I was dead set against programmatic audio until it outperformed display by 3x

For years I thought audio ads were just podcast hosts reading scripts nobody listens to, but I ran a test in March targeting truck drivers on streaming radio. After $5,000 in spend, the cost per lead was $12 compared to $38 on our banner campaigns. Has anyone else seen better results from a channel they initially wrote off?

2 comments

2 Comments

annas8711d ago

Did you target based on specific listening habits or just went broad across the streaming radio network? I had the opposite bias actually, I figured audio was a waste since nobody pays attention during commutes or chores, but then we tested it against social ads for a local service business and audio crushed it by a wide margin. The key for us was using those 15 second spots that feel more like quick reminders than actual commercials. I was pretty shocked to see the cost per lead drop that much, but now I'm wondering if the real lesson is just that we condition ourselves to ignore certain formats.

hall.nina11d ago

Respectfully @annas87, I see it a bit different. Audio ads work because people are literally trapped with nothing else to look at during commutes, not because we're conditioned to ignore social ads. Social is way easier to scroll past without a single thought.