Customers are listening: 5 reasons why SMEs need to dive into digital audio campaigns

Integrated technology in our cars, homes, and the palms of our hands creates an enormous opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to reach listeners across the media spectrum, far beyond radio and streaming audio platforms.

From smart speakers to video streaming platforms and everything in between, digital audio advertising can level the playing field and provide a connection to listening audiences that would otherwise be out of touch.

Here’s how:

1.   Digital audio has a deep (and sometimes exclusive) reach

The general population has a weekly reach of almost 50%*, which is in line with FM radio. Key consumer groups such as Gen Zers and Millennials are even bigger fans, where digital audio rises to 61% reach*.

In fact, 4 in 10 people younger than 35 listen exclusively to digital audio*, meaning you can’t reach them anywhere else.

2.   Digital audio offers highly precise targeting

Unlike broadcast radio advertising, the data-based nature of digital audio allows you to deliver on-demand, tailored, and granular ad experiences.

Thanks to targeting capabilities that filter down to zip code level, along with a variety of data points such as demographics, gender, hobbies, content preferences, behavioral data, and more, it’s possible to single out listeners based on their individual traits. That way, you can advertise to the right person with specific messaging at the right time, ultimately boosting your conversion rates.

3.   Digital audio is cheaper and “easier” than video

A lot of buzz goes to video as the go-to medium, and rightly so. But – pulling off an effective video campaign takes a lot of time and resources, both of which are routinely in limited supply in SMEs.

With online audio advertising, the production costs less as you’re optimizing for eardrums only, which also provides a quicker turnaround. A creative can be easily utilized on different devices and platforms, and effortlessly optimized for various scenarios. This makes it ideal for businesses that want to get in front of new audiences without breaking the bank.

4.   Digital audio hits the feels

Simply put, it forms relationships as it feels more emotional and genuine to consumers. There aren’t many things in this world that can replace or imitate the intimacy of the spoken word or the one-on-one connection when listening to a conversation.

With headphones in play, brands are basically inside the minds of the listeners. As a result, people relate and emotionally connect as it doesn’t feel promotional or intrusive. This is arguably why ads on digital audio formats, particularly podcasts and internet radio, draw more attention compared to ads on other formats. Such atypical level of attention means campaigns need less repetition to be effective as opposed to other media.

5.   Digital audio can be the ’it’ factor in your advertising plan

Despite all the positive sentiment people have toward the medium, digital audio is a severely underutilized advertising channel. There is an immense gap between audio’s media consumption and its ad spend.

However, that is slowly changing as more brands are identifying it as one of the key drivers of brand adoption. Compared to other digital formats, reactions to digital audio ads are quite positive.

In other words, they can work for any kind of advertising goal. Brand awareness? Check. Encouraging to take action? Check. Brand loyalty? Double check. You name it, there’s an audio ad for it.

Bottom line: due to its reach and efficiency, multidimensional digital audio advertising is too big for SMEs to pass up. Ignore it at your own peril!

*Digital Audio Special Research – Targetspot, Ipsos (France July 2022)