You have a great product or service. Your benefits are strong. You’re confident that radio direct marketing can drive inquiries, and ultimately, customers. So how can your message capture the attention of qualified listeners and get them to take action?
Capturing attention is the critical first step of what your radio commercial needs to do. If you don’t generate listener interest within the opening seconds of your commercial, then your opportunity will be lost.
To capture attention, your radio commercial needs a strong hook. The hook sets the tone and it generates curiosity. It makes a listener want to know more. One of the most powerful ways to engage listeners is to recognize the enemy. The enemy is a problem your listeners have that can be solved by your product or service.
Identifying enemies is a strategic process that can produce captivating radio direct marketing copy. This is the basis of the “problem-solution” approach, which has proven its success many times over. To set up the problem, you need to single out the most dramatic “enemy” and then tell how your product will overcome the enemy issues. Depending on your product, the enemy could be wasted time, money that’s being overspent, or the inability to accomplish a goal. An enemy that generates an emotional reaction will have more impact on listeners, laying the groundwork for you to lead them into your sales message.
From there, you can explain why your product is the solution. Be benefit-oriented. Keep the copy focused and easy to understand. And repeat your best points. Listeners need to hear them more than once to retain their value.
There’s nothing wrong with having enemies if they can help you sell. When writing radio direct marketing copy, the enemy can be your best friend, helping you create more impact and drive more response.
