Create an Audio Marketing Strategy on Any Budget

Whether realizing it or not, you’ve heard audio marketing throughout your entire life. Anyone who grew up listening to the radio or who streams music and podcasts today has surely heard their share of ads during those listening sessions. Essentially, audio marketing goes wherever you go — and is readily available when you need it.

Businesses of almost any size can take advantage of audio marketing. It’s a matter of knowing which tactics fit your budget while still delivering great results. Keep reading to learn more about audio marketing and the best ways to maximize your budget with this medium.

A Closer Look at Audio Marketing

Audio marketing is any type of ad delivered via sound without an accompanying visual. The tried-and-true radio ad is this type of marketing’s most well-known format. While these are effective for awareness campaigns at the very least, it’s difficult to assign truly accurate and informative metrics to radio ads.

The advent of digital audio marketing enables marketers to gather more specific and usable data to determine if campaigns are targeting, reaching, and converting their ideal audience. Programmatic audio ads can play during one of the many ways people listen to audio now without the general randomness that traditional radio offered.

The popularity of streaming audio is undeniable: the medium has grown 64% since 2014. People listen to music, podcasts, news, articles, audiobooks, and more through streaming services. Using audio marketing to reach your ideal customers who are already actively engaging with audio just makes sense.

Audio Marketing Trends

While traditional radio ads are still around, they’re no longer the most innovative form of audio advertising available. Here’s where audio marketing is thriving right now.

Voice search is among the most readily accessible and easy-to-use ways for businesses to connect with consumers through audio. Smart speakers reside in at least half of U.S. households, so it’s likely that your ideal customer is among that population.

Podcasts and podcast ads. Statistics show that 100 million people in the U.S. are podcast listeners, and projections show that number continuing to climb. Digital marketers have taken notice: podcast ad spending looks to exceed $2 billion by 2023. Considering the sheer number of streaming platforms — SiriusXM, Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Tidal, SoundCloud, and many others — there’s sure to be a place for your ads.

Interactive audio ads welcome audience participation. Whether it’s voicing your preference when presented with options, making a purchase, or asking to learn more, interactive ads include various CTAs to further engage listeners.

Matching Audio Tactics to Your Budget

Audio marketing options vary widely. Luckily, that means there are tactics to fit every size budget.

Small budget

Optimize your ecommerce site for voice search. In addition to requesting favorite playlists and inquiring about the weather, voice search is often used for local searches. Update your Google Business Profile and use strategic long-tail keywords in site copy. Audio is a conversational tool, and people naturally use long-tail keywords with voice commands.

If there’s room in the budget for more tactics, it’s time to look at podcast ads.

Medium budget

The number of active streaming services combined with the huge podcast-listening audience gives your team a lot of opportunities to advertise on podcasts. Figuring out the exact cost can be a little tricky. AdvertiseCast reported a cost of $18 CPM for a 30-second ad and $25 CPM for 60 seconds in 2021; however, there are numerous factors that go into pricing.

• Will the ad play pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll?
• How many listeners does the podcast average per episode?
• Will the ad be pre recorded by someone else or by the host? Or read in-show by the host?

Prerecorded ads work well for programmatic advertising. These ads can be added to podcast audio dynamically, giving your campaigns more flexibility as you learn which ads work well with what audiences. Plus, this method allows you to advertise on back catalog episodes that might carry lower costs.

Much like display and search advertising, audio ads should fit seamlessly into the listening experience. Think beyond the ad presentation and consider the topic, timing, and other contextual targeting factors when planning your strategy.

Large budget

You don’t have to limit your podcast ads to one show, or even one platform. Advertising on even one hugely popular show can contribute to an awareness campaign. Selecting smaller, more niche podcasts that directly relate to your product or industry could do more to generate genuine interest (and hopefully conversions) among listeners.

Take audience engagement one step further with interactive audio ads. This type of ad can be structured in a way that allows the listener to decline future ads (reducing your ad spend), visit a specific landing page, or ask to learn more about your product or service. Interactive audio ads can also provide a clearer picture of total listener engagement for future campaign planning.

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