How to Use Alexa Audio Ads to Boost Your Brand Awareness

By Cepy 9/14/2023 Post a Comment

Hi everyone, welcome to another article on digital marketing. Today, we're going to talk about a new and exciting way to reach your potential customers with voice-based advertising: Alexa audio ads.

Alexa audio ads are short audio clips that play on Alexa-enabled devices, such as Echo smart speakers, Fire TV, and Amazon Music. They allow you to showcase your brand, products, or services to listeners who are consuming ad-supported content on these devices. You can also make your ads interactive, meaning that listeners can respond to your ads by voice and take actions such as adding an item to their cart, requesting more information, or setting a reminder.

Why You Should Consider Alexa Audio Ads for Your Marketing Strategy

Alexa audio ads are not just another way to advertise your business. They offer some unique benefits that can help you stand out from the crowd and connect with your audience in a more engaging and natural way. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider Alexa audio ads for your marketing strategy:

Alexa audio ads have a wide reach and high attention

According to Amazon, there are more than 200 million Alexa-enabled devices worldwide, and more than 90 million smart speaker owners in the US alone[^1^]. This means that you can reach a large and diverse audience with your audio ads, especially if you target them based on demographics, interests, or listening behavior. Moreover, audio ads have been shown to have higher attention and recall rates than other types of ads, as they can capture listeners' attention during screenless moments or multitasking scenarios[^2^].

Alexa audio ads are interactive and seamless

One of the most innovative features of Alexa audio ads is that they are interactive, meaning that listeners can respond to your ads by voice and take actions without interrupting their streaming experience. For example, if you're advertising a new product on Amazon Music, listeners can simply say "Alexa, add to cart" or "Alexa, send me more information" after hearing your ad. Alexa will know which product is featured in the ad, and add that item to the cart, send an email with more details, or set a reminder for later. This makes the shopping journey more seamless and convenient for customers, and more effective and measurable for advertisers.

Alexa audio ads are creative and memorable

Alexa audio ads give you the opportunity to showcase your brand personality and voice in a creative and memorable way. You can use relatable language, conversational tone, humor, music, sound effects, and other elements to craft an audio ad that resonates with your audience and reflects your brand identity. You can also leverage Alexa's voice capabilities to make your ad more dynamic and personalized. For example, you can use Alexa's name or voice in your ad to create a call-to-action or a dialogue with the listener. You can also use dynamic insertion to customize your ad based on the listener's location, time of day, weather, or other factors.

How to Create Effective Alexa Audio Ads for Your Business

Now that you know the benefits of Alexa audio ads, you might be wondering how to create them for your business. Here are some tips and best practices to help you craft effective Alexa audio ads that capture your audience's attention and drive them to action:

Define your goal and target audience

Before you start creating your audio ad, you need to define what you want to achieve with it and who you want to reach. Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, drive sales, or achieve another objective? Who are your ideal customers, what are their pain points, needs, interests, and preferences? Having a clear goal and target audience will help you tailor your message, tone, and call-to-action accordingly.

Write a clear and concise script

The next step is to write a script for your audio ad that conveys your value proposition and key message in a clear and concise way. Remember that you only have a few seconds to grab the listener's attention and persuade them to take action, so keep your script short (15-30 seconds), simple (use easy-to-understand words), and focused (highlight one main benefit or offer). Also, make sure that your script matches the tone and style of the content that precedes or follows your ad.

Use voice elements strategically

Voice elements are the components that make up your audio ad, such as the narrator's voice, music, sound effects, Alexa's voice or name, dynamic insertion, etc. You should use these elements strategically to enhance your message and create an emotional connection with the listener. For example:

Choose a narrator's voice that matches your brand personality and target audience. You can use a professional voice actor, a celebrity, or even your own voice.
Select music and sound effects that complement your message and create a mood or atmosphere. You can use existing tracks or create your own original music.
Use Alexa's voice or name to create a call-to-action or a dialogue with the listener. For example, you can say "Alexa, play the next song" or "Alexa, what do you think of this product?" to prompt the listener to interact with your ad.
Use dynamic insertion to customize your ad based on the listener's context. For example, you can say "Good morning" or "Good evening" depending on the time of day, or mention the listener's location, weather, or other relevant factors.

