I’ve had advertising clients share with me that total strangers will come up to them in public and tell them that they love their ads. If your advertising ever does that, it’s bound to be making an impact. But do you HAVE to hear, “We love your ads”? No. Most people won’t comment on your advertising. In fact, most people don’t remember where they’ve seen or heard your advertising anyway. Asking your customers where they heard about you is a highly inaccurate measure of advertising effectiveness. What’s a good measure? Your cash register ringing more often. But I got off track…

The clients of mine that voice their own ads, often will hear comments from their customers. It’s because we try to say things that Wow or Shock the public a little bit. We aim to “stand out” (strategically), not “blend in”. A client of mine will read a script that I’ve written for them. They’ll either say, “I love it, let’s record it, I don’t like it…or they’ll want a few changes made. It’s part of the process. The better I get to know them and understand their customers, the easier it is for me to write better ads. Ads that get attention and bring more new customers to them.

There is an advantage to being your own spokesperson on the radio. IT LET’S THEM GET TO KNOW YA! It lets them know that you have thoughts and feelings just like theirs. It lets them know you’re human. Voicing your own ads speeds up the “connecting” process with radio listeners. And “connecting” is crucial. It’s what drives your advertising effectiveness.

So…what do my clients SAY in their ads? To be very vague, everything and anything. They tell personal stories, they make fun of themselves, and they tell stories that help people understand who they are and what they stand for. And when you do that…you CONNECT!

Voicing your own ads isn’t for everyone. That’s ok. It’s just one way to create an ad campaign. It’s a tactic. There are several different ways to create radio ads.

One thing I do know…is that when radio ads are created with the intent of not sounding too much like a radio ad…it works! But the second you start “blending in” and saying things that your prospects don’t give a hoot about, your ads won’t work.

No matter who voices your ads…and no matter WHERE you advertise, the most important element is what you SAY in your advertising. It’s not the station that will make much of a difference, it’s not “drive times”…it’s what is being SAID in your ads. Always put the majority of your focus into your advertising message. THAT is what will make your advertising give you the return on investment you’re looking for…and then some.