How Do You Write A Public Service Announcement

What is a PSA (Public Service Announcement)?

A public service declaration (PSA) is a short, community-oriented message that radio stations air at no cost in order to fulfill their obligation to serve the public interest. PSAs are a cost-effective way for not-turn a profit organizations to raise awareness about the benefits their organizations provide. Radio stations receive PSAs as audio files – typically recorded as :30 or :sixty-2d letters. These files can be accompanied by scripts for announcers to read live on air. Through appropriate distribution, they tin be targeted to preferred demographics and markets.

Radio stations have a vested interest in serving their communities, and they really do desire to help promote your non-profit bulletin. Nonetheless, depending on the time of year and the markets yous want to achieve, there might be dozens of other organizations competing for airtime.

Hither is our list of the top v things you can implement as you conceive, write and produce your public service declaration to ensure your message reaches and resonates with the right audience.

How to Write a PSA (Public Service Announcement)

1. Be Authentic

PSAs must be linked to a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organization with local or national recognition. One way to ensure that your public service proclamation gets the attention of radio station public affairs directors is to include an entreatment on your organizational letterhead, signed by your communications manager or your president. You lot'll also want to direct their attention to your website and social media pages where they can find more than information almost your organization. If you lot are active and making an impact in your community, it should be visible online which will help increase your credibility and improve your odds of having your bulletin air.

Every station has a different vetting procedure, but here'south a typical example from a station website of their requirements for submitting a PSA:

To Submit a PSA please electronic mail our Public Affairs Director with the following info:

501(c)(3) Charity/NonProfit official name
Description of event, initiative or cause
Name of outcome, date, time and location, and a website if in that location is one.
Description of who your arrangement benefits, and how donations work (what portion of the proceeds become to the beneficiaries)
Your name, title and phone number

2. Keep It Uncomplicated – Easy – Quick

The key to getting a quick response is to make information technology uncomplicated for stations to admission the PSA and reply. Provide them with an easy way to download the PSA and script from a website and an automated way to let you know if they're using it. Years agone, we would record the PSAs onto CDs which nosotros mailed to stations with an introductory letter of the alphabet, a copy of the script, and a self-addressed stamped postcard for them to respond. It worked fine then, simply now our PSAs are submitted digitally and we get a much higher rate of participation and trackable response.

3. Carefully Select Format & Delivery

It'south best to create both a :thirty 2d (65-xc words) and a :60 second (150-180 words) version of your public service announcement and to include the scripts of both versions, or alternating scripted versions. Some stations won't air the produced piece just volition instead enlist one of their hosts to read information technology on-air — we call that a "live reader." For an American Cancer Lodge PSA, nosotros produced recorded versions of a threescore-second and 30-second PSA, and a fifteen-2nd live reader script also, afterward several stations requested something shorter than the thirty-2d selection.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY PSA

YOUR Option :60 2d SCRIPT

Y'all Now Accept OPTIONS. IT'South YOUR CHOICE!

Did y'all know tests that could save your life from cancer are now available for picayune or no cost, cheers to the wellness care constabulary called the Affordable Care Human action?

Permit this be the yr you go screening tests that can prevent cancer or detect information technology early, when information technology's most treatable.

Don't let concerns go in your way. Talk to a doctor or other medical professionals to learn more than about the best cancer testing options for you.

At present Y'all HAVE OPTIONS. Information technology'S YOUR Choice! LET'South Practise THIS!

To learn more than about how the health care constabulary can help you and your family get tested for cancer, contact your American Cancer Society at cancer.org or phone call 1-800-227-2345 that's 1-800-227-2345.

And for answers to questions almost the police force or enrolling in a health intendance plan, visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY PSA

YOUR Option :thirty Second SCRIPT

YOU At present Have OPTIONS. IT'S YOUR Pick!

Did you know that tests that could relieve your life from cancer are now available for lilliputian or no cost, thanks to the healthcare law called the Affordable Intendance Act?

Let this be the year you get screening tests that tin forbid cancer or detect it early, when it's virtually treatable.

Don't permit concerns go in your manner. Talk to a physician or other medical professional to learn more about the best cancer testing options for you.

AMERICAN CANCER Guild PSA

YOUR OPTION :fifteen SECOND SCRIPT

Did you know that tests that could save your life from cancer are at present available for little or no price, cheers to the healthcare police force chosen the Affordable Care Act?

Contact your American Cancer Society at cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345.

And for answers to questions well-nigh the police, visit HealthCare.gov or call i-800-318-2596.

Hearing a few examples might as well be helpful as you think nigh how to write a public service announcement. You can hear a :xxx 2nd and a :60 second instance that nosotros produced for the USDA called "Eat Smart, Play Hard," on healthy nutrient choices and staying active. See our Public Service Announcement page.

Keep in heed that emails with multiple attachments (like audio files) from unknown senders ofttimes go flagged by an email server as spam. To help forbid that from happening, craft an introductory email that includes a letter of the alphabet, the text of the PSA, and a link to a website or a Dropbox binder from where stations can easily download the audio and scripts.

This is where our experience and digital grooming work for you. Let MediaTracks Communications manage all the parts and pieces of non only drafting your message but likewise the digital commitment system to maximize ease and efficiency of distribution.

Stations ofttimes schedule the rotation of their PSAs weeks or even months in advance. If y'all are promoting a time-sensitive consequence, y'all'll want to begin reaching out to stations 6-8 weeks prior to the event date. For content that is Health and Wellness Awareness related, consult our calendar to help yous programme ahead.

iv. Follow-up & Rails

Some radio stations may mail service a disclaimer about PSAs saying that "due to the volume received, we are not able to acknowledge receipt of your submission." This is why it is essential that your entrada employs a well-planned effort to follow-up through phone calls and emails to as many stations as possible. This subsequent contact is also some other opportunity to pitch the merits of your cause and persuade the station representative into airing your PSA.

Brand information technology easy for stations to respond to your request for airing a PSA, fifty-fifty if the answer is "no, cheers." We've had a lot of success with including a short response form on the aforementioned website page where stations download the audio and scripts. For a recent PSA about Opioid Abuse targeted to the Land of Illinois, we used an online course, and followed up with emails and telephone calls, resulting in nearly l% of the responding stations using it as recorded, or doing alive reads.

five. Mensurate Success – What is a good response?

The frequency and duration of how stations air public service announcements vary greatly. Some of the bigger stations might commit to daily airings for only a few weeks, depending on how many other PSAs they are running at the aforementioned time. However, if the content is "evergreen," meaning that the PSA isn't connected to a specific event in time and doesn't contain information with an expiration appointment, information technology might be put into on-air rotation for several months. Expect a diversity of air dates and time slots.

Some stations give priority to local nonprofits and it'south impossible to know how many other organizations are also competing for airtime, so a usage rate of 35-50% is considered a success. Anything higher up 50% is a home run!

Side by side Steps for your Public Service Declaration

Radio PSAs provide highly cost-constructive, community-focused outreach for charitable organizations. While there are costs associated with writing, product, targeting, distribution, tracking and reporting, the airtime you get on radio stations is ultimately gratis.

Radio reaches more than 243 meg consumers weekly. At MediaTracks Communications we are dedicated to using AM/FM Radio to distribute your message and advance your cause. A well written and produced public service announcement can deliver enormous exposure and do good for both your organisation and the communities it serves. We offer a full range of PSA services including scripting, production, station targeting, distribution, tracking and reporting to ensure the bulletin gets heard by the widest possible audience. You lot can acquire more about that here or contact us today to get started.