You’ve heard it over and over again that with the rise of voice assistants, there’s more pressure for advertisers and agencies to communicate with consumers via audio. For brands that are willing to try new things and get creative, audio is a big opportunity to reach more people than ever before. Radio alone reaches more than 245 million people weekly, that is larger than both Facebook and Google.
Technology has opened the content floodgates and media consumption habits have changed in response. Less than ten years ago, we couldn’t have imagined the level of engagement involved in content consumption. From smart speakers that tell you jokes to streaming podcasts with personalized ads, consumers are spending a more time enjoying screenless media. Even broadcast radio isn’t immune to these changes. With the simple click of a button, consumers can access their favorite radio station in New York City, listen to news updates in Chicago, or sing along to pop music during their morning commute in Los Angeles.
Here are a few tactics that you can adopt to crank up your brands volume in a screenless world.
Identify your sonic brand
The use of sounds to reinforce a brand’s identity isn’t a new concept, but the term “sonic branding” is just starting to catch some buzz. Think about some of the sounds and jingles that you already associate with brands. That’s sonic branding in action.
Research published by The Harvard Business Review illustrated that “the strategic use of sound can play an important role in positively differentiating a product or service, enhancing recall, creating preference, building trust, and even increasing sales.”
What does your brand sound like? If you aren’t sure, this blog post further explains sonic branding.
Use data to enhance your creative
Until recently, the world of audio advertising has been full of blind spots, but that has changed thanks to access to software that provides data and insights into campaign performance. This new information allows you to connect with consumers at the right time and place with the right message. Plus, it allows you to get creative.
For example, you can target a specific life stage such as first time home buyers and cater your ad copy to speak to them directly. This allows you to be very specific about what you are selling so you can better connect with consumers.
Data is key because it provides an authentic look at listeners music preferences, ad effectiveness, and lifestyle details. Streaming data, for example, shows audio services each time a play is initiated, every time a song is purchased or downloaded, how much time they spend listening, etc.
Personalize your ads
We all respond better to audio ads that speak to us. Personalized marketing based on consumer interests and preferences is on the rise as brands increasingly embrace targeted one-to-one marketing. According to Epsilon research, 80 percent of consumers are more likely to do business with a company if it personalizes the consumer experience.
Many audio platforms have the ability to target users by more than the typical radio demographics, these days. Personalization allows you to cut down on the amount of copy and make more impactful statements. For example, you can schedule event triggers that track the current score of a big game. This allows you to target the winning team’s fans with a very specific call-to-action such as, “Congrats on the big win X fans! Come celebrate at X and we’ll give you 15% off of your entire purchase!”
The importance of audio ads is quickly growing as we move away from screens and embrace more IoT devices. Don’t wait to turn up your audio strategy, the audio revolution is happening now. We can’t wait to hear you!
Have you been working on a new audio strategy? Chat with us on Twitter!