Test and optimize your audio ad

Once you have created your audio ad, you need to test it and optimize it based on the results. You can use Amazon's tools and services to measure the performance of your audio ad, such as impressions, reach, frequency, completion rate, interaction rate, conversion rate, etc. You can also use feedback from listeners, surveys, focus groups, or other methods to evaluate the effectiveness of your audio ad. Based on the data and insights you gather, you can tweak your script, voice elements, targeting, or other aspects of your audio ad to improve its impact and ROI.

Alexa Audio Ads Pricing and Formats

If you're interested in running Alexa audio ads for your business, you might be wondering how much they cost and what formats are available. Here's a brief overview of the pricing and formats of Alexa audio ads:

Format	Description	Pricing
Standard Audio Ads	Non-interactive audio ads that play on Alexa-enabled devices such as Echo smart speakers, Fire TV, and Amazon Music. They are 15-30 seconds long and can be targeted based on demographics, interests, or listening behavior.	The pricing for standard audio ads is based on CPM (cost per thousand impressions), which varies depending on the device, content type, audience segment, and other factors. According to one agency that's testing Amazon Music's audio ads, the ads require a minimum of $50,000 in ad spend[^3^]. Another ad-agency exec said CPMs for audio ads cost 30 to 40% less than Amazon's streaming-TV ads[^3^].
Interactive Audio Ads	Interactive audio ads that allow listeners to respond to the ads by voice and take actions such as adding an item to their cart, requesting more information, or setting a reminder. They are available on Alexa-enabled devices that support Amazon Music's ad-supported tier.	The pricing for interactive audio ads is based on CPM plus CPC (cost per click), which means that advertisers pay for both impressions and interactions. The CPM and CPC rates depend on the device, content type, audience segment, and other factors. Amazon has not disclosed the exact rates for interactive audio ads yet.
Interactive Video Ads	Interactive video ads that allow viewers to respond to the ads by voice or remote control and take actions such as adding an item to their cart, requesting more information, or setting a reminder. They are available on Fire TV devices that support IMDb TV app.	The pricing for interactive video ads is based on CPM plus CPCV (cost per completed view), which means that advertisers pay for both impressions and completed views. The CPM and CPCV rates depend on the device, content type, audience segment, and other factors. Amazon has not disclosed the exact rates for interactive video ads yet.

FAQs About Alexa Audio Ads

What are Alexa audio ads?

Alexa audio ads are short audio clips that play on Alexa-enabled devices such as Echo smart speakers, Fire TV, and Amazon Music. They allow advertisers to showcase their brand, products, or services to listeners who are consuming ad-supported content on these devices.

How do Alexa audio ads work?

Alexa audio ads work by using Amazon's programmatic advertising platform to deliver relevant ads to listeners based on their demographics, interests, or listening behavior. Advertisers can create their own audio ads using professional voice actors, music tracks, sound effects, Alexa's voice or name, dynamic insertion, and other elements. Listeners can hear the audio ads while listening to music streams, podcasts, news flashes, or other content on their Alexa-enabled devices.

Whatare the benefits of Alexa audio ads?

Alexa audio ads offer some unique benefits for advertisers, such as:

They have a wide reach and high attention, as they can reach millions of Alexa-enabled device owners who are listening to ad-supported content on these devices.
They are interactive and seamless, as they allow listeners to respond to the ads by voice and take actions without interrupting their streaming experience.
They are creative and memorable, as they allow advertisers to showcase their brand personality and voice in a creative and memorable way.

How much do Alexa audio ads cost?

The cost of Alexa audio ads depends on the format, device, content type, audience segment, and other factors. The pricing is based on CPM (cost per thousand impressions), CPC (cost per click), or CPCV (cost per completed view), depending on the format. Amazon has not disclosed the exact rates for Alexa audio ads yet, but according to some sources, they require a minimum of $50,000 in ad spend and cost 30 to 40% less than Amazon's streaming-TV ads.

