We are familiar with audio ads on podcasts, on free audio streaming sites and on traditional radio. Until recently Google audio ads were in beta testing but are now available to all advertisers. See Google’s announcement here. Google serves audio ads for YouTube listeners who are exhibiting signals of listening, such as accessing content through a Google Nest smart speaker.
While a voiceover is the standout feature of audio ad format, they usually display a visual component—like an image or animated graphic—on-screen as the voiceover is playing, almost like any regular video ad.
- Example of an Audio Ad with a static image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=mLNgjvHG4RE - Example of an Audio Ad with a simple animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_t6UAuvLKFs
- Focus on sound
- Have a consistent tone and tempo: For a 15 second ad, aim for 40 words when using a voiceover in the ad.
- Include a call-to-action in the audio and in the video creative
Audio ads compliment other awareness-building campaigns such as Google Display Ads, Facebook and Instagram ads. With Google now offering audio ads, we could organize a campaign to place your audio ads on YouTube, as well as other networks to reach users on popular music and podcast streaming platforms.
Please ask us for details on developing and placing audio ads for your business.