This post [Radio Marketing Nexus: Dumb Questions about Radio Advertising] got me thinking about radio ads.

I’ve written thousands of them. Really. To be honest, most of them were bad. Most were about transactional business, full of hype and sounded like just about every other ad on the radio. It wasn’t until I learned a few secrets that I started doing it right and that’s a part of what eventually led me away from the radio business.

We all have a built-in hype detector. I’m not making this up. It’s built-in and hard-wired. (on this brain map it’s called Broca’s Area) It detects hype and protects us from it, or ignores it.

If the people who write your radio ads would just become attuned to their own hype detector, they would identify the stuff as it flows out of their brains and onto the page. If they have faulty hype detectors in their brains, as can happen with years of radio, then they must have someone review their copy and scan it for hype.

You probably use yours every time you hear an ad. Just listen to that little voice. The ad says “We’re the tri-state area’s SUV Headquarters!” and your little hype detector says…”ALERT! THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS AN SUV HEADQUARTERS!” Or, the ad says “For all your ______ needs” and the hype detector says “B.S.! Prove that you can fill my needs!”

You’ll make your ads more believable if you just listen to that little voice that says you’re filling your ad with hype. Be real. Be honest. Don’t make unsubstantiated claims.