Spotify ads are a great way to get the word out. The truth of the matter though, is that Spotify ads examples are, first and foremost, audio ads. What this means is that we need to learn how to craft potent and effective audio ads first. These will work on many platforms, including Spotify.
Audio Ads Vs Radio Ads: The Basics
A simple way to figure out what we want to do in our Spotify ads is to study audio ads first. In fact, if we compare them to radio ads, we start to make sense of what we need to do to make the most of the new audio platforms.
Target Audience
Spotify ads are aimed at people who are listening to Spotify. Such an audience will usually be listening to music and wearing headphones.
Radio ads are meant for a wider audience, while audio ads are directed at a more specific audience. It’s true that radio ads may appear on one radio station and not another. In this case, a radio ad may appear on a rock station and thus reach a younger audience, while another ad may be appearing on a news station and thus reach another, older audience. The audience, however, is still quite general with radio ads.
Audio ads, on the other hand, can be pinpointed with tremendous specificity. As such, they reach more particular niches and groups, profiting from the use of algorithms.
Style
The fact that the audience of an audio ad is wearing headphones is very important. This is one of the greatest differences with radio commercials. Audio ads are meant for people who are generally listening with headphones. Radio commercials, on the other hand, are targeted at people who are listening to the radio (in their car, for instance).
What this means is that an audio ad for Spotify will generally not compete for attention. Radio commercials usually compete for their audience’s attention but audio ads don’t have to do this. In the case of Spotify ads, for one, a more conversational tone can be used throughout the piece. The listener is already there, ready to receive the information, and thus there’s no real need for a tone that is too strident.
Structure
Since audio ads are so short, a tight structure is a great idea. This makes the ad as efficient as possible. A typical structure would include the following things, usually in this order. This structure is generally the same as the structure of a radio ad:
- Hook: Since audio ads are short, it’s always ideal to start with a powerful hook. This can be a phrase that is strong, and immediately grabs the attention of the listener. Also, remember that since audio ads are so brief, it’s best to start packing in the information we want to communicate from the get-go.
- Body: Once we get things going with a strong hook, we need to include the relevant information. Try to boil the message down to the most essential. This is the key to writing copy that the person listening will easily remember.
- What to Do: The ending of an audio ad must tell the listener what they should do. This means crafting a pithy and clear message to end the ad. Spotify ads examples will usually want a listener to click on a banner, for instance. This is a specific action we must remind the listener to take.
Call to Action
Indeed, as we just mentioned, effective commercials generally incorporate a call to action. There is a key difference here, between radio commercials and audio ads.
A call to action on a radio commercial may simply give out the details of the business and suggest an action. It could be as simple as giving out an address, phone number, website and telling the listener to visit such a place.
In the case of audio ads, things vary. If we check out Spotify ads examples, for one, we’ll find out that that the call to action is usually interactive. This means that the audio ad will suggest something such as ‘clicking on the banner’. The listener will hopefully do that and be taken to the place where the ad wants them to go.
Spotify Ads Examples: In Detail
When creating Spotify ad examples, it’s vital to give the writer all the necessary details and specs. This makes life easier for the writer and allows the pro to create a first-rate project. Some of the necessary specs include the following:
Purpose
What exactly is the purpose of the piece? Audio ads are very short. It’s essential to know exactly what we want them for and not waste time. Usually it’s a great idea to enunciate the purpose of the audio ad in a pithy sentence. This will serve as a reminder of what the ad will try to achieve.
Extension
Knowing the exact duration of our ad will dictate how long the script has to be. Audio ads, and Spotify ads examples too, are rather short. Most of them will be only about 30 seconds long.
The typical rate of speech is more or less 150 words per minute. What this means is that a typical 30-second audio ad will be about 75 words long. Remember though, that these are general guidelines at a standard conversational pace of speech. Some content creators will want to pack in more words and some will make do with less.
Indeed, a so-called ‘hard sell’ ad will want to create a sense of urgency in the listener and therefore be wordier. Likewise, a slower speed will create a more relaxed ad and will include less words.
It’s useful to remember that audio ads don’t generally compete for a listener’s attention, like we pointed out earlier. This means that a typical conversational pace will do just fine. Also, and this is quite true of Spotify ads examples, it’s important to consider the music we’ll use and how it may or may not impact the rate of speech we’re able to give the ad.
Language
The language of the audio is of vital importance. This means, of course, what language (Spanish, English etc.) it’s going to be. Sure, that’s the beginning.
More than that, however, we need to figure out how formal or informal we’re going to be speaking. As usual, the audience of the ad will dictate the needs of the language. Tone is always a tricky part in the creation of an ad.
Note also that this is a good moment to settle on the type of voice we want. Do we want to talk in the third person for instance?
Troubleshooting Audio Ads
Several things can go wrong with audio ads. Some of the most common issues are listed below:
Research
Poor research can make an ad miss its target. If an audio ad is not working, it’s important to go back to basics by figuring out its intended audience.
Keep It Simple
Audio ads are very short. A natural tendency in content creators is to try to create very complex ads. This is a mistake, because audio ads need to be extremely short and very clear.
Avoiding Cliches
A typical issue in audio ads is the use of ‘weasel words’. These are words that are typically used in ads, but precisely this use has lessened their impact. In fact, they can sound quite trite and overused.
Speaking too fast?
Many content creators try to cram in too much information in their ads. Since they’re still constrained by the time limit in the ads, they try to include a lot of words, read at breakneck speed. In these cases, it’s better to re-work the copy and make it shorter, rather than talking too much and too fast throughout the ad.
Spotify Ads Examples and Where to Create Them?
The Never-ending Ad
Audio ads, and certainly Spotify ads examples, are able to pinpoint very specific target audiences. Likewise, most of the platforms which carry audio ads are able to provide extremely nuanced information on how the ad is performing. This includes the audience listening to it, the clicks on the banner etc.
What this means is that we’ll always be able to improve the ad. Such improvements can be done immediately, if we see the ad is not working as we’d hoped. Think of a simple three-part process for each of our audio ads, like this:
- Prepare: Know the key ingredients to make a successful ad. These include the different things we’ve been covering in this article such as the audience of our ad, the tone we need and the length.
- Deliver: The ad must follow the guidelines of the platform. In the case of Spotify ads examples, this is key.
- Improve: Once the ad is on the platform, it’s vital to measure its progress. Online platforms are particularly useful here, because they provide very detailed information. This allows us to re-tool the ad concept to make it perform better next time.
The Bunny Studio Way
Bunny Studio is uniquely suited to create all sorts of audio ads for any number of online platforms.
Bunny Studio is able to create audio ads from start to finish. The key is the amount of talent the platform currently has, as well as the quality-driven process of creation.
For starters, Bunny Studio has a vetted team of experts in a wide array of fields. Perhaps most importantly, Bunny Studio is devoted to the client’s satisfaction. This means that the staff will not rest until the audio ad is everything the client needs it to be.
