When writing ad copy for a radio or television commercial it's easy to get carried away. How much is enough? The short answer is enough to get the message across. OK, but how does that translate into a word count for a 30 second spot or a 60 second spot?

Great question. To help give some guidance, we've created a handy chart for you to reference the next time your writing some ad copy.

The 30 Second Spot Word Count Guideline

30 seconds, 65 words = lots of inflection, sincere read
30 seconds, 78 words = typical, straight read
30 seconds, 90 words = fast read
30 seconds, 100 words = hard sell, maximum speed read

The 60 Second Spot Word Count Guideline

60 seconds, 130 words = lots of inflection
60 seconds, 155 words = typical, straight read
60 seconds, 180 words = fast read
60 seconds, 200 words = hard sell, maximum speed read

Note that numbers (such as a phone number), symbols (@ symbol or www) , etc., count as one word each.

If you need help with your commercial scripts, you don't have to start from scratch. There are plenty of resources online or simply listen to a few radio commercials or tv ads to get the ideas flowing.

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