can sometimes be the secret ingredient that takes your brand to the next level. There’s no easier way to see how a good jingle could boost your brand than to try it yourself!

At Killer Spots Agency, our proven, expert approach to radio, voiceover, and jingle production is here to provide measurable results.

Contact us today and let us help you bring your brand’s unforgettable jingle to life.

Who is Your Target Audience? How to Engage Yours

who is your audience

Did you know that nearly 60% of marketers today measure the success of their content marketing strategy through sales? Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to engage your target audience and promote your product or service.

Unfortunately, you can’t create content without knowing why your target audience is. If you’re struggling to reach your target audience or even identify who they are, this guide is for you.

Engaging your target audience is critical for effective ads. So who is your audience, and how can you reach them? Keep reading to find out:

Who Is Your Target Audience?

This is the first and most important question you need to answer. How will you effectively engage your target audience if you don’t know who your target audience is?

Your target audience, also known as target consumers, is the group of people most likely to buy your product or use your service. To identify who your target audience is, consider these factors:

  • Geographic location
  • Demographics (age, gender, income, etc.)
  • Interests and hobbies
  • Psychographics (lifestyle, values, personality)

Once you’ve considered all of these factors, you should have a pretty good idea of who your target audience is.

But don’t stop there! The next step is to research more about your target audience so you can learn as much as possible about them. This will help you fine-tune your marketing efforts and maximize your campaigns.

Below are tips on how to define your target audience:

Study Your Products and Services

To determine who your target audience is, you need to first understand your product or service. What need does it fill? Who would benefit from using it?

Once you have a good understanding of your product or service, you can narrow down your target audience. For example, if you offer a new type of fitness class, your target audience might be people who are interested in getting fit and healthy.

To engage your target audience, you need to speak to their needs and interests. You can do this by creating marketing materials that highlight how your product or service can help them achieve their goals.

You can also reach out to influencers in your target audience and ask them to promote your product or service. By taking these steps, you can ensure that you are engaging with the people who are most likely to use your product or service.

Identify the Benefits Your Business Offers

What is the value of your business to your customers? This is what you need to identify to create an effective marketing strategy. Once you know what your business offers your target customers, you can determine how to reach them effectively.

Your business can offer three types of benefits: functional, emotional, and social benefits.

Functional benefits are the basic features and advantages of your product or service. These are the tangible benefits that your customers can see and experience.

Emotional benefits are the intangible, positive feelings that your customers get from using your product or service. These are the values that drive customer loyalty and customer satisfaction.

Social benefits are the positive effects that your product or service has on society. They show how your product or service will improve the customer’s social status. These values make your product or service unique and different from your competitors.

Some businesses will have a mix of all three types of benefits, while others will focus on just one or two. It all depends on what your business offers and what your target audience is looking for.

Check Social Media Analytics

Your social media analytics is a source of valuable insights about who your target audience is and how to engage them. The data you collect can help you determine the demographics of your audience, their interests, and what kind of content they are most likely to engage with.

Log into your account on each platform and navigate to the analytics section to get started. Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, and Instagram Insights are good places to start. Review the data and take note of any patterns or trends that you see.

Once you understand who your target audience is, you can start creating content that is more likely to resonate with them. Engaging your target audience on social media will help to build relationships and foster loyalty.

Use Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool that marketers use to track website traffic. It can help you learn more about your customers.

Through the collected data, you can determine how they found your site, what pages they viewed, and how long they stayed on each page. This information can help you determine your target audience and how to engage them.

You can also use Google Analytics to track conversions. Conversion rates can help you determine whether or not your target audience is interested in what you have to offer.

To set up Google Analytics, you will need to create a Google account and add the code to your site. Once you have set up Google Analytics, you can view detailed reports about your website traffic.

How to Engage Your Target Audience

When it comes to engaging your target audience, there are a few key strategies to keep in mind. First, it’s essential to recognize the specific needs and interests of your audience. Then, tailor any communication or content accordingly.

This can involve doing research about your audience and taking their feedback into account when making decisions about your product or service.

Next, it is essential to avoid relying solely on generic marketing tactics. These include flashy ads and catchy slogans. Instead, try to engage your audience on a more personal level by establishing relationships with individuals and being sincere and authentic in your interactions.

Finally, make sure that you are accessible and responsive at all times in order to meet the needs of your target audience effectively. With these simple tips in mind, you can create a dynamic and highly effective strategy for engaging your target audience.

Now You Know Who Is Your Audience

Who is your audience? This is one of the first questions you should ask yourself when starting a business. Once you know who your target audience is, you can begin to think about how to engage them.

