With over 55 million listeners, Amazon Music is one of the leading music streaming platforms out there. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find a way to reach these subscribers and share your products with them.
Well, you can, and it’s all thanks to Amazon audio ads. Through Amazon’s free, ad-supported tier, you can create short, engaging audio ads to reach a whole new audience base. Let me walk you through how it works.
What Are Amazon Audio Ads?
Think of Amazon audio ads like radio ads.
They’re commercials between 10 and 30 seconds long, and you can use them for any marketing campaign, from promoting brand awareness to hyping up a new product.
You don’t need to sell products on Amazon to use this service, either, which makes it accessible for more businesses.
The ads themselves play between songs. You can’t choose your slot preference, but there’s great reach available anyway. Listeners can tune in through their Echo devices, or they’ll hear your ad when they use the Amazon Music app on Android, FireTV, and iOS.
How much do these ads cost? Well, Amazon charges for audio ads on a cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) basis, so you pay each time a thousand people see your ad.
You need to spend at least $15,000 per month on Amazon audio ads to use the service. However, according to Amazon, the average minimum budget is about $25,000 per month, so you might want to bear this in mind.
Why Should You Use Amazon Audio Ads?
Audio ads are nothing new, but there are two main reasons why Amazon’s audio ads may be worth a try.
First, think about the potential reach. The Amazon Echo is America’s most popular smart speaker, for one thing, and as I’ve mentioned, there are over 55 million Amazon music subscribers and counting!
Secondly, ad-supported streaming subscriptions aren’t going anywhere any time soon. According to Amazon, 68 percent of Americans rely on free streaming subscriptions, so there’s surely an audience for your campaigns.
The best part, though? You’re engaging with audiences in a creative, exciting new way. In a hugely competitive marketplace, Amazon audio ads may give you an edge over your rivals.
Who Should Use Amazon Audio Ads?
Can any business use Amazon audio ads? Sure.
Are these ads suitable for every business, though? No.
For starters, consider your budget. $15,000 per month is pretty steep, so small or niche businesses might find the cost isn’t justified.
Next, think about your overall marketing strategy. Do you plan on using any other Amazon advertising product? The ads might work best when used alongside other Amazon marketing tools to build a stronger, more cohesive presence on the platform.
Finally, think about your brand. Although you don’t need to sell through Amazon to create an ad, you might find Amazon audio ads make more sense if you’re already an Amazon seller and want to direct people to buy from your store.
3 Steps to Set Up Amazon Audio Ads
Ready to try Amazon audio ads? Great! Let’s break down the steps involved.
1. Understand Your Own Goals
Before you sign up, set out your goals. Why? Because it gives you some creative direction, which you’ll need to write a great script and create compelling visuals to accompany it.
Remember, no two campaigns are alike. Be clear on what you need from your Amazon audio ad before you go live.
2. Contact an Amazon Ad Consultant
Next, reach out to an Amazon ad consultant. They can help you plan, optimize, and launch your audio ad campaigns based on your budget and marketing goals.
To get going, simply click the “Get Started” link on the audio ads page.
Select which country you want to advertise in and choose your monthly budget. Remember, if you want to spend less than $15,000 per month, you can’t launch a custom audio ad campaign.
If you’re OK with the budget requirements, input your company contact details and provide a summary of your marketing needs. A consultant will be in touch to discuss your campaign in more detail.
Even if you can’t access Amazon audio ads for your marketing right now, there’s always a chance that Amazon will introduce a more flexible pricing structure in the future.
3. Provide an Audio File and Companion Banner
Your Amazon audio ad needs both an audio file and a companion banner for when your ads run on devices like FireTV.
Audio File
The audio file contains the ad itself. Remember, it must be somewhere between 10 and 30 seconds long, and the file size can’t exceed 1 MB.
In terms of format, you can submit either a WAV, OGG, or MP3 file, and the volume should be at least 192 kbps so it’s easily audible.
To be clear, you shouldn’t use suggestive, provocative, or offensive language. It must be suited for a general audience.
Companion Banner
Your companion banner (or graphic) shows up while the ad plays. Here are some guidelines for it:
- The file must be a JPEG sized to 1024 x 1024 px.
- It can’t be more than 750 KB.
- The headline can’t be more than 19 characters. In other words, keep it short and sweet.
There are some visual guidelines, too.
For starters, you can’t use style tools that make it look like any particular part of the ad is clickable. Here’s an example from Amazon:
A banner along these lines may be more appropriate because there’s nothing to suggest it’s clickable:
You can also include a URL if you want, but it should be something compact so it doesn’t take over the whole graphic. “Shop now at Amazon.com” or some variation of this is OK.
Finally, make sure the text is clear and legible.
Struggling to put a companion banner together? Don’t worry. Your ad consultant can help you design it, and they’ll offer feedback if something’s not working.
