Radio advertising is a big favorite amongst business owners because it is affordable and effective. However for those that want to reduce costs even further, there are definitely ways of doing so.
- Write It Yourself
Charging a writer to create an advertisement definitely has its benefits. For one, they are more adept to crafting an ad that will resonate with the listener. There’s an art to writing a radio commercial that engages the listener, gives all the relevant details and has a call to action all within 30 seconds.
However if you do a little bit of research, you can probably manage writing one yourself. This will cut out some of the cost.
- Voice It Yourself
Voicing your own commercial will cut radio advertising costs pretty significantly. In Perth, a professional VO artist can cost anywhere between $400-$500 per 30sec commercial, so you can keep that in your pocket if you do it yourself.
Normally I’m against business owners doing their own commercials. One of the biggest talents that voice over artists have is that they are able to sound natural when speaking. Amateurs tend to sound more stiff and awkward over the radio, which hurts the message.
If the idea of voicing your own radio ad scares you, there is another alternative. Normally voice talent management agencies have people they are ‘trying out’ before adding them to their list of talent. These are people who are trying to get into voice over work, have a great voice, but little to no experience. If you ask one of these agencies if they are trying out new people at a discounted rate, they might let you use one of their people. Although it might take more time to get the right take, this can be a way to get a professional sounding ad while reducing radio advertising costs.
- Look For A Smaller Studio
Unfortunately, you can’t really cut corners with the recording process – you need to get a radio ad done at a professional recording studio. If you don’t its going make your ad sound remarkably lower quality and the sound levels will be off. Also the radio stations may refuse to run the ad.
However, you can look for a smaller recording studio or one that is still trying to get off the ground. Most recording studios that are just beginning usually offer discounted rates as they try to build their client base. Looking on sites like Gumtree or inquiring with university recording studios can help you find discounted rates.
In an ideal world, I would be against cutting radio advertising costs and opt for the higher quality option, which will give you far better results. But if you’re going to go for a more cost-effective option, take this advice into account and keep the quality as high as possible.
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