There are several strategies you can use to engage your audience, including research and analytics, social media marketing, and Google Analytics. With these tools at your disposal, you can create a tailored approach that speaks directly to your customers and connects with them on a personal level.​

Do you need help identifying and engaging your target audience? Contact us today, and we can help you get started.

Commercials 101: How to Create a Radio Commercial

how to create a commercial

Did you know 83% of Americans listen to the radio on a regular basis?

As a business owner, if you aren’t leveraging radio marketing to widen your reach and grow your business, you could miss out on many potential customers. 

One thing that holds many businesses back from embracing radio ads is feeling overwhelmed about understanding how to make one that works. So keep reading to learn how to create a commercial for the radio that stands out in no time!

Determine Your Target Audience

Creating a radio ad is a bit different from creating digital ads or other types you might be familiar with.

Because radio ads are often localized, you might need to hone in on your target audience compared to other ads you run. Take the time to determine who you’re trying to reach and why.

If you’re trying to direct people to a local storefront, your message will be completely different from simply telling people about your website or online store.

Keep Things Short and Sweet

Your radio ad length will likely be around 30 seconds or less. So focusing on keeping your message as short as possible while still providing the listener with valuable information is the key to a successful ad.

Be sure to focus on the benefits your product or service will bring the listener. Avoid spending too much time introducing your business. People can easily do a quick online search to find more basic information if the ad grabs their attention.

If your business lends itself well to something sarcastic or funny, throwing something in there like that can make the ad more memorable. 

Remember that people are most likely driving their cars when they hear your ad. So if you want them to remember to look your business up later, they need to be able to recall the information with ease.

Having a short message to repeat your business name, location, website, etc., more than once can help too.

Have a Strong Call to Action

As mentioned above, your commercial needs to encourage listeners to take action. Some great commercial CTAs include:

  • Command words
  • Words to evoke emotion
  • Free consultations
  • Fear of missing out (sales, new product releases, etc.)

Your ad should have a purpose beyond simply introducing the public to your business. 

Don’t Be Unnatural

The biggest thing you should remember when considering how to create a radio ad is being natural is crucial. 

If a radio ad is too in your face, people get turned away from your business. Mentioning the products you sell or services you offer once is enough for them to understand what your business is about.

Repeating it too often can make people tune it out or change the station. So instead, try working your message in as naturally as possible, so people don’t feel like they’re being sold something and instead feel like they’re discovering something they need instead.

Stay True to Your Brand Voice

The radio advertising industry is projected to have a $19.58 billion market size this year. That’s a massive bump from previous years.

It can be easy to assume no matter what your ad sounds like, just having one alone is all it takes. But, in reality, focusing on your brand voice is essential if you plan on using radio ads regularly to promote your business.

Knowing what your business stands for and what it doesn’t is a crucial first step before writing any commercials. You don’t want to give people the wrong idea, especially if you have multiple different ads running.

Your brand doesn’t change when the commercials do, so staying consistent matters. Here are a few more tips about maintaining your brand voice throughout your commercials.

Record Quality Audio

If you’ve ever listened to a recording with poor quality audio, you know how frustrating it can be. Usually, it’s so distracting you have no idea what the message actually is because all you can focus on is how bad it sounds.

If your commercial audio quality is poor, assume your results will be poor too.

Using quality recording equipment and choosing the right person to record the ad is necessary. Eventually, your ads might be defined by the speaker you choose, so choosing wisely at the start is essential.

Choose the Right Station

You can create a compelling ad with a fantastic call to action and beautiful recording quality and see zero results if you choose the wrong station to play your ad.

If your target audience is middle-aged people with disposable incomes, running an ad on a popular teen music radio station doesn’t make sense. 

You should understand which stations your audience is most likely to listen to and target them. 

Click here to learn the ten most important tips for creating compelling ads so you can get started on the right foot and wow people with your ads from the getgo.

How to Create a Commercial: Well Crafted Radio Ads Bring Stellar Results

If you wondered how to create a commercial to catch people’s attention on the radio, this article laid everything out.

If you follow the tips mentioned here, no matter what your business is, you should be able to craft a unique commercial to catch people’s attention. 

If you’re ready to hop into radio advertising as soon as possible, contact us today to learn about our radio ad production services, so your audio quality enhances your commercial instead of taking away from it!

What Is a Brand Voice? How to Define Your Unique Brand

what is a brand voice

Sometimes the word “brand” brings to mind one of those catchy radio commercial jingles you hear over and over. The hard truth is, that a brand’s voice is a cornerstone for any company.

