Why Audio, Why Now?

Why Audio, Why Now?

Before you run a display ad, you double check that the specs are correct, that all text is spelled properly, and that the colors are exactly what they should be.  

Similarly, before you run a television ad, it passes through the hands of a number of creative, production, and marketing folks to ensure that it’s on brand, accurately conveying your message, and will resonate with your target audience.

Why would – or should – audio be any different?  

Perhaps I should take a step back.  Audio and podcast consumption have grown exponentially over the last 5 years, making the immersive, one-to-one medium a powerful marketing vehicle for brands and agencies alike.

From a marketing perspective, the make-up of omnichannel buys are increasingly shifting as audio is continuously embraced as a powerful brand and marketing tool.  And why wouldn’t it be?  Let’s take a look at the latest consumption numbers:

• 38% of the US population (12+) listened to a podcast in the last month
• 73% of the US population 12+ listened to online audio in the last month
• 35% of the US population (12+) own a smart speaker
• U.S weekly podcast listeners averaged eight podcasts in the last week

At the end of the day, audio has the attention of consumers.  It’s an accompanying, complementary medium that doesn’t ask a lot of listeners in order to command their attention. It’s portable, it’s screenless, it’s downright easy.  And it’s everywhere.

If you are a brand you undoubedly have a look and feel, but do you have a sound?  If not, you could be missing out on a target audience that can’t or won’t be exposed to your brand through channels like display or video.  If you’re looking to utilize audio for branding, consider a custom audio logo and complementary functional sounds for things like in-app engagements, product sounds, and more.

If you are a brand that is looking to reach new and engaged audiences at a time and place of their choosing, consider diversifying your advertising tactics to include audio and podcast advertising.  Audio and podcast ads are incredibly effective in terms of resonating with audiences and increasing return when done right.  With the ability to research your competitors and hear what their ads sound like, see where they are running, and understand how they are resonating, you are able to create competitive ads that you can be sure will resonate with your target audience.

Want even more assurance? The beauty of audio is that you can test your ads before they are in-market and even while they are running, and use that data to increasingly optimize your ad creative for your target audience.  The result?  A better night’s sleep knowing that you will get the highest possible return on your audio investment.

Long story long, even if the concept of audio as a marketing vehicle is new to you, it doesn’t have to be scary to try. Similar to more traditional marketing channels such as display and video, there are a wealth of tools at your fingertips to help you strategize your approach to audio, understand what your competition is doing, test and optimize your creative, and measure your results.  

With more than 177 Million ears waiting to hear from you, what are you waiting for?  

Get started today!