Public Service Announcement (PSA) Radio Copy Writing Success

What if the Super Bowl television commercials were all public service announcement (PSA) advertisements rather than beer, cars and soda commercials? Imagine, The Red Cross followed by the Make A Wish Foundation and the Shriners Hospital. Would the world still remained glued to the television? If the writers approached the copy for these PSA with the same creativity as the beer commercials, we believe the answer is yes. Because a good commercial, is a good commercial. The paying customer is first in the cue. When the time arrives to write the PSA copy, the energy and enthusiasm has often expired. But it should have never evolved this way. Thanks to misguided copy departments of the past, we all suffer today with less than stellar radio public service announcements. The time to change is now. Radio stations are required to air a certain amount of PSAs each year. Because the quality is often second rate compared to other commercials in the rotation, a station cannot air these on prime time. If given the opportunity, they will. Write a good commercial, be it for soda or Cancer research and it will makes its way into the rotation. Because radio stations are begging for quality public service announcements. Scott Perreault is a radio and narration voice veteran with over twenty years of broadcasting and voice work experience. From the writing, production and development of radio campaigns to the recording of a two-hour audio book, Scott has experienced many facets of the voice business. Scott resides in both California and Minnesota.

Just be aware that they will comb through everything else you have online as part of their screening process. This doesn’t mean to get rid of anything outside of the topic area in which you’re marketing yourself; it means you need to make certain every hub is as perfect as it can be. Write, and write a lot. Write new twists on the same topic. Write shorter pieces to become adept at saying a lot with just a few words. Write longer pieces, to show you can sustain a topic in a longer format. Every time you write, you learn. Every published piece is a chance to see how you can improve when you go back and read it a month later. As long as you are willing to learn and grow from your experience, there is no such thing as wasted effort. Sometimes you’ll start a piece and not finish it; that’s okay – it’s practice, and it might have a use in the future.

Save drafts of work you don’t quite know what to do with; they might come in handy years from now. Don’t lose heart if the road seems long and bumpy, and if you don’t always know which sign leads to success. It’s rare to find a writer who hits it big the first time, with a one-shot basket into the hoop. Most writers hone their work for many years, and never quit learning. As you gain more experience, you’ll become faster and improve your writing skills. Watch how your work is edited, so you can avoid common mistakes in writing future pieces. You’ll also learn what editors want from writers; each editor and publication, whether online or in print, has its own approach. Eventually, you will find ways to convert one article into more assignments. Many small businesses need writers for contract or project work. There are many ways you can make money as a writer, so keep at it, and keep perfecting your work, and you can turn it into your career. How to WriteWriting Tips: No Excuses! How to Get Started with FreelancingRejection Letters Don’t Kill, Only Maim A Little.

Submit a CommentYou Must Sign In To CommentTo comment on this article, you must sign in or sign up and post using a HubPages Network account. Hi, Randy – thanks so much for your kind comments; I greatly admire your writing, so that means a lot to me! I’ve missed this one somehow, Marcy. Very good advice and well written, as usual. So glad you like the information here – I hope you have great success in your writing. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! Great tips. this is a very informative and welll written hub. Thanks for sharing. Voted up, awesome and useful. Hi, KDuBarry – welcome to HubPages! I’m glad you like the tips here, and I hope they help you start your new career; I look forward to reading your hubs! Thank you for these tips! It is good to know what to do, what not to do, and what to be aware of in this field. I am only twenty years old and I am attempting to start a career as a freelance writer. These are all definitely good tips I will keep close to mind when doing so; thank you very much!