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.

Did you find this helpful or would like to recommend some changes? Add your comments below.

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Best,

Stephanie

When the traditional announcer just didn't cut it anymore, advertising companies took a swing in a different direction, creating characters that embodied real feelings, interests and desires.

Last week, I was listening to the CBC Radio One program O’Reilly and the Age of Persuasion. Terry, known for his insight into how marketing and advertising have forever permeated our lives, is an expert in the field and well worth listening to on a Saturday afternoon :)

What I have written below is my interpretation of Terry's broadcast last weekend.

When the traditional broadcast announcer just didn't cut it anymore, advertising companies took a swing in a different direction, creating characters that embodied real feelings, interests and desires.

The late 1950s and early 60s marked the end of one-way advertisements that ceased to boost a company's ROI. This decade also brought a host of changes to the way that advertisers started communicating with their audiences.

After a while, no one could relate to the stand-offish announcer, perched on his chair, wearing a tweed suit, and a hand cupped over one ear.

Announcers, who had broken through the proverbial "Fourth Wall" in before, were not performing their function as they had in the past; they were not 'getting through' to the public any more.

You wouldn't envision announcer man coming to your neighborhood BBQ or taking their child to a movie. Announcers were not real in a sense and appeared to be cold, disconnected and impersonal.

This is why advertising geniuses, for example, David Ogilvy, started making advertising more of a personal medium, introducing characters such as Mrs. Olson (Folger's Coffee), Aunt Jemima (Maple syrup and pancakes), Charlie the Tuna (StarKist Tuna), and Madge the Manicurist (Colgate-Palmolive).

You remember Madge, don't you?

TV ACRES describes Madge's courtship with listeners as follows:

The Colgate-Palmolive Company used Madge the Manicurist as their spokesperson in a series of successful television spots from 1966-92. Working in the Salon East Beauty Parlor, Madge pre-soaked all her customer's fingernails in Palmolive's green dish washing detergent and advised them "Palmolive softens hands while you do the dishes." Madge's catchphrase was "You're soaking in it." The campaign was created by the Ted Bates Ad Agency in 1966. The Madge character was popular around the world. The French called her Francoise; the Germans called her Tilly; and the Finnish called her Marissa. The late Jan Miner, who performed the role of Madge, was quoted as saying "When I get off the plane, it's always, 'Madge!'"

Mrs. Olson of Folger's fame was equally as effective, introduced in 1963.

The TV spokeswoman for Folger's Coffee, made by Procter & Gamble. Introduced in 1963, Mrs. Olson (the late Virginia Christine), was a Swedish woman who seemed to know all the young couples in town whose husband's never asked for a second cup of coffee. Of course, that was her cue to sell them on the idea of Folger's Coffee whose catchphrases were "Mountain Grown." and "It's the richest kind." The commercials ended in 1985.

And of course, who could forget the ever-striving Charlie the Tuna who was just never good enough to be put into a can of StarKist Tuna... How about Tony the Tiger and those Frosted Flakes?

What advertisers realized was that people sell products. Whether on camera or through voice-over, personalities sell.

These characters were relevant, interesting, and often faced with the same challenges of the average person who was listening or viewing the ad.

Now, just how do you achieve the same extraordinary results with a voice actor as with an on-camera actor?

Simple.

Be sure that whoever you hire to voice your commercial has a voice that embodies the brand you are promoting.

Getting a great voice actor on the job does more for you than just get a script read. The voice actor brings that script to life and is a living testament to the brand, using their voice to convey all of the brand qualities and attributes so that the script doesn't have to, saving the copy writer time and making the ad appear more natural, thus, more persuasive.

There is nothing more persuasive than the human voice. There is something innate, primitive and personal about how one human being can affect another. This is why advertising with a person selling a product is far more effective than an announcer or text ad.

Voices can be warm, funny, insightful, authentic, trustworthy, taste, grace, strength, empathy, sincerity, interest, confidence, and so on.

Sometimes, an advertisement featuring a personality can become even more effective, particularly if the character or voice actor promoting the product is a celebrity or has celebrity status.

One of the most memorable and humorous examples Terry used was of Eugene Levy's commercial for the Gershwin musical Crazy For You.

