Want a break from the ads? Spoiler alert — you don't. Audio marketing is propped up to be one of the most potent channels over the next five years.
If your brand isn't keeping up with programmatic audio, you could miss out on massive engagement opportunities. But that's why we're here.
By the end of this introduction to programmatic audio advertising, you'll know everything you need to win the hearts (and ears) of your customers.
What Is Programmatic Audio?
Programmatic audio is the process of targeting specific audiences with audio advertising based on things like their demographics or location. You can buy audio ads on platforms like Pandora and Spotify's free, ad-supported options to get through to digital audio listeners.
What Are the Benefits of Programmatic Audio Advertising?
Growing Popularity
Consumers are spending more time than ever before off-screen but on listening platforms. In the US, people over 12 spend an average of over 16 hours on audio platforms, up from 2020.
Because of the popularity of these platforms, they're an attractive channel for marketers.
Low Competition and Low CPM
With traditional display ads, advertisers face high competition for views and clicks from other brands trying to reach their target audiences. This increases the amount advertisers need to spend on average per view or click to compete with others in their industry.
With programmatic audio ads, however, because consumers are typically only served one ad per listening session, there is less competition between brands than there would be with banner ads. Plus, with an average cost per thousand (CPM) impressions between $5 and $30, programmatic audio advertising is a more affordable marketing option than many others.
Ease of Use
Audio is hands down one of the easiest media to use. It's also highly adaptable, meaning you can easily use it on just about every platform, including social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, blogs, emails, podcasts, apps, and more. To create a multimedia ad campaign, well-planned audio can also sync to video ads and text.
Targeting Capabilities
The best part of programmatic audio advertising is its targeting capabilities for specific audiences. Audio files are perfect for segmentation because they allow you to show different messages to different people. This lets you get the most out of each ad dollar by reaching potential customers at their point of highest interest. Not to mention, it’ll be when they're less distracted by other ads or conversations around them.
A single ad spot delivered through programmatic audio has the potential to reach more people than a traditional ad campaign for these reasons. Additionally, digital audio advertising allows you to track listener engagement in real-time so you can optimize your ads for better performance.
Greater Engagement
Audiences can't easily avoid advertisements by switching channels or turning off the radio. This makes it easier to build brand awareness and drive traffic to your website using calls-to-action, which can help increase conversions. Think about the last time you listened to a podcast — it was probably while you were doing something else, like driving or cleaning. You're unlikely to take your attention off the task at hand just to skip an audio ad.
Audio advertisements have 24% higher recall rates than display ads. A study by Edison Research also showed that 60% of podcast listeners would prefer to buy products promoted by their favourite podcast host, as long as they're the same price and quality.
Long-Term Relationships
It also lets marketers build long-term relationships with customers. You'll have detailed reports about how many people heard your ad and who they are, along with information about what they did after they heard it.
This lets you create custom messages for different audiences, track your ROI, and optimize the performance of future ad campaigns by making small changes to each audio ad instead of one large change.
New Audiences
Gen Z and Millennials are increasingly becoming digital audio listeners. That means audio ads are the perfect way to engage new audiences that wouldn't normally consume content published through traditional channels.
Different Ways to Use Programmatic Audio
You can use programmatic audio in many ways, including:
- Promotional messages used to raise brand awareness or drive traffic to a site.
- Audio ads played on podcasts where listeners are likely to be relaxed and engaged.
- Short ads that play during natural breaks in an episode of a podcast with fewer distractions.
Different types of programmatic audio deliverables include:
- Audio pre-rolls that play before a podcast episode starts.
- Mid-rolls that play in the middle of an episode, typically as a break between content segments.
- Post-rolls that play after an episode ends.
- Music streaming ads that play between songs.
In addition to the different types of audio ads, you can also use programmatic audio for:
- Music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora
- In-game advertising
- Traditional and digital radio ad buys
There are many different ways to use programmatic digital audio to reach your target demographic, depending on their interests and where they are most likely to be listening. You can get the most out of your advertising efforts by targeting specific audiences with relevant messages.
