Recently, I was asked to write a radio program for a non-profit organization. I had worked in broadcast journalism for many years before I switched to online communications and really enjoyed getting back to my radio roots.
But something interesting happened as I was writing the script. Over and over again, I noticed just how much radio writing and effective web content have in common:
=>Both depend on high impact, attention-getting statements:
"Weight loss without misery is possible if you..."
"The President has been found in a compromising position..."
"Want to know how to get your teens to talk to you?"
=>Both forms benefit from short, punchy sentences that use basic language and get to the point fast. E-business consultant Philip Say even uses radio lingo when he explains how to write strong e-mail newsletters and sales letters.
He says, "Sound bites are the most effective way to grab the attention of the reader. The challenge today is to deliver short, meaningful messages that will initiate a conversation with your audience. You have to pack a punch into 50 words or fewer."
The average 30-second radio commercial has only 50 to 80 words. So writing a radio spot for your online product or service is a good exercise in how to write tight. And it's a good lesson in ruthless editing, possibly the hardest and most important part of the writing process!
=>Both radio and web content communicate better without jargon or foreign terms. I once used the French word "ennui" instead of "boredom" in one of my marketing articles. As a result, the piece sounded pretentious and I looked like a twit.
=>Both radio and web writing are improved by personality. Think about the radio announcers you like best. Probably you enjoy their voices as much as what they say. Your online content needs a voice too. For a good example of this, check out the very distinctive personality of The Newbie Club, which carries right over into their newsletters.
=>The audience must come first. Radio announcers often pretend they are talking to just one person, imagining that person's age, their lifestyle, their hopes and dreams. (I once worked for a very earnest radio station that had the production staff dress up a life-size doll to represent their ideal demographic - sort of a crash test dummy for target marketing!) You don't have to go that far, but aim what you're saying/writing to that one person who represents your target audience. They are the reason for what you do.
Now start listening to radio with a critical ear. Practice writing content as if it's for radio. It may help you inject some real personality into your ads, e-zine or website!