How to create Alexa audio ads?

To create Alexa audio ads, advertisers need to follow these steps:

Define their goal and target audience for their audio ad campaign.
Write a clear and concise script for their audio ad that conveys their value proposition and key message in 15-30 seconds.
Use voice elements strategically to enhance their message and create an emotional connection with the listener, such as the narrator's voice, music, sound effects, Alexa's voice or name, dynamic insertion, etc.
Test and optimize their audio ad based on the performance data and feedback from listeners.

Where do Alexa audio ads play?

Alexa audio ads play on Alexa-enabled devices that support ad-supported content, such as Echo smart speakers, Fire TV, and Amazon Music. They can also play on other devices that have Alexa built-in or integrated, such as headphones, cars, laptops, etc.

What types of content can Alexa audio ads run on?

Alexa audio ads can run on various types of content that are available on Alexa-enabled devices, such as music streams, podcasts, news flashes, sports updates, weather reports, etc. Advertisers can choose the content type that matches their target audience and message.

How to target Alexa audio ads?

Alexa audio ads can be targeted based on various criteria, such as demographics (age, gender, location, etc.), interests (music genres, hobbies, etc.), or listening behavior (streaming frequency, time of day, device type, etc.). Advertisers can use Amazon's programmatic advertising platform to select their target audience and deliver relevant ads to them.

How to measure Alexa audio ads?

Alexa audio ads can be measured using Amazon's tools and services that provide various metrics and insights on the performance of the audio ad campaign. Some of the metrics include impressions, reach, frequency, completion rate, interaction rate, conversion rate, etc. Advertisers can use these metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of their audio ad and optimize it accordingly.

How to make Alexa audio ads interactive?

To make Alexa audio ads interactive, advertisers need to use Alexa's voice capabilities to create a call-to-action or a dialogue with the listener. For example:

They can use Alexa's name in their ad to prompt the listener to interact with their ad. For example: "Alexa, tell me more about this product."
They can use Alexa's voice in their ad to create a conversation with the listener. For example: "Hi there, this is Alexa. I have a great deal for you today."
They can use voice commands or keywords in their ad to enable the listener to take actions by voice. For example: "Say 'add to cart' or 'send me more information' after hearing this ad."

What are some examples of Alexa audio ads?

Here are some examples of Alexa audio ads that have been created by different brands:

Audible: Audible used Alexa's name and voice in its audio ad to promote its audiobook service and offer a free trial to listeners. The ad said: "Hey there. This is Audible. And this is an audiobook. If you like what you hear right now - which is me talking - you'll love listening to audiobooks. They're books you listen to instead of read. And right now you can get a free audiobook when you start a 30-day trial. Just say 'Alexa, start my Audible trial' to get started."
Doritos: Doritos used music and sound effects in its audio ad to create a fun and playful mood and showcase its new product. The ad said: "Introducing Doritos 3D Crunch. The snack that's not flat. It's 3D. Crunchy. Cheesy. And totally awesome. Want to try it? Just say 'Alexa, open Doritos 3D' and get ready for a snack-tacular experience."
Headspace: Headspace used a soothing narrator's voice and relaxing music in its audio ad to promote its meditation app and offer a free trial to listeners. The ad said: "Feeling stressed? Need a break? Try Headspace. Headspace is the app that makes meditation simple. It can help you relax, focus, and sleep better in just a few minutes a day. And right now, you can get a free two-week trial when you sign up. Just say 'Alexa, open Headspace' and start your journey to a happier, healthier life."

Conclusion

Alexa audio ads are a new and exciting way to advertise your business with voice-based advertising. They can help you reach a large and diverse audience, interact with them in a natural and engaging way, and showcase your brand personality and voice in a creative and memorable way. If you want to learn more about Alexa audio ads, check out our other articles on this topic or contact us for more information.

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