Why Would I Want to Use Audio Ads on YouTube?

If you’re asking the question, you are clearly not among the many people who use YouTube to listen to music. According to the last numbers Google shared about how many people were using YouTube, in 2018, the number of users was 1 billion. That would make YouTube the most popular music streaming service in the world by an enormous margin. Spotify, the closest competitor, reports 320 million users. YouTube Music is so popular on YouTube that the platform publishes its own ranking charts for what’s currently most popular. 

Spotify and YouTube both have free versions, as you’re probably aware. Those “free” versions are ad-supported. We’ve told you before how you can leverage YouTube, the world’s second-biggest search engine, in your ad strategy. This new opportunity is just another arrow in the digital marketer’s quiver. These are some of the reasons why YouTube audio ads might be perfect for your digital ad strategy.

What Are Audio Ads on YouTube?

Let’s slow down a second and define some terms. While audio ads on YouTube might be new, the concept itself has been around since before commercial radio began, in 1901. The concept behind those first ads on the radio is still the same: a pleasant voiceover entices the listener to spend money on the advertised company, which is offering a product or a service. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. You can record one on your phone and it will probably sound pretty good. 

YouTube’s implementation ads a feature that radio ads can’t offer: a still image that goes along with the audio ad (it is a video platform, after all, so even a small visual component isn’t unexpected). If you want to see one in action, Google has provided an example:

You implement a YouTube Audio Ad the same way you implement every other kind of YouTube ad, using your Google Ads Account. The maximum length of those ads is 30 seconds, but that’s probably too long. Google’s own example is only 15 seconds, which is a good length to shoot for in your own audio ads.

Okay, Why Would I Use Them?

Audio ads make sense for a bunch of reasons, not least of which is how much easier it is to make than a video. As we said, all you need is a decent microphone, and the one you carry around with you all day is probably plenty good. 

Early alpha data from Google showed that “75 percent of measured audio ad campaigns on YouTube drove a significant lift in brand awareness,” which is more of an SEO endorsement than a sales endorsement, but if they’re confident enough in the new platform to roll it out, then they must be expecting it to do what ads are supposed to do—drive conversions. 

Similar ads on Spotify or Pandora, which also offer free, ad-supported audio content, are already a part of many digital ad strategies. It only makes sense that YouTube, with such a high volume of people listening rather than watching its content, would join in the fun. 

For more help with your digital ad strategy, get in touch with us today.