Statistics show that if you implement your brand voice consistently, throughout your company, you’ll see your revenues increase.  This increase can be as high as 20 percent. Building your brand is the key to your company’s future success.

Learn more here on what is a brand voice all about and how to build one that establishes your company’s identity. When you develop this identity now, you’ll guarantee faster growth in your company’s future.

Why Is Branding So Important?

The most familiar brands in the market today have the power to cement a lasting impression on their target customers’ psyche. Buyers will often recognize these products and company names and connect with them on emotional levels.

Building a brand will attract a loyal following. These believers will know what they can expect from your product and will learn how to trust you.

Building a brand can also help you attract your future workers to come work for you. You’ll see that potential employees want to work for your enterprise and become a part of its familiar name.

Potential business associates might want to collaborate because they know about your positive reputation. Investors will start knocking on your door because they want to collaborate with a recognized name in your specific industry.

The History of Branding

Early branding history standouts in this country included brand names such as Tide and Lipton. These companies designed what’s known today as brand management science.

These companies knew how to speak to customers and learn what their values were and what was most important to them. Once they found out what emotional value a customer had for their product, they would create a tone that promoted that product based on this value.

These companies identified their customer’s values before their competitors did. They also learned that they could charge a higher price for their products if a customer believed that they offered the best value as compared to their competitors.

What Is a Brand Voice?

A company’s brand voice means how they talk to its customers. A brand voice directed to a target audience should have its own style and come across as true to the company’s persona and values.   

Think of a brand voice as the tone in which you communicate with your friends, family, work colleagues, or spouse. Just like there is a specific way you communicate with these people, there’s also a way to communicate with your customers.

Buyers will buy more from those brands that create emotional connections, rather than with brands that deliver uninspired messaging. Think of your brand tone as to how your company says something, less than what they say.

Types of Brand Voice

Brand voice can range anywhere from intellectual to playful. Some of the most common brand voice examples you’ll see in the market today include:

  • Aggressive and strong
  • Sweet and elegant
  • Weird or out-of-the-ordinary
  • Inspiring and positive
  • Funny
  • Aggressive and strong
  • Simple or considerate
  • Highly emotional.

How to Find Your Brand Voice

The first step to building your brand voice is to identify the core elements of your company’s products and name. These elements should tell the world who you are and what customers can expect when they do business with your company. These core elements include the following:

Identify Your Company Values

Create a brand voice that mirrors what you believe is important so that you can align it with your company’s top priorities. One simple way to do this is to have your company’s on-hold messaging recording outline your company’s products and values.

You should also link your brand to your company’s mission. When you do, you’ll show your target audience why you are their best choice to meet their specific needs.

Know Your Customer

Understand your customer’s values and desires. When you do, then you’ll be able to create a compelling tone that keeps their loyalty and persuades them to visit your business over and over again.

What do your customers need right now? Are those needs going to shift in the future? When you know how to appeal to your buyers, you can shift your strategy and market to them in the future as well.

Know What the Competition Is Doing

Lipton and Tide knew this point all too well. They learned early that if they took the time to find out what the competition could (or couldn’t) do, their products could outpace what these other products could do.

Make a note of what didn’t work for your competitors. Then you can avoid making the mistakes they made.

Test, Review, and Adapt Your Voice

Review and experiment with your brand tone on your printed and electronic platforms. Write some sample blog posts for your website, using your new brand voice. Ask for feedback from your colleagues.

Review how your tone interacts with other components of your brand.  Is your voice consistent with your website, letterhead, or business cards?

Does your logo send off a different impression? Does your tone conflict with the logos or colors you’ve chosen to represent your business? Check to be sure that these other branding vehicles don’t conflict but work consistently together to avoid confusing messages.

Schedule Time to Review and Adjust Your Brand Voice

It’s easy to forget about developing your brand voice throughout your hectic work schedule. With all of the other day-to-day obligations fighting for your attention, it might be tempting to think that a brand voice can develop itself.

Just remember that building your brand tone is an investment in your company’s future. Make time to look at your messaging to make sure you aren’t sending conflicting signals.

What Are Your Next Steps?

It’s a time-consuming exercise to build your brand voice. Make it a habit to set aside time to observe what the competition is doing. Make strategic adjustments in response to a customer’s online feedback.

Don’t forget to check our website for more helpful information on what is a brand voice all about. Let us help take your enterprise to its next best level by contacting us today. 

