How to Create Audio Commercials that Sell

Tips, Tools, Techniques for Writing and Producing Radio Ads, Audio Advertising for Podcasts, Streaming Services and more

Created by: Jim Norman
Former Creative Director/Owner, The Norman Agency

Created by: Becky Norman
Writer/Producer, The Norman Agency

What Will I Learn?

• Create effective audio ads – ones that sell your client’s or business’s products and services.
• You'll learn tips, techniques and secrets from two audio ad veterans – each with over 25 years of experience and the principals of The Norman Agency – "The Sound of Marketing®".
• You'll learn everything you need to write audio commercials that sell – and how to get them produced.
• You'll learn how to develop the all-important Creative Brief;
• Powerful opening lines you can use word for word;
• Customizable script concepts;
• How to determine production budgets;
• Where and how to get your commercials produced;
• How to find and work with professional voices;
• How to work with celebrities;
• How to work with clients who voice their own spots;
• How to create testimonial commercials that feature customers of the advertiser;
• How to find sound effects and music for your ads;
• How to present your scripts to clients;
• How to get the best out of recording sessions;
• How to give error-free scheduling instructions to radio and other media that will run your ads;
• And much more.

Requirements

• To take this course, you should have a desire to write audio commercials that sell. You should also have a stopwatch (probably on your smartphone), voice-recording software (it’s likely on your computer or cell phone already), and the willingness to read out loud – even when you’re among other people! You DON’T need to know anything about the technical side of recording.

Target audience

• This course is designed for you if you’ve never or rarely written and produced audio commercials (that is, ads for radio – AM/FM, satellite – podcasts, streaming services and other media), but you’re in one of the following groups:
• Staff Copywriters who have recently been hired by a radio station or an ad agency;
• Freelance copywriters who want to add these skills to their list of services;
• Radio station producers and freelance producers who might have to write commercials;
• Radio station sales reps who need to write commercials for their clients;
• Marketing managers who want to knowledgeably create or supervise the creation of commercials;
• Business owners who want to fully understand the whole process or write their own ads;
• Announcers or actors who want to offer audio ad writing as an additional service for their clients;
• PR practitioners who want to provide audio ads to their clients;
• Advertising and media students who want to add new skills to their job-search toolkit;
• Podcast producers and hosts who have to create commercials for their shows;
• And many others.
• This course is NOT for people who want to learn the technical skills of recording. In other words, we won’t be covering – and in this course, you don’t have to know or learn – anything about how to use production software or hardware.