Online Audio Advertising: A Brief Guide for Advertisers

When you hear the term audio advertising, you may think, “Does anyone listen to the radio anymore?” Yes, some people still listen to the radio, but we are talking about online audio advertising. 

Digital audio advertising is similar to radio ads, but these ads are heard on internet platforms, such as Spotify, Google Play, YouTube Music, Pandora, and other popular music streaming services. You can hear high-quality audio advertising examples on these every day to get an idea of what works.

Music streaming services have started taking over the audio world. Along with other audio streaming services like podcasts, these music services are a great way to reach your targeted audience. Plus, placing ads here can be cheaper than online display advertising. 

Similar to radio, individuals can take advantage of free audio services as long as they are willing to listen to ads. Your audio advertisement will be integrated into podcast episodes or play between songs. It’s that simple! 

If you have written or produced a radio ad, you could create something similar but make it sound less stuffy. Online audio ads, especially ones on audio streaming services, sound more natural because you are able to reach the audience you are actually targeting.  

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ONLINE AUDIO ADS?

Digital audio advertisements can be placed on a variety of online platforms. And creating an advertisement for, say, Spotify is different than creating an advertisement for a podcast. Why? Spotify allows short allotted times and runs ads that are more similar to radio, whereas podcast advertisements may simply be read by the podcast host during an episode and are more native. 

This may also surprise you. You wouldn’t think that this is an online audio platform, but AM/FM broadcasts are also included to some extent because most are now available online. 

ONLINE AUDIO ADS VS. TRADITIONAL RADIO ADS

Online audio advertisements are different from traditional radio advertisements, but just how different are they? Do you pay for them the same way? Do you get to choose a certain time of day your ad is aired? How does it all work? Let’s compare and contrast to gain a better understanding of the two from a marketer’s perspective. 

ONLINE AUDIO ADS

• Payment
  : Costs of online audio ads are very different from radio. With online audio ads, you pay for impressions, or the number of listeners your ad reaches. Also, certain streaming services are more expensive than others. 

• Measurement
  : With online audio advertising, you will be able to receive a lot of data about those seeing your ad. This is helpful when creating a successful campaign and trying to reach a specific demographic. You will be able to see data like how many people clicked on the ad, if the ad was skipped after the required time, and how long the ad was listened to. 

• Audience
  : One of the main benefits of online audio advertising is the ability to hone in on your target audience. Maybe you are trying to reach young adults and know the artist Ariana Grande is popular with them. You can then have your advertisement play every time an individual listens to Ariana Grande. When using digital audio advertisements, you can also use an individual’s browsing history and cookies to understand their likes and dislikes, along with geotargeting (using their location) to see where they are most likely to listen to your ad.  

TRADITIONAL RADIO ADS

• Payment
  : When buying space for a radio ad, your cost will be determined by the station you choose, the time of day you want your ad to play, and the length. 

• Measurement
  : One of the ways many radio ads are measured is how many listeners are tuned in during your advertisement. Surveys are another way to gain information. You might give a survey to a new customer, asking where she or he heard about your company. 

• Audience
  : When planning a radio ad, you can choose a station your audience is most likely to listen to. Younger crowds are probably most likely to listen to pop stations, whereas the older generations might choose a classic rock station. You can also choose a time of day when your audience is most likely to listen to the radio, like on their way home from work.  

WHO HEARS ONLINE AUDIO ADS?

In 2017, Americans aged 13 and older were listening to 17 hours of online audio a week. In the past few years, online audio has surpassed radio as the primary audio platform, measured by the number of listeners. Listeners enjoy creating playlists and choosing the specific songs they want, and advertisers benefit from collecting data and being able to better reach their desired audience. 

Anyone connected to the internet could be listening to online audio, including those with a mobile device, Bluetooth in their car, Alexa, Google Home, or a smart TV. 

Plus, unlike with radio, your audiences are listening to online audio more often than on the way home from work. In fact, the top places podcasts are listened to are at home, in the car, and at work. You can catch listeners while they are out jogging, listening to Alexa in the kitchen, or at work. As individuals listen to more online audio, such as podcasts and music, you are able to reach them almost 24/7. 

HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF YOUR ONLINE AUDIO ADS ARE SUCCESSFUL? 

Some of the metrics for understanding the success of your online audio campaign are: 

• Impressions
  : The number of times your ad has been delivered to listeners. 

• Reach
  : The number of listeners who received your advertisement.  

• Ad Playback
  : The rate of a listener receiving an ad. Listeners can receive an ad multiple times. 

• Listen-Through-Rate (LTR)
  : When a listener decides to let the ad play through rather than skipping it. 

• Click-Through-Rate (CTR)
  : How often listeners follow the prompt on a banner that pops up during the online audio advertising.

• Impact on Sales
  : The overall impact the online audio advertising had on your sales rate during the campaign. 

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE ONLINE AUDIO ADS?

Online audio ads are a prime way to reach your customers when they aren’t looking at a screen. Plus, online audio ads can come across as more native or subtle, such as when a podcast host mentions your product. However, to truly determine their effectiveness, you’ll have to track your ad with data and metrics. 

This is where Agility comes in. Agility is here to give you the tools to see just how effective your online audio advertisements are. And when all the metrics seem a little overwhelming, we are ready to help break the numbers down and tell you exactly what they are, or you can set up a programmatic audio advertising campaign and let us automatically buy ad slots for you! 

The great thing about online audio ads is that there is data readily available to help you improve your campaign. Schedule a live demo with Agility today and let us give you an idea of just how effective your online audio ad can be.