Jingles That Mingle: How to Create Effective Jingles for Commercials

jingles for commercials

Americans better love their ads! The average American sees between 6,500 and 11,000 ads every day.

If you want your commercials to stand out, you have to make them interesting and distinctive. An easy way to do that is to write jingles for commercials. 

But don’t start writing song lyrics just yet. You need to know a few things if you want to make a memorable jingle.

How do jingles work, and what lyrics should they contain? How can you gain influence from other jingles without replicating them? How do you develop your brand through a jingle and encourage your audience to reach out to you? 

Answer these questions and you can master how to make a memorable jingle in no time. Here is your quick guide.

Think About a Core Message

Your jingle should have a message that your audience can discern easily. Think about what the purpose of your jingle is. You may want your audience to know what the phone number for your business is, or you may want to promote a particular product. 

Base everything in the jingle around that message. If you’re promoting a phone number, sing about what calling the number will do for your audience. If you’re promoting a product, you can describe the product and explain how it is better than others. 

Try to write your message into one sentence you can repeat in your jingle like a chorus or refrain. Revise that sentence until it becomes more musical and catchy. You can use rhyme, alliteration, or assonance to make your sentence sound good.

Jingles for television ads are a little different than jingles on the radio. Your song needs to match the visuals on screen, and your jingle must fit within a 30-second or one-minute advertising block. But you still need to have a core message that resonates with your audience, even with accompanying visuals.

Contemplate Your Brand

Your jingle will not be effective if you do not attach it to your pre-established brand. If your business has a traditional and conservative brand, your jingle shouldn’t be silly or reminiscent of modern pop songs. 

Take a look at your previous marketing efforts and think about how your customers perceive you. If you are running a new business or don’t have a clear idea of your brand, you can run focus groups. You can also conduct surveys, asking your customers what they like in advertising. 

Listen to some classic jingles like 1-877-KARS-4-KIDS. Think about what your impression of the company is after you have listened to the jingle. Break down how the lyrics, beats, and rhythms of the jingle develop the brand, and think about how you can engage in a similar effort.

Research Jingles With Similar Messages

You are likely competing with at least one other business that has created a jingle. Listen to the jingles your competitors have made. 

It is okay if your jingle shares some characteristics with theirs, like a similar chord progression or beat. However, your jingle needs to have distinctive qualities, namely an original message. 

Once you’ve looked at your competitors, you should research businesses similar to yours in other geographic areas. Listen to what they do and take notes on the qualities in their jingles that you like. You should also brainstorm a few ways to distinguish your jingle, such as including descriptions of local landmarks.

Avoid Regurgitating Other Songs

Many people create jingles that are clearly inspired by popular songs. It is okay to take influence from a song that is at the top of the charts. 

But you should never take characteristics from popular songs and drop them in your jingle. You risk infringing on the songwriter’s copyright, which can lead to a lawsuit. 

You also risk making your jingle dated. Many pop songs fall off the charts after a few weeks, and you want your jingle to last longer than that. 

Select an Identifiable Genre

One of the best ways to develop your brand through your jingle is to pick a genre your audience would identify with. If you are a law firm, you may want to select a jingle based on classical music. If you sell land, you can make a country jingle that reminds your audience of the Wild West.

Feel free to look at subgenres as well. Trucking companies can make a truck-driving country jingle. 

Once you’ve selected a genre or subgenre you want to make a jingle in, you should do your research on the genre. Look to see if any of your competitors have made a jingle in your genre. If they have, you may want to select a different one so you can be more unique. 

Create a Strong Intro and Finish

Most jingles are 30 seconds or one minute long. You have to pack in a lot of information in a short period of time, but you can’t forget about having a strong introduction and conclusion. If you don’t hook your audience in, they won’t engage with your message. 

Many intros in jingles do not use lyrics, but catchy notes to draw your audience’s attention. Try to write a couple of catchy chords or an interesting melody. If your intro is really good, you can repeat it over the course of the song or as a conclusion. 

Your conclusion can be a call to action. After talking about your business, you can give your phone number so your customers know how to reach you. 

Write Effective Jingles for Commercials Today

Creating jingles for commercials means understanding a few different things. Each of your jingles should have a message that you contain within a catchy line. The jingle should develop your brand without contradicting previous marketing efforts. 

You should research other jingles, but your jingle should be its own product. Never replicate what pop songs are doing. Hook your audience in with a great melody at the start and then let them go with a call to action. 

Don’t create great jingles alone. Killerspots Agency helps Cincinnati businesses create jingles for commercials. Contact us today.