Speak when they’re listening.

These 28 characters ought to be engraved in titanium and hung over the desk of anyone who writes ‘marketer’ in their LinkedIn bio.

The next 5 years that are about to start (2021–2025) will be remembered as the ‘age of audio’.

In the next 5 minutes of your reading time, I will tell you everything I’ve known, tried, researched about audio marketing.

Audio — The cult, marketers need to care about

The resurgence of audio isn’t the story of a novelty. Nor is it the story of a comeback of a medium riding on nostalgia.

The numbers tell a story that should motivate, scare and excite brands.

A 2019 survey revealed that 23% of Americans go to church every week. Interesting. Because almost an equal percentage of Americans (68 million, from a 328 million population, that’s 21%) listen to a podcast each week. The latest numbers suggest that these listeners spend 6–7 hours a week listening to podcasts. One would wonder how many..

FAQs About Audio Marketing

Q. What is audio marketing?

A. Audio marketing involves promoting products or services through audio-based media like podcasts, radio, digital audio platforms, and voice assistants to reach and engage with audiences.

Q. Why is audio marketing becoming important for brands?

A. Audio marketing is gaining importance due to the rising popularity of podcasts, the convenience of voice search, and the growing use of smart speakers, offering new avenues for reaching consumers.

Q. How effective is podcast marketing for businesses?

A. Podcast marketing can be highly effective due to its targeted nature, engaged audiences, and the personal connection listeners feel with podcast hosts, leading to higher trust and conversion rates.

Q. Can audio marketing be integrated with other digital marketing strategies?

A. Yes, audio marketing can be integrated with other strategies like social media, content marketing, and SEO to create a comprehensive, multi-channel marketing approach.

Q. What are the key advantages of audio marketing over traditional marketing?

A. Key advantages include the ability to reach audiences during activities like commuting or exercising, personalized content delivery, and the growing preference for audio information consumption.

Q. How does audio marketing impact brand recognition?

A. Audio marketing can significantly enhance brand recognition through repeated exposure to brand messages in podcasts, radio ads, or voice search responses, creating a memorable brand presence.

Q. What role does voice search play in audio marketing?

A. Voice search plays a critical role by providing opportunities for brands to be easily discoverable through voice-activated devices, requiring optimization of content for voice search queries.

Q. Are there specific metrics to measure the success of an audio marketing campaign?

A. Metrics for audio marketing success include listener engagement rates, number of downloads, duration of listening, and conversion rates from call-to-actions in the audio content.

Q. Can audio marketing be targeted to specific demographics?

A. Audio marketing can be targeted to specific demographics through podcast sponsorships, tailored radio ads, and personalized voice search results based on user data and preferences.

Q. How do businesses create content for audio marketing?

A. Businesses can create content for audio marketing by developing compelling audio ads, sponsoring relevant podcasts, creating branded podcasts, and optimizing content for voice search and smart speakers.