1. How-To Guide
Public Service Announcements
Adapted from “How to Write a Public Service Announcement That Is Worth Airing, Worth Hearing
and Worth Writing!”, Kansas Association of Broadcasters
2. What is a Public Service Announcement?
A Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a free
“commercial” for a non-profit organization
It is aired voluntarily by TV/Radio Stations
To learn how to create an effective PSA, you need to
understand how to create an effective commercial
3. Step One
Start with a GOAL: What do you want to accomplish?
Your goal should focus on a specific action. The PSA
should not simply discuss the organization that created
the PSA, it should motivate the target audience to take
action
Examples: To stop smoking, to avoid using drugs, to stop
drinking and driving, etc.
4. Step Two
Establish a TARGET AUDIENCE
Select an age group that your group would like to target
with the PSA
Your PSA should contain information/content that is
relatable AND appropriate for this age group
5. Use Real Language
Have you ever noticed how some commercials speak in a
language that you only seem to hear in commercials?
“Our quality merchandise and competitive prices…”
Don‟t speak that language in your PSA!
So, what language can you use?
Your everyday language is most effective “To find out
how you can help feed a hungry family…”
6. Use Emotion
People act based on their emotional responses (this includes
your target audience!)
Can you think of a movie that you really wanted to see? If so,
you desire was likely emotional. You didn‟t analyze all of your
options or draw up a list of pros and cons and base your
decision on logic of any kind
Emotions sell, Facts don‟t
Don‟t overwhelm viewers with too many facts. The use of a
couple is effective- but, don‟t over do it!
Example: “Tonight, many of Smallville‟s children will go to
bed hungry. Unless you help”
7. Make it Personally Relatable
A PSA is a conversation with the audience
Make sure that your message is personal to them
Make it easy for them to relate to
Example: “Have you ever been hungry? Not because you were
on a diet or you didn‟t have time to eat breakfast, but
because you didn‟t have enough money to buy food?
Unfortunately that not an imaginary situation for children in
Smallville. There‟s a child in our community who will go to
bed hungry tonight… unless you help”
8. Deliver ONE Core Message
The core message is the ONE thing you want the
audience to hear, to understand and to remember
Many PSA‟s make the mistake of trying to get the
audience to take more than one action
A PSA can ask people to donate food, money or time,
but should not ask for all three in the same shot
Stick with one message and deliver it with clarity
9. Clarity
You know that your PSA is about, because you‟re the
one that created it, but that audience doesn‟t have that
advantage
The audience needs to be able to understand the
message the first time they hear/see it
Its your job to communicate. It is not the audience‟s job
to figure out what you are trying to say
10. Music
All commercials and PSA‟s should have music playing in
the background right? Wrong.
Use music only when it enhances the impact of the
message
Putting music under a boring message doesn‟t make it
any more interesting
11. Sound Effects
Sound effects can be fun, but will surely stimulate a picture
in your audience‟s mind
Example: A PSA that encourages people not to overspend on
their credit card accounts. To illustrate the point of „not
spending extra money‟, the sound effect of a cash register
ringing is used. The audience thus pictures a cash register-
but does this image do anything to encourage people to use
their cards more responsible? No
Use sound effects only if they increase the impact of the
message you are trying to communicate
12. A Good PSA…
Attracts the attention of your target audience
Speaks to the audience in their own language
Relates to the audience‟s lives
Delivers a single core message
Delivers the message with clarity
Motivates the audience to act
