When creating a good radio ad, one should keep the three "T's" in mind: theme, target and timing. The theme is the purpose for the ad. In radio advertising, time is money, so you should use your time wisely. The ad should be clear and concise. It should include all of the information you deem to be of the greatest importance. It should not contain anything extraneous to detract from the message. You may be tempted to focus on the entertainment value of the ad, thinking that if you come up with something clever or funny it will attract attention. In most cases, such attempts only end up seeming lame and take away from time that could be spent providing information about your product or service. But do not try to pack too much information into an ad. It is better to focus on key points that you can repeat more than once. Remember, the ad is audio only, so you will not have the opportunity to reinforce your message with visual elements.

The target represents the group of customers you would like to reach with your ad. You would not want to advertise products for teenagers on a "Golden Oldies" station. The goal is to maximize the exposure of your ad to as many potential customers as possible. Understanding who your customers are and what they listen to will help you to reach them.

Timing is also important when it comes to exposing your ad to as many customers as possible. You should obtain ratings and demographic information from radio stations and specific time slots in order to determine the time of day that will enable your ad to be heard by the greatest number of potential customers. Frequency is also important. The more times a customer hears your ad the more likely the customer will be to remember the information you are trying to convey.

If proper attention is paid to theme, the target audience and timing, the greater the likelihood will be that the radio ad will be successful.

Learn more about this author, Joe Blaikie.
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