Our guest today is Tim Burt, who’s going to give you the inside story about writing copy for radio and TV commercials. In the last 26 years, Tim has written, recorded and/or produced more than 30,000 commercials worldwide. His clients range from small businesses to global corporations to presidential campaigns

He’s the founder of TimBurtMedia.com and has created programs including Broadcast Ad Secrets, The Restaurant Marketing Series, and Broadcast Ad Secrets.

Among the publications where Tim has been featured are: Radio Ink, Huffington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.

Before we get into the good stuff, I have to tell you something that you’ll almost certainly never hear on the radio:

Copy is powerful. You’re responsible for how you use what you hear on this podcast. Most of the time, common sense is all you need. But if you make extreme claims... and/or if you’re writing copy for offers in highly regulated industries like health, finance, and business opportunity... you may want to get a legal review after you write and before you start using your copy. My larger clients do this all the time.

1) Could you explain the difference, on radio and TV, between top-of-mind advertising and direct response advertising.

2) What’s the biggest mistake you see retailers make with their advertising?

3) Please explain your concept of using a “gateway drug” on an ad.

4) On a radio or TV ad you’ve only got 60 or even 30 seconds to say something to get someone to go to a store. What are the key parts of message?

Could you give a couple examples, where you break down the message and label the parts?

5) What are some of the most interesting reasons business owners give you for NOT doing what you suggest?

(Could you mention the top two or three?)

6) How do you answer each reason (assuming the business owner is not a lost cause and it’s worth the effort to answer a reasonable objection)

7) What advice do you have for business owners who are interested in advertising on radio and TV, but aren’t ready yet?

8) What would you suggest for copywriters who’d like to branch out into working with retailers this way?

TimBurtMedia
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