There’s a shift in the digital audio landscape. Although traditional radio still holds a large part of the audio advertising share, more and more people are moving to streaming platforms like iHeartRadio, Spotify and Pandora. The average US adult will spend more time listening to digital audio than listening to radio in 2020 (a difference of 4.4 minutes). This shift provides businesses a cost-effective advertising option to reach their target audience where they are.
Audio content is flexible and can be streamed on a variety of devices like desktop, smart phones, and smart speakers. Consumers are tuning into their interests where it’s convenient for them. They’re streaming news, music, podcasts, audiobooks and more for entertainment and education in the car, while running errands, or during their workouts. There are 204 million digital audio listeners in the US, making digital audio the second most popular digital activity based on time spent next to video.
Why should businesses use audio advertising?
Audio advertising generates awareness. Ads play before, during or after the streaming content very similar to video advertising – but without the visuals. Programmatic audio advertising can target consumers by demographic, interest, geolocation, device type, genre, playlist, and more.
This tactic works well as a component of a strategic marketing plan and is a great opportunity for retail and consumer goods industries to reach a broad audience. Another benefit of advertising on streaming audio services is the large portion of listeners who utilize free services, which typically serve ad units in an un-skippable format. Not only are audio ads cost-efficient, but they are more precise in targeting and offer a personalized experience for listeners.
How do you measure audio ads?
Every digital marketing tactic should be tracked so that you can measure its effectiveness. For audio advertising, users aren’t typically clicking a link to visit your website or purchase a product. You’ll need to utilize different metrics than on more visually-driven digital advertising campaigns. Get creative and implement dedicated promotional URLs or promo codes in your ad copy to track visits, reach and awareness. Your campaign’s key performance indicators may include:
- Impressions – Ad tagging will help you track and verify launches through music-stream platforms and audio podcasts.
- Results – You can easily track campaign results for native ads, voice-activated ads, and companion ads.
- Research – Engage third-party verification vendors to analyze programmatic audio ad campaigns and improve your advertising strategy.
Audio Ads that Resonate
When compared to more visual ad tactics, audio ads are relatively easy to create – but the secret to a great ad is in its messaging. Streaming audio ads are generally 30 second long and roughly 55-75 words. Types of ads available depend on the placement, so you have to tailor your message and its delivery to the platform. For example, podcasts allow pre-produced ads or native ads; whereas streaming services can include a wider variety: cross-device audio, display ads, sponsored sessions, video takeovers, and sponsored content.
30 seconds is not a long time to leave a memorable impact on your audience. Like with any ad, you’ll need to test what resonates most with your audience. According to Spotify, ads with a direct call-to-action have ~3x higher click-through rates than those with none. You call to action can be simple:
- Tap to find a location
- Visit mywebsite.com/audio
- Use promo code “audio” at checkout
How Back40 Can Help
Our marketing experts strategically research the most effective platform for audio ad effectiveness, selecting the streaming services that relate to your audience. Our team will manage content creation, production of your audio message, optimize for performance, and send you the monthly reports. Advertising doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming. Contact us today to schedule your one-on-one consultation.