By renaming his daughters Ira and George, hearing only from his wife through lawyers, and losing himself completely in the whole Crazy for You lifestyle, Eugene's performance conveyed that seeing the Gershwin musical would change your life or have a significant impact. His character, Norman, who had changed his name to Norman Gershwin, made all of this clear through the recanting of the incredible lengths he had gone to just because he was crazy for Crazy for You.

If that didn't draw in mammoth sales, I don't know what else could have done better.

Eugene Levy's endorsement along with this performance as the newly christened Norman Gershwin was over the top, funny, and whimsical, the perfect combination for the theatre company to draw a crowd, regardless of if the show was playing on Broadway or at the local community theatre.

After reading this, how do you feel your ads line up?

I hope this topic of conversation is as inspiring to you as it is for me :) Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

When you listen to the radio, you're likely to be in a vehicle facing numerous distractions and performing actions like catching a green light, stopping for pedestrians, and checking your mirrors. What do you remember from a radio ad?

Amid all the distractions, whether in a car or not, it is increasingly difficult to remember every word that is said in a radio commercial.

This is why experts are encouraging advertising agencies to limit their commercial copy (script) to 80 words or less in order to convey their message.

What are the benefits of less words in a commercial?

1. A more moderately paced voice-over
2. More concise copy
3. Higher percentage of listeners who retain your message

Think of what would happen if you had to write down a commercial, word for word, after only hearing it once. Even if you were solely concentrating on that commercial, it would be hard to remember what was said verbatim, or word for word.

After this exercise, one would be able to jot down key words, or keywords - basically, the words that are most important and best convey the theme and call for action of the commercial.

Take those words, form your copy around them, and be sure that each word is relevant to your script. :30 is not a long time to get in 80 words, so they had better be the words that count.

Where did we get the notion of 80 words or less? Check out Warren Johnson's Unsolicited Marketing Advice blog for more details and helpful tips on how to minimize the length while maximizing the effectiveness of your copy.

Happy writing,

David.

A revision, when pertaining to voice-overs, is an alteration made to an existing recording, whether slight or significant. Alterations may include the pronunciation of specific words, the interpretation of a script, or changes made to update the script over time.

Ever wondered what a revision is?

A revision, when pertaining to voice-overs, is an alteration made to an existing recording, whether slight or significant.

Alterations may include the pronunciation of specific words, the interpretation of a script, or changes made to update the script over time.

Most revisions are needed because of changes at your organization.

Generally, revisions are made to recordings that you intend to use for long periods of time, and can be regarded as ongoing updates to the script.

Revisions to your audio recording may be necessary when adding new personnel, products, or re-branding. It's kind of like maintaining your vehicle, ensuring that it continues to run smoothly... revisions to your voice-overs are less expensive, but are just as important :)

Revisions to your telephone system are very common and should be implemented in a timely fashion to communicate information to your customers consistently.

When your team grows, new extensions are added, or voicemail boxes need to be recorded, it is customary to return to the same voice actor who recorded your phone system originally and hire them to record "revisions" to your script.

This is one of the reasons why it is important to maintain good business relationships with voice actors. Some voice actors even have special discounted revision prices for their clients.

It's definitely something you should ask about when you select a talent to record. Knowing this ahead of time may save you a great deal of money in the long-term.

Summer has the effortless ability to make people buy things and get outdoors. This is perfect for industries such as travel and tourism along with seasonal activities and hot spots that get an extra boost from visitors far and near.

It really feels like summer now, doesn't it? The heat, the sudden rain showers, the smog... (cough!)

That aside, we are about to enter into a new season of advertising. With summer come a host of irregular events, promotions, and of course, the summer holidays.

Summer has the effortless ability to make people buy things and get outdoors. This is perfect for industries such as travel and tourism along with seasonal activities and hot spots that get an extra boost from visitors far and near.

People want to get out, explore, do something different...

It's a time for families, vacations, festivals, beaches, concerts, summer sales, blockbuster movie releases, and adventures...

On the immediate horizon, there are national holidays to consider. First, there's Canada Day on July 1st and then there's the American Independence Day on July 4th.

Have you got your thinking caps on for something new and exciting?

Remember that for all the advertising you do in the summer sun, you'll need a champion voice to voice your ad :)

You'll have no trouble finding the perfect voice with us, your #1 Destination for voice-overs.