How to Use Audio Advertising in a Digital Marketing Strategy

People listen to a lot of audio by streaming music, podcasts and digital radio. And all that programming provides a lot of opportunity to deliver your targeted message in way you might not be able to with display ads, social posts and emails.

Of course, building audio advertising into your digital marketing strategy also supports your presence in other marketing channels.

What is Audio Advertising?

Audio advertising is the digital equivalent of a radio commercial. Instead of running the content on broadcast channels, though, your spots play on platforms that stream music and podcasts, such as Spotify, Pandora and Apple Podcasts. They’re also used on digital radio stations and smart speakers, like Amazon Echo and Google Nest.

The advantage is in the way you buy ads. They run through the same digital ad platforms you use for search and social content, so you can choose the audience you want to reach, track how each spot performs and adjust your budget as needed.

Most audio ads fall into the following categories: pre-roll (before the content starts), mid-roll (inserted into the middle) or post-roll (after it ends).

Types of Audio Advertising

Streaming music ads: Played between songs on Spotify, Pandora and SiriusXM, these ads are useful for high-reach awareness campaigns and demographic targeting.

Podcast ads: Podcast fans are engaged with and value the shows they choose, driving strong brand recall through host-read ads and sponsorships.

Digital radio ads: These audio ads run on Internet-streamed broadcasts and digital stations. They combine the familiarity of traditional radio with the targeting and reporting benefits of digital distribution.

Programmatic audio: You can buy ads across multiple audio inventory sources at once, with real-time targeting, frequency caps and reporting on a single dashboard.

Smart speaker and voice ads: Served through devices like Amazon Echo and Google Nest, those ads are often paired with voice skills. They’re effective for reaching at-home audiences in a low-friction environment.

Incorporating Audio Advertising into Your Strategy

Audio ads are another touchpoint that can drive your audience through the business funnel. Here’s how:

Top of funnel for brand awareness: Streaming music and digital radio campaigns put your brand in front of large, demographically targeted audiences. A memorable campaign can build name recognition in the markets where you want to establish yourself.

Middle of funnel for consideration: Podcast ads work especially well here. Listeners have faith in the hosts they listen to, so an endorsement or well-placed mid-roll ad can move people from passive awareness to active interest. Pair the audio with retargeting display or paid social ads to keep your brand top of mind after the spots end.

Bottom of funnel for engagement and conversion: Programmatic audio with geographic, behavioral or first-party audience targeting allows you to deliver promo codes, limited-time offers and store-locator calls to motivate people who are close to making a purchase. Vanity URLs, dedicated landing pages and unique offer codes help tie your audio back to revenue.

How to Build an Audio Advertising Strategy

A strong audio campaign begins with a clear plan, the right channel mix and creative that draws and holds attention for 30 seconds. Here’s a framework:

1. Define your goals and KPIs: To grow awareness, drive site traffic and generate leads, match each goal to a measurable key performance indicator, such as visits, impressions, reach, listen-through rate.
2. Know your audience: Use your first-party data to define who you want to reach, where they listen and what they listen to.
3. Choose the right channel: Select the channel based on your audience’s preferences. Streaming music is best for wider reach, podcasts can build intent and trust, programmatic ads for precision and smart speakers to make in-home connections.
4. Use clear, memorable messaging: Listeners don’t scroll back. Lead with your brand, deliver one message and repeat your call to action and URL or phone number at least twice.
5. Build a measurement plan: You can track audio ad performance via pixel-based attribution, lift studies, promo codes, vanity URLs and post-campaign surveys.

Integrating Audio Ads with Other Digital Channels

Audio performs best as part of an integrated digital strategy. You can pair audio campaigns with paid social and search retargeting, so listeners see follow-up content the next time they pick up their phone. Maintain a consistent value proposition across channels so each touchpoint reinforces the last.

Content marketing and email give you more space to put ad messaging to work. Repurpose a podcast or radio spot as a short clip in a blog post, a snippet in your newsletter or a transcript embedded on a landing page.

Why You Need Audio Ads

Increased audience reach: People listen to audio even when they’re not on their phone or computer. That gives you opportunities to connect with them while they’re exercising, driving, working and cooking.

Strong brand recall: Vocal talent, music and sound design can create emotional associations that outperform text-only creative in brand recall.

Engaged listeners: Podcast and streaming audiences opt in to the content they consume, which means you’re speaking to listeners who are more attentive.

Flexible targeting: Modern audio ad targeting options include geography, demographics, listening behavior, device and even daypart and weather, so you can create ads based on the moment.

Cost-efficient testing: Programmatic platforms let you A/B test content, adjust frequency and reallocate spending, which keeps costs manageable.

Integrate Audio Advertising with Expert Assistance

Audio advertising is one piece of the integrated strategies we build for our clients. At TouchStone Digital, we handle the creation, implementation and reporting that goes into an audio campaign. We work closely with our sister agencies to produce broadcast-quality audio ads that bring your content to life. Contact us to learn how audio ads can elevate your brand.