The Power Of Digital Audio Advertising In 2024
In the dynamic world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve has always been critical for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As businesses adapt to an ever-evolving landscape, one medium that has gained incredible traction is digital audio advertising. With platforms like AudioOne, Spotify, and Acast at the forefront, the power of digital audio has become impossible to ignore, offering immense opportunities for businesses looking to scale.
As a seasoned marketing expert, I’ve seen trends come and go, but digital audio advertising is here to stay—and it’s time Irish SMEs consider including it as a vital part of their 2024 marketing strategy. Here’s why.
1. Audio Consumption is on the Rise
The way people consume content has drastically changed. In the past decade, we’ve seen a surge in mobile usage, the rise of video streaming, and now, the rapid growth of audio consumption. Whether it’s podcasts, streaming music, or audiobooks, more and more people are tuning in to digital audio on a daily basis.
In Ireland, this trend is particularly notable. According to recent data, over 40% of adults in Ireland listen to podcasts, and the average user spends nearly two hours per day on audio streaming platforms like Spotify. These figures highlight that audio content is no longer a niche market—it’s a mainstream medium that offers businesses direct access to a captive and engaged audience.
For Irish SMEs, this is a golden opportunity. By leveraging digital audio advertising, businesses can meet potential customers where they already are: in their ears, whether during a morning commute, gym session, or relaxing at home. With platforms like AudioOne, Spotify, and Acast making audio ads accessible and easy to manage, this is no longer the domain of large corporations alone.
2. Highly Engaged Audiences = Better ROI
One of the greatest strengths of digital audio advertising is the high level of engagement it offers. Unlike traditional forms of media, where ads can be skipped or easily ignored, digital audio ads are often unskippable, especially on free-tier streaming services. This means listeners are more likely to engage with the message.
In addition, listeners tend to engage deeply with audio content. Podcast listeners, for example, tend to be highly loyal to their favorite shows and hosts, making them more receptive to advertisements presented within these formats. The personal and intimate nature of audio gives businesses a unique advantage: they can forge deeper connections with consumers. This can lead to better brand recall, customer loyalty, and, ultimately, a higher return on investment (ROI).
For Irish SMEs with smaller budgets and a need to make every euro count, the potential for improved ROI with digital audio ads makes this an attractive channel to explore. With effective targeting and compelling creative, digital audio can deliver results that outshine many other forms of advertising.
3. Advanced Targeting Capabilities
One of the most significant benefits of platforms like AudioOne, Spotify, and Acast is their sophisticated targeting capabilities. Unlike traditional radio advertising, which casts a wide net and hopes to capture some of the right audience, digital audio platforms offer the ability to pinpoint the exact demographic you want to reach.
Whether you want to target based on location, interests, age, or behavior, these platforms allow for granular targeting that ensures your ads are heard by the right people at the right time. For SMEs in Ireland, this means you can focus your resources on specific local areas, industries, or customer segments, maximising the efficiency of your ad spend.
Spotify, for example, offers targeting based on listening habits—so if your target audience is listening to fitness playlists, news podcasts, or relaxing jazz, your ad can be tailored to meet them in those specific moments. Similarly, Acast’s podcast advertising platform provides dynamic ad insertion, ensuring your message reaches the relevant audience with precision.
4. Cost-Effective for SMEs
Many SMEs in Ireland may assume that audio advertising, particularly on premium platforms like Spotify and Acast, is out of their budget. However, the opposite is true. Digital audio advertising is highly scalable and cost-effective, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.
With options to set your own budgets and determine how much you want to invest, you can start small and scale your campaigns as you see results. Additionally, the ability to track performance metrics means you can continuously optimise your ads for better results, ensuring that you’re not just spending money, but making smart investments in your brand’s growth.
Platforms like AudioOne offer even more flexibility, allowing SMEs to run targeted campaigns across a variety of audio publishers in Ireland. That said, you can run your ads on digital radio that spans across TuneIn, FM 104, Newstalk, RTE Radio 1, Today FM, Red FM, Classic Hits, etc. However, you can choose to go with the AudioOne Everywhere option to and run your digital ads on music platforms (SoundCloud), and podcasts. The cost per impression (CPM) for AudioOne Everywhere is €12 but if you want to apply more targeting criteria such as demo, device, geo or daypart, you should factor on slightly higher CPM. Similarly, Spotify also offers a diverse range of targeting criteria to esnure you’re hitting the right person, but their flat CPM stands at €16.
5. Building Brand Awareness and Trust
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, building brand awareness and trust is essential for SMEs. Audio advertising offers a unique way to humanise your brand and speak directly to consumers. The tone, voice, and message delivered in audio ads can create a more personal connection with listeners than many visual forms of advertising.
Podcast listeners, in particular, tend to trust the content they’re engaging with, making them more likely to trust the brands they hear advertised. Whether you’re a local café, an e-commerce store, or a service provider, building trust through digital audio ads can help set you apart from the competition.
By integrating digital audio into your marketing strategy, you’re not just creating an ad—you’re telling your brand’s story in a compelling way that resonates with your audience.
As we move into 2025, it’s time for SMEs in Ireland to take full advantage of the growing power of digital audio advertising. Platforms like AudioOne, Spotify, and Acast offer the perfect combination of reach, engagement, targeting, and cost-effectiveness to make a tangible impact on your business.
Don’t let this opportunity pass by. This landscape isn’t cluttered just yet, so make sure to take advantage of this channel until more brands decide to chime in, and the attention becomes overpriced in the same way it happened with Google ads, or any other social media platform.
