5 tips to amplify your coverage with radio

Radio is a great way to boost coverage for your communications initiative.

Here are a few key tips from our radio production team that you should remember when planning your next radio campaign.

Write for a listener, not a reader

Remember that what is written will be spoken out loud. That’s why it’s important to avoid long and complicated sentences.

Don’t use ess sounds or repeat words starting with the letter p; they make the script more difficult to say and record.

Focus on the story

Radio stations are looking for useful or interesting content for their listeners.

Listeners care about stories, not brands; therefore, do not make the story only about your brand. Tell a story that’s about more than your brand so that stations can be intrigued.

You should have fewer than two brand mentions, including the website or call-to-action.

Think big picture

Earned radio segments go out to local or regional stations across the country, so the message needs to be broad enough to appeal to anyone who can hear it.

Events or places that aren’t accessible to everyone as well as specific industry audiences, such as construction or restaurants, are best avoided.

Don’t date

It can be tempting to tie your message to a special week or specific date, like Halloween, but this doesn’t work well for earned radio releases. You can, however, speak about issues that would be relevant during that time, like tips for fall activities that could be paired with a holiday theme but also relevant outside of October 31. If you mention a week, it will drastically limit the potential earned pickup. Keep it broad with words like “this time of year” or “this season.”

To achieve Fifth Story’s guaranteed number of impressions, the content needs to be relevant for over 8 weeks.

Remember the magic numbers

Radio stations are only looking for 60 seconds of filler content. That means the script’s word count is about 155 to 170, depending on the content.

Keep this in mind from the get-go, so you aren’t stuck padding out a short idea or leaving hard work on the cutting room floor.

Here at Fifth Story, one easy way to test a script is to time how long it takes to read it out loud at a calm, steady pace.

Remember, with every earned radio contract comes with our writing service to craft a successful script directly for you and your client.

If a radio opportunity piques your interest or you need help with your earned media strategy and execution, reach out and discuss it with us at info@fifthstory.com.