How to write and buy great radio advertising

Planning and buying effective radio advertising isn't rocket science. It's based on a simple equation:

What you say x How you say it x How many times you say it

That's all there is to it. Simple, eh?

What you say - as with any advertising medium, if you actually want people to buy your widgets or book your widget-cleaners, you need to give people a good reason to do it. People won't flock to your store, or jam the phone lines, just by hearing you're a "family firm" and offer "good service". Try to beat the "So what?" factor. The best way to do this is to come up with something unique about your business. The second best way is to come up with a unique offer.

How you say it - an important part of the radio process but one that is all too often left to people who don't do the job right. Local radio stations, by and large, don't have the staff to put effective radio advertising together. Some are exceptions. Most sub-contract part of the work to production houses miles away, who couldn't care about your business or the radio station. Ask to meet your radio creative. Show them the business. It's the only way they'll understand it. Make friends with them, so that they want to make the advertising work, as well as you.
Mike Bersin, who is a freelance creative radio consultant, has some thoughts elsewhere on good radio creativity. All his ideas are great ones, only eclipsed by the greatness of the man himself. (He's great, in case you hadn't already realised.). I, however, have three basic rules you might care to follow. They're not as fine, or as fun, but work just great.
1. The client name goes in three times. Picture this... you hear a radio ad, prick up your ears because of a decent offer, and then... don't hear the client, because the cretinous agency idiot wrote it like a press ad, and assumed the listener could somehow rewind and hear the ad again. Put the client name in at the beginning, at the middle, and at the end. That way, nobody will be in any doubt who's paid for it.
2. The offer goes in twice. Seen a great TV ad, only not to have the faintest idea what it's on about? Fine, give a nice creative treatment of the offer. But repeat it again, simply, at the end of the ad.
3. Only think once about the length of the ad. When it's written. Don't try and fit a 30" message into a 20" ad. If it means you can only fit the offer in once, or the client name in twice, it's not going to work as well. And it'll cost the client more than the paltry 20% he's saved by losing those ten seconds.