Audio advertising is a relatively new form of digital marketing. With platforms like YouTube Music, Apple Music and Spotify increasing in popularity, it is one advertising channel brands cannot afford to ignore. The versatility of music and other audio mediums helps make them personal and engaging, and this is something brands can leverage in their marketing efforts. Audio ads work really well when used to introduce brands to new audiences and to keep these brands in their minds. Here are some reasons why these types of ads are able to do so.
The Audience is Becoming Bigger
In the past, radio was the only way for brands to reach their audiences through an audio medium. Now we have podcasts and various music platforms that boast audiences of millions of listeners. The audience for audio content is becoming bigger, and brands can leverage this increasing popularity to help increase their own brand awareness.
Since the pandemic started, podcast listening has grown by over 40%, and we can expect that other audio platforms and mediums saw similar increases in listenership. With podcasting and other audio mediums expected to keep growing over the coming years, we can expect to see more brands to work with these mediums to have their audio ads reach their audiences.
They Can Match the Moment
Platforms like Spotify have worked hard to ensure they deliver the right type of ads at the right moment, which is when their listeners are more receptive. The delivery of the ads at the right time as well as connections with listeners throughout the day can help deliver messaging that enhances listening experiences rather than interrupting them.
Over 70% of all Spotify listeners say they remember ads that fit their moments and settings. This is how such platforms are able to deliver up to 3x brand awareness compared to traditional campaigns with generic targeting.
They Help Create Personal Connection
Audio ads make it possible for different types of brands to create personal connections with audiences. On average, we listen to about two hours of music per day, and a majority of us can be reached through audio ads while we listen to music. When brands target us while listening to music, we subconsciously associate listening to some types of music with some brands, just like many people around the world associate flashy lights and snow in ads in December with Coca-Cola.
Such personal connections make people more aware of your brand, which increases the likelihood that they will check out your brand at one time or another.
Repeatability
Visual ads have been shown to be very effective, but the main issue they have is that they become tiring after some time; there are only so many times you can see the same ad over and over without it getting fatiguing. Since audio ads are typically shorter and more targeted than visual ads, there is a lot of potential for repeatability.
You can push an audio ad between songs or at specific times, which makes them less tiring and gives a brand the ability to reach their customer more times.
They Are Less Skippable
With visual ads, you can move on to the next video or skip the ad if you do not like it. With audio ads, they are not usually skippable which makes them perfect for brands that need to reach an audience who will not dismiss their ads after a few seconds. Listening to an ad for longer has been shown to push people to check out what the ad is about, and thus factors into increasing your brand awareness.
They Capture a Listener’s Imagination
Our brains can process audio information at incredible speeds and use this information to create mental images. Because of this, there is a lot of potential for audio storytelling. Audio ads can capture moods, communicate emotions, and engage listeners while helping fill gaps in their imaginations.
Creative ads provide a heightened emotional sensory experience, tell sequential stories through multiple ads, offer a familiarity that helps audiences associate the sound with a brand, and capture and audience’s attention. Combining all of these leads to ads that can help make the brand more memorable, which increases brand awareness.
They Can Help Shape Your Brand’s Identity
Brand identity is a huge component of brand awareness because people remember your brand according to how they imagine it. For example, some brands have struggled to not be seen as clothing brands even though they are primarily sports goods brands.
Audio ads can be used to shape your brand identity, so your brand can be identified how you want it to be. Once this happens, people start associating your brand with its identity and at this point, you will have achieved brand awareness in this particular audience.
The best thing about audio ads is that they give you enough time to change the perception your target audience has about your brand. Remember that many people listen to about two hours of audio content per day, and this is a lot of time to run ads that help change how they perceive your brand.
Unlimited Distribution
Compared to radio ads, online audio ads do not have any distribution limitations. As long as someone has an internet connection and is on the platform where your ad is playing, they can hear it no matter where they are in the world.
Although this can be very beneficial for improving brand awareness among customers in your local area, it can be incredibly useful for brands that are expanding globally. With a bit of targeting and understanding of social norms, audio ads can be crafted to reach massive audiences around the world.
Many people spend their days listening to music or some other form of audio entertainment. Getting your brand noticed when people are doing so makes a huge impact on brand recognition and awareness. Whether your brand is reaching out for the first time, is connecting with an unfamiliar audience, or connecting with one that is difficult to reach, audio ads can help in all these instances. With the growth of audio platforms, the best time to get started with audio ads is right now.
