LISTEN TO THE RADIO - WRITE BETTER E-CONTENT

Recently, I was asked to write a radio program for a non-
profit organization. I had worked in broadcast journalism
for many years before I switched to online communications
and really enjoyed getting back to my radio roots.

But something interesting happened as I was writing the
script. Over and over again, I noticed just how much radio
writing and effective web content have in common:

=>Both depend on high impact, attention-getting statements:
"Weight loss without misery is possible if you..."; "The
President has been found in a compromising position...";
"Want to know how to get your teens to talk to you?"

=>Both forms benefit from short, punchy sentences that use
basic language and get to the point fast. E-business
consultant Philip Say even uses radio lingo when he
explains how to write strong e-mail newsletters and sales
letters.

He says, "Sound bites are the most effective way to grab
the attention of the reader. The challenge today is to
deliver short, meaningful messages that will initiate a
conversation with your audience. You have to pack a punch
into 50 words or fewer."

The average 30-second radio commercial has only 50 to 80
words. So writing a radio spot for your online product or
service is a good exercise in how to write tight. And it's
a good lesson in ruthless editing, possibly the hardest and
most important part of the writing process!

=>Both radio and web content communicate better without
jargon or foreign terms. I once used the French word
"ennui" instead of "boredom" in one of my marketing
articles. As a result, the piece sounded pretentious and
I looked like a twit.

=>Both radio and web writing are improved by personality.
Think about the radio announcers you like best. Probably
you enjoy their voices as much as what they say. Your
online content needs a voice too. For a good example of
this, check out the very distinctive personality of The
Newbie Club (http://www.newbieclub.com), which carries
right over into their newsletters.

=>The audience must come first. Radio announcers often
pretend they are talking to just one person, imagining
that person's age, their lifestyle, their hopes and dreams.
(I once worked for a very earnest radio station that had
the production staff dress up a life-size doll to represent
their ideal demographic - sort of a crash test dummy for
target marketing!) You don't have to go that far, but aim
what you're saying/writing to that one person who
represents your target audience. They are the reason for
what you do.

Now start listening to radio with a critical ear. Practice
writing content as if it's for radio. It may help you inject
some real personality into your ads, e-zine or website.