This is the third in a series devoted to helping radio advertising professionals teach their clients what they need to know in order for their radio commercials to succeed.
Don’t Command; Invite
It’s hard to believe that we still hear commercials that command listeners to “drop what you’re doing and hurry on down to the big sale.”
Our buddy Nick Michaels refers to such language as “doggie commands”:
“Set a button for 102.7 on your car radio right now!”
“Tell all your friends about the new station you’ve found!”
“Roll over! Sit! Beg!”
Do you like being told what to do?
By a stranger?
But how can you deliver a Call To Action without commanding?
By inviting:
“Maybe you’d like to set a button for 102.7 on your car radio right now. That way, you’d always have your favorite Classic Rock songs waiting for you…at the tip of your finger.”
Or by suggesting:
“You could set a button for 102.7 on your car radio right now. That way….”
When writing copy, often I do want the Call To Action to be strong. But I’m likely to deliver it as a rhetorical question:
“So why not bring your family to Luigi’s Italian restaurant one night this week…and let our family meet yours?”
Or as a conditional statement:
“If you’re tired of wearing glasses and contact lenses, maybe it’s about time you discovered how Lasik Eye Surgery can change your life. For your free, no-obligation consultation, just give us a call at….”
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This is excellent, Dan! Thank you for the challenge, and invitation!
I think sometimes as copywriters we don’t realize how the way we phrase things really comes across. Dan, thanks for the simple but straightforward tips to help us be more effective in our writing.
Thanx for pointing this out. Valuable lesson.
One question.
I’ve always tried to stay away from the “So, why not …” approach because I don’t want to encourage the listener to start thinking about the reasons why NOT to do it.
Have I been chasing up ghosts for myself here?
@Dave: If the other person’s answer is likely to be, “Frankly, I can’t think of a good reason not to,” then there’s no real danger of the targeted audience answering the question literally….and negatively.
This requires the copywriter to tell a story that leads so directly and convincingly to the solution the advertiser offers that when the rhetorical “Why not?” question is asked, a positive response is is elicited.