Once you’ve submitted your banner and audio file to your consultant, your ad could go live within three working days.
How to Add a CTA to Your Amazon Audio Ads
A call to action (CTA) encourages people to do something after listening to your ad, such as buy your product. Unsurprisingly, every Amazon audio ad should have one! Where should your CTA go, though, and what should it include? Let’s take a look.
First, since you want people to take action after hearing your ad, it’s usually best to place your CTA at the end. Ensure you include your brand name and a specific action for people to take.
Next, keep your CTA short and specific. Don’t leave listeners in any doubt over what they should do and how they can do it.
Finally, avoid using sound effects. You don’t want to lose the message in your CTA behind a jingle!
Let’s say your company’s called Coffee King, and you want people to buy your new Regular Roast. Here are some CTAs you could use.
- “To buy our Regular Roast, go to CoffeeKing.com.”
- “To start shopping, ask your device to search for Coffee King’s Regular Roast.”
Remember, if you don’t ask a consumer to do something, how will they know what you want them to do?
6 Tips to Create Great Amazon Audio Ads
Remember, your audio ad can’t be more than 30 seconds long, so every second counts. Here are some tips for making the most of the time you have.
1. Write a Great Script
OK, so there’s an art to writing a great script. The good news? It’s something you can learn. Here are some tips:
- Use short and simple statements to make your point.
- Ensure your language and tone resonates with your audience. For example, teens may not go for highly formal language, and so on.
- Focus on one core concept per ad campaign. Don’t confuse your listeners.
2. Promote the Product Benefits
What’s so great about your product, and why should consumers buy it? Make this the focus of your ad. If you’re running any promotions or exclusive offers, be sure to mention them, too.
You might want to avoid testimonials, though. Too many voices can muddle your recording and distract from your message.
3. Provide a High-Quality Recording
It sounds obvious, but ensure your recording sounds professional.
- Speak in a crisp, clear voice.
- Make sure the recording is free from interference.
- Avoid talking too fast. You’re trying to form a connection with your listener.
4. Avoid Sound Effects
Does your ad need dramatic sound effects like sirens or horns? Probably not. Jarring sounds can annoy your listener, which isn’t great when you’re trying to nurture them into buying your products.
If you really must use sound effects, use them sparingly, and only if they’re necessary to drive your message home.
5. Use Smooth Transitions
Remember, your ad doesn’t play in isolation. It’s playing between songs or other audio ads. Don’t begin with a long pause, and don’t “apologize” for interrupting someone’s music. Since you don’t know when your ad will play, a statement like this could be irrelevant.
Avoid long fade-outs, too. Simply end with your CTA.
6. Spread a Consistent Brand Message
Consistency is key. According to Forbes, cross-platform consistency can boost your revenue by 23 percent.
The takeaway? Ensure you’re using consistent language, visuals, and brand messaging across all your marketing campaigns. If your audio ad sounds off-brand, it could deter listeners from shopping with you.
How to Track the Success of Your Amazon Audio Ad Campaigns
Once your ad campaign is up and running, you need to monitor your key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure it’s working for you. For audio ads, here are the metrics you should track:
- impressions: how many times the ad plays or people hear it
- listen through rate (LTR): how many times someone listens through to the end
- reach: who listens to your ad
- purchase intent: how likely a customer is to buy your product after hearing the ad
Amazon offers tools to help you track these metrics, but you can also use your own tracking tools.
Examples of Great Amazon Audio Ads
Want to learn more about Amazon audio ads in action? Here are two great success stories to inspire you.
Samsung
Samsung, the tech industry giant, needed help marketing its Galaxy S10 Lite handset. They opted for audio ads to reach young listeners tuning in to Amazon Music.
According to stats compiled by Amazon, these audio ads generated a 64 percent increase in organic impressions for Samsung and an 18 percent jump in overall product awareness.
All in all, I call this a successful campaign.
Berocca
This brand took Amazon audio ads to a whole new level.
Berocca is a popular vitamin company with customers around the world. They wanted to identify new ways to reach their diverse audience base and sell their Berocca Boost tablets.
How did they achieve their goal? They used actionable audio ads powered by Amazon Alexa.
- The ad includes a clear and effective CTA, inviting people to try Berocca Boost if they feel lethargic.
- If interested, the listener gives the voice command to try Berocca Boost.
- Listeners can then either hear more about the product or use another voice command to buy the energy tablets directly through the ad.
What’s great about this campaign is how easy it is for listeners to engage with the audio ad and actually purchase the product.
Conclusion
Amazon audio ads can help you increase your reach, sell more products, and ultimately grow your business. They’re simple to set up, and you can go live in as little as three working days.
That said, Amazon audio ads are not for everyone. If you’re in any doubt as to whether this campaign’s right for you or if you need help with audio marketing more generally, let me help you.
What do you think of Amazon audio ads? How are they helping your business?
