Reaching Target Audiences with Digital Audio Advertising
From 20th-century families with one radio to 21st-century silhouettes dancing in Apple commercials, how we tune into our favorite music has evolved exponentially. Specifically, digital audio is set to thrive with new streaming services, podcast networks, and smart devices being introduced every year. “Many people listen to streaming platforms for music or podcast entertainment while they are doing day-to-day activities,” said Olivia Frankian, Senior Account Manager. “People are constantly streaming on their smartphones, so digital audio advertising has become an important marketing channel due to the spike in podcast and radio consumption.”
Digital Audio vs. Traditional Radio
Audio-only advertising on the radio has been a standard practice for years, but digital audio marketing expands and improves upon this format. Rather than being limited to a specific time slot or station with traditional radio advertising, digital audio advertising provides a higher level of customization with advanced targeting capabilities. “Even if a client has strict conversion goals, digital audio is still such an essential part of any media mix!” said Catlyn Wyatt, Director of Sales, Southeast Region. “While audio is traditionally more of a branding unit, we’re able to see users down the sales funnel with conversion tracking.”
According to a recent projection from eMarketer, the average amount of time users listen to digital audio channels is on track to exceed the amount of time spent listening to traditional radio. The increased time spent with this channel, paired with consistently high completion rates and visual aids, makes digital audio an ideal way to reach your target audience. “People will listen to the full ad to get back to their audio content,” said Sarah Taylor, Director of Campaign Operations. “Companion banners are also a good way to reinforce the ad, reaching the consumer via both their ears and their eyes.”
Digital Audio: An Optimistic Future + Best Practices
Data collected and projected for digital audio shows a continuous rise to prominence and an optimistic outlook on future consumption. The number of worldwide streaming users has steadily increased since 2010, and Statista projects that the number of streaming users in the U.S. is expected to grow to 136.3 million by 2025.
With such a positive outlook for this channel worldwide, making the most out of this placement is critical for modern media strategies. Designing an effective campaign relies on creating a personalized audio ad that will resonate with targeted listeners. We provide a comprehensive outline for building effective digital audio ads and recommend the below best practices –
Understand Your Audience
- Personalized ads see higher engagement. Know your listeners and address the individual
Get to the Point
- Introduce yourself, your business, and your purpose within the first few seconds of the ad. Present your benefit in a direct, simple manner – less is more!
Include a Clear Call-to-Action
- Asking the listener to complete an action can increase click-through rates by 3x
Use a Conversational Tone
- Include on-brand messaging and conversational keywords, but avoid jarring sound effects
Digital Audio Consumption Drives Advertiser Spending
Trends in media consumption inform and power trends in advertiser spending. “Streaming ad formats in general have seen a huge increase in ad dollar allocation, and brands are positioning themselves on channels that are increasing in user media consumption exponentially year-over-year,” said Brandon Courtney, Director of Business Development. “Advertisers will follow these patterns and continue to allocate ad dollars wherever their target audience is consuming media.”
Information for today’s blog came from Statista and eMarketer. See our Audio Advertising One-Sheeter to learn more about our offering and follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest industry trends!
