Best Practices for Audio Ads & More Streaming Audio Tips

Do you think visual-first when it comes to your brand? You’re not alone. There’s a stat we quote a lot (and for good reason): Consumers spend 31% of their media time with audio, but it only accounts for 9% of media budgets. That gap tells us that advertisers are underutilizing audio—and missing opportunities to reach and resonate with audiences.

With 79% of audio listening happening when screens are nowhere to be seen, audio is with audiences throughout the day (at home, in the car, on a walk, out shopping, the list is endless). And all of those moments are opportunities to connect with consumers to raise awareness and inspire action—with the right audio creative campaign of course.

Best Practices for Audio Ad Creative

Whether you’re new to audio advertising or looking to increase your investment, this is your guide to effective audio creative. Because not everyone (actually no one) knows audio as well as we do, we compiled our best practices for audio ads to help you develop creative that resonates.

From how ads sound to how often they should play, we cover it all. Our data scientists are constantly testing creative and strategies to help brands perfect their approaches to ensure the right ads reach the right audience at the right time. Here are some best practices from our audio creative and data experts.

Capture Attention Quickly

The first few seconds of an ad are crucial. We recommend mentioning the name of your brand or product early and often (at least 3x within a 30-second audio spot).

Highlight the Benefits

If the primary campaign KPI is driving conversions, ensure that your messaging speaks to the benefits of your brand or product. Conversion lifts are 1.4x higher with creative that highlights product benefits (compared to general messaging).

Leverage Sound Effects and Music

Audio invites audiences to use their imaginations and insert themselves into the ads. Brands can build a world through sound, using voiceovers, sound effects, and music beds to tell stories that feel personal to listeners.

Cast the Right Talent

When it comes to voiceover decisions, authenticity is a key consideration for consumers. If your campaign is aimed towards multicultural audiences or is geo-targeted to specific geographic regions, consider using talent from those communities and regions.

Hit the Right Note

Forget the AM/FM announcer tone. The streaming audio environment is more intimate and laidback. Ads with friendly, conversational voiceovers that fit the brand and their message perform better.

Align Ad Length with Campaign Goals

Both long- and short-form audio drive KPIs across the funnel. Long-form audio performs best for ad recall, brand sentiment, and message association. And short-form audio performs best for purchase intent. Listeners exposed to a rotation of ad lengths showed stronger lifts across the funnel.

Make it Personal

Utilize products such as dynamic or sequential audio to maximize receptivity through personalized messaging. These products are proven to drive stronger brand lift, message association, and purchase intent compared to standard audio assets.

Ad Frequency Tips for Streaming Audio Campaigns

Finding the right ad frequency for your streaming audio campaign is a balancing act. Too few impressions, and you may not influence your target consumers. Too many impressions, and they may tune you out.

There’s no perfect number, but there are factors to consider. We’ve done the research and identified some streaming audio advertising tips to help you find the right ad frequency for your next campaign.

Adjust Flight Length

If you have less than 50% reach with an overall frequency that is less than 2x, consider increasing impressions, consolidating products, decreasing flight length, and/or narrowing targeting.

Tailor Ad Frequency

Optimal frequency depends on many factors. Scale up or down depending on your brand familiarity, campaign length, competition, and seasonality.

Change Up Your Creative

It’s important to consider listener fatigue when reviewing the projected frequency and length of campaign. Utilize multiple creative assets/variations to avoid wear out.

Our Best Advice

Work with us. These audio creative best practices and streaming audio campaign tips are just the tip of the iceberg. When you make SiriusXM Media your partner in advertising, you can tap into the best networks around (how does 150M monthly listeners sound?) and leverage our in-house audio creative agency, Studio Resonate.

Let’s Talk.