The audio revolution is here to stay. At the moment, according to an Edison Research study, people are interacting with some form of audio for 4 hours a day on average.
If you want to increase revenue, attract more customers and clients, build long-lasting relationships with consumers, you should adapt to this change in habits and incorporate audio into your overall digital strategy.
So, what can/should you do?
✔ You need to optimize content for Voice Search.
✔ Start a podcast — podcasts are great for brand positioning. You can also monetize them.
✔ If you are press, audio represents a new way to increase growth.
✔ If you are a publisher, include audiobooks.
✔Audio branding is the solution for you when your goal is strong brand recognition and recall.
✔Social media are all about voice and talk now, including a new type of social network based on a voice like a Clubhouse; use that to get to know your customers and clients better.
✔With digital audio advertising, you can reach highly engaged audiences. You can insert an audio ad in any available audio content: podcasts, digital radio, audiobooks, streaming music services Spotify, Soundcloud, Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube.
According to YouTube data, users are consuming more audio-centric-content. That is why YouTube recently launched audio ad campaigns.
If you still didn’t include audio in your marketing strategy, you are missing out.
If you are at the point of thinking to include audio, you must do that strategically.
Your strategy needs to be clear and meaningful to enrich the customer experience.
Let me introduce you to some studies and more facts.
Voice Assistants
Voice assistants are designed to assist users by answering questions and performing tasks, Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana are also called virtual assistants or digital assistants.
Voice Assistance will schedule appointments for you or make restaurant reservations. Kids are already using it to help them with homework. Siri has been able to request Uber rides and updates since late 2016. Now you can also use Alexa and Google Home to request an Uber.
According to Emarketar, 44.2% of internet users are already using Voice Assistants.
Companies have to become aware of audio’s importance to the consumer and learn how to adapt content to voice search.
Content is crucial for success in voice search. It should be conversational. Make sure your content includes long-tail keywords.
Podcasts
The Podcast market is booming. In 2020 more than 100 million Americans listen to at least one podcast each month (2020 podcast statistics from Edison Research and Triton Digital).
The popularity of this audio broadcasting content is growing. We live in busy times, and it is an easy-to-consume format for both business and personal topics.
We can listen to a podcast and at the same time we can be walking, gardening, exercising, cooking, cleaning, riding a bicycle, or enjoying nature.
Podcasts are a great way to connect with customers and clients. You can also monetize via audio ads, sponsorships, listener donations, memberships, and subscription models.
A popular podcast can earn a lot from selling advertising. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PriceWaterhouse, ad revenue is expected to reach $1 billion in 2021.
Great opportunity and time to start a podcast, don’t forget to hire a good sound designer to create a sound logo, or a catchy jingle so you can stand out.
Podcasts are popular cause it is an easy format to consume. The great news for content creators and listeners is that the podcast industry is going to grow faster in 2021.
But that also means that competition will be stronger, and you should put effort to produce content that will occupy the full listener’s attention.
There is even a new term Listener Experience LX.
To create a better Listener Experience, you need to:
- Choose a topic that you are passionate about and invite great experts to be your guests.
- Practice communication skills: eloquence, diction, and active listening.
- Edit out off-topic tangents or long pauses.
- Create a unique sound logo or jingle that will be rememberable.
- Be concise and sum up key points for your listeners.
- Make it easy for people to listen to your podcast, make the podcast available on various platforms, do not require sign-ups.
- Put one CTA and be open to communication and audience suggestions.
Press and Audiobooks
A Study by Publisher’s Association points out that for the majority of respondents, listening to a book or article is more immersive and intimate than simply reading it, and listeners stay engaged for three times longer than readers on average.
That is why for the press, audio represents a new way to increase growth.
As of 2019, 20% of Americans say they listen to audiobooks.
This industry has been growing by almost 25% per year since 2017.
Deloitte predicts the global audiobook market will grow by 25 percent to US$3.5 billion this year.
We entered the decade where consumers are expecting more from brands, prefer to buy from brands that care to improve society, culture, and the environment.
Audiobooks are an opportunity for brands to stand out. With your sponsorship, you can support writers and engage with the audience through audio ads at the same time.
Audio branding and companies’ sonic identities are more important than ever. Audio branding is about how your brand sounds and how it gets recalled or remembered.
Sound branding (audio branding, sonic branding) is the way to convey your message to a broad audience and connect with customers by using music, sound, voice, sound effects, and any combination of these strategically.
Music, sound, and voice are powerful tools to create an emotional and personal connection with customers.
According to a study by Leicester University, brands that use music that is aligned with the brand identity are 96% more likely to be remembered by the consumer, than the brands that use ‘unfit’ music or no music at all.
Sound changes us psychologically; it affects our feelings, our moods, our emotions. Sound affects our bodies, from our hormone secretions to our heart rates. It affects our behavior, from how fast we move to which brands and products we like and buy.
It is important to hire professional sound designers and composers to create your unique sound identity that will be consistent through all your audio touchpoints. With a unique sound identity (carefully crafted for your target audience), you can connect faster with customers, increase customer satisfaction, and increase your revenue.
Sound branding is cost-efficient. Initially, it may cost more. But in the long run, it will cost less than using licensed or popular music.
Social Media
According to Arielle Pardes and WIRED, the future of social media is all talk. From Clubhouse to Discord to Twitter, 2020 was all about giving people a voice online.
You can record tweets on Twitter, voice messages on all apps and social media. Record and display the pronunciation of your name on Linkedin.
Conal Byrne, President of iHeartPodcast Network, points out that:
“Large new content platforms — like Facebook and YouTube — will build best-in-class audio-specific products and begin to distribute podcasts en masse.”
Social media with an audio-only approach are gaining fast popularity. Like Clubhouse, a new type of social network based on voice — where people around the world come together to talk.
Digital Audio Advertising
People are now spending more time with digital audio, and it opens great potential for advertising. Brands must incorporate audio advertising within their overall digital strategy.
Nielsen Media Lab claims audio ads have a 24% higher recall rate than traditional display ads. According to the Midroll Media Report, 60% of podcast listeners made a purchase after listening to a podcast audio ad.
YouTube launched audio ads to keep up with the different ways users are engaging with the platform. YouTube says users are consuming more audio centric-content.
After months of testing, YouTube discovered that more than 75 percent of audio ad campaigns that are measured drove a significant lift in brand awareness.
Another advantage is audio ads are often cheaper to produce than video ads.
Pandora has included interactive voice ads and ads targeted to Amazon Echo and Google Home devices.
Spotify has expanded to 93 markets around the globe with 345 million listeners, including 155 million Spotify premium subscribers. It paid over $5 billion to creators last year. Spotify’s Ad Studio makes it easy for businesses to share their message with millions of listeners around the world.
Audio advertising is on the rise. It is a progressive source of monetization for publishers. And a cost-effective tool for advertisers. WIN-WIN situation.
Start to think strategically about the audio. Strategic and consistent use of audio will bring more customers, more clients, and more revenue and set your company up for success.
If you have more questions or need audio consulting, please feel free to contact us.