On my very first day at the Blacksburg/NRV Cumulus Media station, I asked my supervisor, Valerie Lee, if I could interview her to find out her insights and advice about advertising copywriting. As Key Account Manager, Ms. Lee is in charge of over 30 clients that she regularly writes radio advertisements for.
In this blog post, I will first share what I learned from my interview with Ms. Lee. Second, I will share the first advertisement I wrote for the station and describe how I used Ms. Lee’s advice to write it.
Valerie Lee’s Advice
The main message that Ms. Lee presented to me throughout her interview was that I should always write advertisements with the end-consumer in mind. For instance, she said that I should use words such as ‘you’ and ‘your’ so that I can appeal directly to consumers. She also said that I use concise, clear, and understandable verbiage. Unlike school, Ms. Lee noted, I should refrain from using large words and language that is too flowery. With this idea in mind, Ms. Lee noted that I should write my advertisements to sound like a conversation and to keep them short, sweet, and simple. Because the advertisements I wrote for the station were aired on the radio, Ms. Lee noted that I ultimately needed to keep my advertisements quick and informative so that I can gain the consumer’s interest in the client I am writing about and make them perform the action the advertisement asks them to do.
Ms. Lee also noted that evoking emotion is a great way to communicate to consumers through a quick advertisement. She said the tricky part is to pick the right emotion for the topic of the advertisement; however, she said that if I could master the appeal of emotion I would be able to grab and keep readers attention.
With this information in mind, I wrote my first advertisement.
My First Advertisement
My first advertisement was for Rob-N-Son Motors, Inc, a family owned and operated car dealer in Christiansburg, Virginia. The client wanted to air and advertisement during tax season that called out to consumers to invest their tax return in a new car. Below you will find the copy I wrote for the advertisement:
Have you been looking for ways to turn your tax return into a smart investment? Maximize your tax return by finally getting that new vehicle you want. Rob-N-Son provides high-quality and reliable used vehicles at a great price. They take care of you before and after the sale so you get the car you want at a price you’ll love. In-house or bank financing options make it easy. Rob-N-Son Motors, family owned and operated for over twenty years. Call 382-2242 or visit them at 109 Depot Street in Christiansburg, or at robnsonmotors.com.
You can also listen to the produced at by clicking here.
