Do you remember the last radio ad you heard? I can’t. And yet radio ads abound—432 a day on local radio stations. Humans have become more adept at tuning out than they have at listening.

So how do you give someone a 60-second aural experience they’ll not only listen to, but actually appreciate?

Start by acknowledging your audience’s plight. The pitches, jingles and bad acting they’re forced to slog through. This is more than likely where your competition is at, running cheap, station-produced ads made without much thought or effort.

Advertisers are already uninvited guests. Make your presence worthwhile. Give your audience something to remember. A story, a thought, a song—something funny, something touching, something they never expected.

And remember that radio is theater. You’re participating in a 2,400-year-old tradition. Write like the stage is lit and the house is full. Cast well. Today, we can bring together the best voice actors in the country without ever leaving the studio. Work with professionals—directors, sound designers, composers and engineers—who live to make great radio.

And your audience will go wild.