ShareWith Black Friday coming up and Christmas just around the corner, audio is the go-to companion for individuals shopping around town and online.
According to Spotify, 70% of Spotify listeners streamed music whilst Christmas shopping in 2021. Despite economic uncertainty, 84% of the same listeners expect their online shopping will increase or stay the same in 2022, and 27% plan to shop on Black Friday.
In this blog we explain Spotify’s best practices, to make planning your Spotify ad campaign as easy as possible.
Keep it casual; use short sentences that sound natural
The best audio ads make listeners feel like their friend is telling them about a product. You should adopt a relatable and conversational tone; read the text out loud to yourself, and if it feels formal and robotic, try again.
Focus on one message; emphasise the most important point of your ad
Resist the temptation to stuff multiple messages into a single ad, you don’t want to overwhelm listeners with useless information. The highest-performing ads are clear and direct, which makes them memorable. Ask yourself, what is the one thing you want your audience to do or think about?
Be economical; avoid crammed or rushed ad reads
By ensuring your ad has the fewest words possible, you’re making sure that you don’t end up with a breathless and lengthy voiceover. A deliberate cadence with well-timed pauses helps listeners absorb information – for example, we recommend about 60 to 65 words for a 30 second ad.
Tell a story with sound; use audio to animate your ad’s message
A combination of sound effects and music in the background can instantly create a mood and give context to your core message. Don’t just rely on words to catch (and hold) listeners’ attention, let audio do some of the heavy lifting!
Use brand cues to identify yourself; make sure the listener knows who’s talking
A brand cue can be a range of things, it can be:
- A sonic logo at the start like “Hey, BRAND here”
Just like a visual logo, creating an audio brand identity makes you instantly recognisable to listeners, even when they’re not thinking too hard about it.
We recommend that you use the first 5-10 seconds to set the scene for your message, then establish the brand within the first half of the ad to allow for the maximum breakthrough.
End with a call to action – Be clear about what you want listeners to do.
A Call To Action (CTA) is crucial to driving listeners to perform a specific task. Whatever you want your audience to do— whether it’s visiting a website, listening to a podcast, using an offer code, or heading to a retail store — say it clearly and concisely.
In 2021, Spotify asked their customers what factors drove their listeners to make an online purchase:
- 69% said free delivery
- 43% said coupons and discounts
- 41% said an easy returns policy
- 22% said the company is environmentally friendly
Keep the URL simple; if you include a web address, make sure it’s easy to say and remember
If you include a URL in your script, make sure it’s easy to read aloud and doesn’t include too many slashes. Ideally, it should be easy to remember and you shouldn’t have to spell it out.
Reap the benefits of powerful audio ads
Whether you’re a first-time ad producer or you’ve been making ads for a while, this simple guide can help you learn how to make memorable Spotify audio ads that can increase your brand awareness and create a real connection with your audience.
Do you need a helping hand? Our team of display advertising experts will be more than happy to help – speak to our friendly team to get started.
