How to write an ad script for radio, sound trucks and in-store speakers

A spoken ad gets one shot. The listener can't scroll back, can't zoom in on the fine print and usually isn't paying full attention. They are driving, shopping, walking past your door or half-listening to the radio while they cook. A good script accepts that and is built to be understood the first time.

The structure below works for a radio spot, a sound truck running through a neighborhood and a message on the speakers by your front door. The length changes. The logic doesn't.

The four parts of a spoken ad

At a normal speaking pace, 30 seconds holds about 70 to 75 words in English. That is less than most people expect, so every part has to earn its place.

Hook

The hook names the listener or their problem. "Dog owners on the east side" works better than "Attention, attention." A question can work, a sound can work, and a plain statement of the problem often works best: "Your kids' sneakers don't fit anymore. Again."

Avoid opening with the store name. Nobody stops for a name they don't know yet. Earn the attention first, then tell them who you are.

Offer

One offer per spot. If you have a sale on bread, coffee and birthday cakes, pick the one that brings people in and mention the rest in the store. Be specific: "Two loaves of sourdough for eight dollars" is something the brain can hold. "Great deals on baked goods" is not.

Say the price the way a person would say it. Write "eight dollars" or "nine ninety-nine" in the script, not "$9.99", so whoever reads it (or the AI voice) doesn't stumble.

Proof or benefit

This is the reason to choose you instead of the place down the street. Keep it to one idea:

• "Baked every morning at five."
• "Family-owned on Main Street since 1987."
• "Free nail trim with every grooming."
• "Eye exams in thirty minutes, no appointment."

One concrete fact beats three adjectives. "Fresh, delicious, high-quality" means nothing because everybody says it.

Call to action

Tell them the next step and make it easy: come in today, call, stop by before Sunday. Then give the location in a way people can remember. "Corner of Fifth and Oak, across from the post office" is better than a full street address with a ZIP code. A landmark sticks.

Repeat the store name at the end. In a 30-second spot, the name should appear at least twice. On a sound truck, where people catch the message mid-sentence, repeat it three times.

Adjusting by channel

Radio spot. You compete with music and other ads. The hook matters most. Keep a single offer and end with the name and a simple location or web address. Phone numbers are hard to remember on the radio. Use one only if it's easy ("five-five-five, two hundred") and say it twice.

Sound truck or mobile billboard truck. People hear the message from a distance, often in pieces, while the truck moves. Shorter sentences, louder delivery, the name and the offer repeated. Think 15 to 20 seconds on a loop instead of one long story.

In-store and door speakers. The person is already near you. Skip the hook and go straight to the offer and where to find it in the store: "Aisle four" or "at the counter by the register."

Common mistakes

1. Too many words. A 30-second script with 110 words forces a rushed read, and rushed reads sound like a disclaimer. Cut until it fits at a natural pace.
2. Too many offers. Each extra product halves the attention on the others.
3. No call to action. "We're here for you" is not an instruction. "Stop by today before six" is.
4. Written to be read, not heard. Long sentences with commas, parentheses and abbreviations work on paper and fall apart out loud. Read your script aloud. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long.
5. Unclear location. If people can't picture where you are, the ad helps your competitor across the street.
6. Unpronounceable numbers. "$1,299.99" is awkward to say. "Under thirteen hundred dollars" is easy.
7. Inside jokes and slogans only the owner understands. The listener has three seconds to get it.

Three before-and-after examples

Bakery, 30 seconds

Before:

Rosa's Bakery, offering the finest quality baked goods, pastries, cakes, breads and much more, with excellent service and great prices for the whole family, located at 1412 West Washington Street, Suite B. Call us at 555-0142 for more information about our products and services.

The problems: no hook, no specific offer, the address is hard to remember and "much more" says nothing.

After:

Out of bread again? Rosa's Bakery pulls fresh sourdough out of the oven every morning at six. This week, two loaves for eight dollars. Warm, crusty and gone by noon, so come early. Rosa's Bakery, on Washington Street next to the fire station. Open from six a.m. Rosa's. Bread worth getting up for.

About 60 words. Room to breathe, room for a short music intro.

Pharmacy, 15 seconds

Before:

Green Valley Pharmacy reminds the community that flu season is approaching and it is important to be vaccinated, and we offer vaccines and many other health services at our location.

After:

Flu shots, no appointment, ten minutes. Walk in today at Green Valley Pharmacy, on Route 9 next to the grocery store. Green Valley Pharmacy.

About 25 words. The listener knows what, how fast and where.

Clothing boutique, 30 seconds

Before:

Big sale! Big sale! Everything must go! Come to Ella Boutique for amazing discounts on clothes, shoes, accessories and more! Don't miss it! Ella Boutique!

After:

Summer is over, and so is our summer stock. At Ella Boutique, every dress, sandal and linen shirt is now forty percent off. When a size is gone, it's gone. Ella Boutique, on Maple Avenue across from the library. Sale ends Sunday. Ella Boutique.

The second version gives a reason for the sale, a real number, urgency with a deadline and a location people can picture. It has fewer exclamation points and more information.

Tone and voice

Match the tone to the business. A butcher shop can be warm and neighborly. An optician can be calm and precise. A gym can be energetic. If you are recording with an AI voice or a voice actor, write a one-line direction at the top of the script: "friendly, unhurried, like a neighbor recommending a place" tells the reader more than "read it well."

Leave small pauses after the offer and before the name. A pause gives the listener time to register what they just heard, and it lets the background music come up for a moment.

From script to finished spot

Once the script is right, the rest is production: voice, music, a sound effect on the right word, and the final mix for where it will play. A spot for a sound truck needs a different finish from one for Instagram or the radio. SpotFacil handles that part. You paste your script or let the ad generator draft one from your product and offer, pick a voice and a track, and choose the destination. The first spot is free, with any voice, premium included.

If you want a starting point, the generator works from the same four-part structure described here, so you can edit a draft instead of staring at a blank page.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a radio ad script be?

Most local radio spots run 30 seconds, which fits about 70 to 75 words at a natural pace. A 15-second spot fits about 35 words and a 60-second spot about 145 to 150. If your script runs longer, cut it rather than asking the voice to read faster.

How many times should I say the business name?

At least twice in a 30-second spot: once after the hook or offer and once at the end. For sound trucks and loops, where people tune in mid-message, say it three times.

Should I include a phone number in a radio ad?

Only if it's easy to remember and you say it twice. For most local businesses, a landmark location or a short web address works better because listeners can't write anything down while driving.

Can I use the same script for radio and a sound truck?

You can start from the same script, but shorten it for the truck. People hear a sound truck in passing, so a 15 to 20-second version with the name and offer repeated works better than a 30-second story.