How I Earned $44/Hour Writing Radio Ads Online — And You Can, Too
It’s not hard work, but it is tedious - Rachel Yerks
Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash
Disclaimer: There is one referral link included at the end of this article that benefits me monetarily if you decide to use it. It rewards both of us with $10 when you successfully complete a project.
I’ll get straight to the point for those who want to do their own research: The website is called Write Label and it will reliably pay you using Stripe. I’ll walk you through the application process, how the site works, writing strategies, and why I no longer write radio ads.
Don’t let the long article discourage you. Writing radio ads is a great skill to learn and the process is quite fun in the beginning. You don’t need any significant skills to apply to write radio ads.
How Write Label works
Write Label is a website where businesses order multiple drafts of radio ads for their advertising needs. To write for Write Label, you are given a sample test as an “application.” The writing brief will tell you about a business and ask you to write an ad for it. Your “application” will then be reviewed and you’ll be on your way to writing in a few days.
You don’t need to know anything about writing radio ads to pass the test — I didn’t, but there are some tips later in this article for the overachievers.
Once you are a new writer, you’ll be able to select projects from the projects board. Some projects guarantee $1–2 for every writer who submits a radio ad. These briefs are typically limited to 5 writers. If you see a project you want, grab a ticket, and begin. You can only work on one ticket at a time. Once you have submitted your radio ad, you can grab another ticket and write another radio ad.
Don’t worry — writing the ads is pretty self-explanatory. Once accepted, you can see other writer’s ads and mimic them until you get the hang of it. Just don’t copy them exactly or you will likely get removed from the writer pool.
After Write Label’s editors have cleaned up your ad [with no additional work required from you], the client looks at your ad and the 4 other submissions and picks their favorite(s).
For example, let’s say the project pool is $40, with $1 guaranteed for each of the first five writers’ submissions. Therefore, each writer gets $1, and $35 is left. If the client favorites one piece, that writer walks away with the $35 + $1 they got for submitting. Sometimes a client will favorite multiple submissions and that $35 will be split between writers. If a client doesn’t favorite a piece, the project pool is split between radio ads the editors think are the best.
Tips & tricks for making the most money
If you want to maximize your time and effort, only write for projects that guarantee a $1–2 radio ad submission payment. That way, if yours isn’t picked as the client’s favorite, you get paid something.
If you manage to finish your ticket quickly and realize there are still tickets available for the same project, grab another one. Slightly alter your ad to create another unique ad and submit it. Then you’ll have a 2/5 chance of one of your radio ads being chosen, granted people don’t slip in additional tickets while the 5th ticket holder takes their sweet time*.
Timing is important on Write Label. Sometimes the system lets more than 5 people submit radio ads for a project if the people with the first 5 tickets are taking a long time to submit their radio ads*. Once the first 5 ticket holders submit, the project closes. This process can lead to more competition, so if you are up late [or early] when fewer people are online, try to do tickets then for better odds.
My personal experience with Write Label
My “application,” aka test radio ad, was terrible. Write Label still accepted me, and during my time writing for them I refined my ads. I actually got lucky on my very first radio ad and earned $10 right off the bat, but it took a while to have another success.
To date, I have earned $71.33 on Write Label. Questionable, right? Why have I only earned that much money when I can earn $22 in 30 minutes or $44/hour?
Writing radio ads is extremely tedious. You write in a little text bubble that measures your text to make sure it falls within 30 seconds. You need to mention the business name 2–3 times in that space, plus any “essential” information the business included in their project brief. You can only write so many car salesmen’s ads before feeling déjà vu. [Can’t tell your friends any of the cool businesses you write for, either. They’re confidential!]
Some days you won’t earn $44/hour. You’ll earn $8/hour, which is okay but nothing to write home about. For writers starting out and side hustlers, it’s a great website. I still go back every once and a while and write a couple of ads and hope to get favorited, but Write Label is not where I focus my time. I prefer writing articles, like this one, for you.
Overall, I had a great time at Write Label, and I will continue to write for them for fun every once in a while, but it is too tedious for me to do every day. They do have some writers who make over $2,000 a month, but they are in a league of their own.
If you do decide to give Write Label a whirl, here is my referral link. Disclaimer: I will receive a monetary benefit if you use my link. $10 for me, $10 for you.
Thanks for reading.
Written by: Rachel Yerks