How to Use Programmatic Audio For Your Brand
Now that you know all about programmatic digital audio and the benefits it can offer your brand, how do you get started? The process is relatively simple:
- Choose the app or platform on which you'd like to advertise.
- Create a campaign with specific audience targeting parameters, such as demographics, location, and interests.
- Upload your ad creative (or have it created for you).
- Launch your campaign and sit back and enjoy the results!
While programmatic digital audio may seem intimidating at first, you can create an effective campaign with a bit of research and planning.
Best Practices for Creating Programmatic Audio Ads
Now that you know a little more about programmatic audio, how can you use it for your own brand? Here are a few tips:
Start with a strong creative.
Like any other form of advertising, your success with programmatic digital audio depends mainly on the quality of your creative. Make sure you work with a skilled copywriter and sound designer familiar with the unique demands of digital audio content. Also, keep in mind that your creative must be able to translate into a 30-60 second audio spot.
Clearly explain what's in it for me (WIIFM).
Your audience doesn't care about how wonderful your product is unless they know why they should buy it. With so much noise surrounding any given consumer these days, they won't act on anything short of a benefit or solution to a problem.
Test, test, and test again.
Like any other form of advertising, it's essential to test your audio ads before you launch them. Make sure you clearly understand your audience and what they want to hear before you start spending money on this marketing channel.
Programmatic audio is a practical, affordable, and easy-to-use marketing tool that you can use to reach consumers across various platforms. By following these tips, you can create powerful programmatic digital audio ads that resonate with your target demographic and help promote your brand or product.
Top Programmatic Audio Advertising Platforms
Here are some of the best audio partners you can use for promotional audio content:
- Spotify (custom branded audio ad delivery, the biggest music streaming platform globally).
- Pandora (custom branded audio, another one of the major audio publishers).
- The Orchard (library of over two million songs you can use for your programmatic audio ad campaigns).
- DAX/AudioHQ (provides programmatic digital audio ads to mobile apps and websites).
- Castbox (custom branded podcasting, on-demand programming targeting based on customer data)
- Ad Results Media (audio ad network specializing in targeted mobile streaming ads through mobile apps).
- Spreaker (offers custom branded podcasts for advertisers who wish to target their consumers using Spreaker's platform services).
- iHeartMedia (largest traditional and digital radio broadcasting company in the United States; provides advertisers several ways to reach listeners via 30-minute segments, digital marketing opportunities within the app, etc.)
- StackAdapt (publishes targeted ads to smaller publishers, with listeners seeing custom images and text at the same time as they hear your actual ad)
Take Advantage of Audio Marketing Today
Marketing is evolving. New channels are emerging all the time, and now is your chance to take advantage of the opportunities that audio presents. With the right creative material and marketing automation, streaming audio advertisements will be a piece of cake!
Need help integrating audio marketing into your martech stack? Portage Labs can help! Contact us today to learn more, and check out our blog for more marketing content.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is audio inventory?
Audio inventory is a term used to describe the number of ads available for purchase at a given time. Keep in mind that the number of audio ads available for sale is constantly changing, making it a dynamic inventory.
Who can create a programmatic audio ad?
One of the best things about programmatic audio advertising is that anyone can do it. There are no set rules or requirements when creating a custom audio ad. You don't need to hire an expensive creative agency either, so it's approachable for smaller brands.
Does my target audience listen to radio?
Do they use music streaming services, podcasts, etc.? Do they own connected devices such as smartwatches and home assistants? The more you learn about your audience preferences, the easier it will be to determine where and how your target consumers might find your custom branded audio content.
How does programmatic audio advertising work?
Programmatic audio works by allowing brands to target their customers with relevant ads through various digital platforms. Advertisers can target by location, interests, age, and more. Providers then use algorithms to determine which ads to serve to which customers at what time.
