Don’t let your client dismiss your idea for an audio commercial. Written and visual ads have their place, but they’re usually not as influential as ads that are heard. Here’s what you need to know.

How to Boost Revenue with an Audio Commercial

Audio > Text

The typical U.S. consumer would rather hear something than have to read more than a few words of written text. It’s easier to absorb that way and sounds are often easier to commit to memory than written words.

A recent article from Stanford Business highlights a study that pits writing against audio. In the study, participants were presented with either computer-generated audio or a display of text to read. “Across the board, auditory recommendations for products like brownies, blenders and beer were more influential than textual ones.”

And before you start thinking, “Well, the audio ads must have been written more compellingly,” no.

What participants heard and what they read were considered by researchers to be “one and the same.” The difference in effect was purely psychological.

Why?

Researchers hypothesized that audio commercials did better than written ones because of urgency. Consumers “act on information that’s going away” and “when something disappears, it creates a kind of urgency to respond.”

They tested this theory by showing participants text ads that made each word disappear shortly after it was shown. The result: The participants ended up being just as likely to follow the recommendation as they were with audio commercials.

Artificial vs. Authentic Human Voices

Since the researchers were using artificial voices for this study, you may wonder whether to follow suit in audio commercials. Your client should actually be using authentic human voices instead.

While artificial voices are more compelling than text ads, authentic voices are more effective than artificial ones. Compared to artificial voices, authentic voices are more:

Competent
Intelligent
Unique
Trustworthy

A previous SalesFuel blog based on CRM data also says that audio commercials with multiple voices are more persuasive. “Adding more narrators helps persuade customers to take economically significant actions, such as increasing the likelihood of them:

Seeking out more information on your client’s brand and offerings
Making a purchase
Sharing the ad or their experience with your client’s brand with friends, relatives and followers on social media”

So, your client should plan their audio ads to feature at least two voices to drive more sales. CRM recommends those voices be:

Lower Pitched: These voices tend to be more persuasive and increase the likelihood that consumers will view the narrator positively
Clear: If consumers can’t understand the narrators completely, they’re going to miss vital information
Authoritative: Not necessarily a commanding voice. A voice that indicates that the person knows what they’re talking about and can be trusted
Relatable: The stereotypical voice of God is authoritative, yes, but not exactly relatable. Consumers want to hear from people just like them. Want a clear picture of what that should sound like? Take a look at your client’s target audience’s demographic information on AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel

Connect Your Client’s Ads to Consumers’ Routines

Another great thing about audio commercials is they're already an established part in consumers’ daily routines. According to a SalesFuel blog based on data from Magna, “74% of listeners consume audio during their daily rituals.” They listen to audio all day long, from eating breakfast to putting their kids to bed.

So, all your client has to do is tailor their audio ads to their target audience’s interests. Then, they need to be scheduled during a relevant part of the day. For example, promoting running shoes while consumers are working out in the mornings before work or immediately after 5 p.m.

Well-timed and relevant audio commercials with more than one authentically human voice can do wonders for your client’s sales.

Photo by: Vitaly Gariev