When it comes to audio advertising, few platforms compare to Spotify. Hosting both podcasts and a vast library of music, Spotify has over 365 million monthly active users, including 165 million paid Premium Subscribers.
Needless to say, Spotify advertising can give you access to a very large and very engaged audience. Of course, if you’ve never run audio ads on Spotify before, you may want to see some Spotify ad examples before you start your own campaign.
In reality, there is more to successful Spotify advertising than writing an ad that appeals to your target audience.
By understanding some of the aspects of a successful Spotify ad campaign, you can find success on the music streaming giant.
Noteworthy advantages of advertising on Spotify
Spotify isn’t just the world’s leading music streaming platform — users spend an impressive amount of time on it. In North America, the average Spotify user spends 140 minutes on the platform each day. They listen to music and podcasts while commuting, working out at the gym, or doing chores at home.
Regardless of the circumstances, the amount of time the average person spends listening to Spotify throughout the day means there are plenty of opportunities for ad exposure.
Spotify also makes marketers’ job easier by offering a variety of ad formats that you can use to drive sales and brand awareness:
Audio ads
Audio-only ads are played between songs on unpaid Spotify users’ playlists. These ads are similar to the content you’d hear on the radio and use voice overs and sound effects to catch a listener’s attention. Many Spotify audio ads make greater use of background music for a better listening experience.
Podcast ads
Spotify also offers advertising that is specific to the podcasts hosted on its platform. These ads can be placed using demographic information from the Spotify Audience Network, or you can purchase ad placements for specific podcast titles.
Video ads
Though it may seem counterintuitive to have video ads and display ads on an audio-focused advertising platform, these can also boost your campaign results. These ads are only shown when a user is actually looking at the Spotify app, so the extra money you spent on the visuals won’t go to waste. Video takeover ads go a step further by pairing video with a companion call-to-action (CTA) banner overlay (and are also only shown when someone is looking at the app).
Sponsored Playlists
Spotify also gives brands the opportunity to sponsor their own curated playlists. A playlist sponsorship aligns your marketing campaign with a specific group of Spotify listeners and their interests, whether they are looking for new music or old favorites.
Sponsored Sessions
With a sponsored session, a brand can essentially sponsor a half-hour ad-free listening session for Spotify users. This encourages users to click on your ad so they won’t listen to any other ads for the next half hour. Being the only advertiser someone hears before listening to ad-free music for a half-hour can greatly improve ad recall.
Getting the right Spotify ad placements
While a quality script is certainly important, getting your Spotify ads in front of the right audience can prove just as important for getting the results you need.
Consider this Spotify ad example from PepsiMax: In Australia, the brand was linked with a variety of TimeOut media events that it wanted to promote. To promote such a large number of events, they created over 650 personalized ads. Each ad focused on one specific event and was targeted to listeners based on their geographic location and how the time when they were listening to Spotify related to when the next event would be held.
Listeners heard ads for events that would take place soonest and closest to them — in other words, the events they’d most likely be able to attend. Someone listening to Spotify in Melbourne on a Tuesday would hear an ad for an event taking place that Friday in their city, rather than an one taking place in another town (or another week).
The campaign improved brand consideration by 21% and lifted recall by 155%. While you’re probably never going to create 650 ads for a single campaign, this Spotify ad example shows how getting specific with your targeting can make a real difference for your campaign.
Moving brand Two Men and a Truck achieved similar results when they wanted to promote their junk removal services. Because this service was only offered at select locations, their Spotify podcast ads used geographic targeting so they would only play for listeners who lived where these services were available.
You could also target listeners based on the types of playlists they are listening to. For example, a gym could build awareness for its new location by targeting people who listen to “fitness” or “workout” playlists in their area. Going deep on demographic and behavioral targeting will help you reach the right people at the right time.
Spotify ad example scripts
While the previous Spotify ad examples showcase the importance of considering how you target ads through Spotify’s self-serve program, a quality script can be just as important for driving brand recall, awareness, and sales.
You can never go wrong with writing your script using the formula of a hook, followed by a description of your product, service, or offer, and then ending with a call to action. Plus, here at Decibel, we have plenty of script templates to point you in the right (or should we say “write”) direction.
However, don’t be afraid to have fun with your script. A unique and memorable tone can help your campaign stand out — like this campaign for RXBAR that increased brand awareness by 42%. Here’s one of their scripts (read by Ice-T):
So they asked me if I could do a little rap about Blueberry RX for ’em. I said, “Nah, man, come on, I’m O.G. hip-hop. That’s whack.” They said, “Please, Ice.” I said, “Nah.” They said, “We’ll up your fee.” I said, “Nah.” They said, “A lot of money.” I said, “I’ll think about it.” They said, “Okay, take your time.” So I took my time. Then after a while, they called me. I said, “Yeah, I thought about it. No.” RXBAR. The whole-food protein bar with no B.S.
At first glance, this ad seems to throw everything we associate with radio scripts out the window. The ad doesn’t focus on RXBAR’s unique features or offer a firm call to action. But its uniqueness and humor set it apart. The tone helps audiences connect with the brand on an emotional level by helping it feel more relatable, casual, and even a little irreverent, which ultimately helped this campaign achieve its goals.
Another unique Spotify ad example comes from a Calvin Klein campaign meant to focus on Gen Z’s activism-oriented mindset. Here’s the script:
YOUNG FEMALE VOICEOVER: I dream of a future where people can lend a helping hand, and not be judgmental towards people who are of color, or people with disabilities, or people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community as well. I just dream of a future that’s all-inclusive.
MALE VOICEOVER: What do you hope for? Tap now to share how you feel and add to the one future playlist. Calvin Klein.
In this ad, the brand isn’t mentioned until the very end. However, it does provide a call to action that helps connect the brand with current cultural trends and narratives. Creating a positive emotional association with the brand will make listeners more likely to consider it when they are ready to make a purchase.
Let Decibel help with your Spotify campaign
Now that you’ve seen some Spotify ad examples, it’s time to get rolling with your own campaign! By utilizing the Spotify ad types that will best convey your message, buying placements that will put them in front of relevant audiences, and writing a memorable script that connects on an emotional level, you can have confidence that your campaign will deliver amazing results.
Of course, if you’re a small business with a limited digital marketing budget, it may seem hard to compete with enterprise-level companies, especially for more expensive campaign options like sponsored sessions.
This is where Decibel can help. Our innovative platform helps companies of all sizes achieve affordable audio ad placements on Spotify and other streaming platforms. You don’t have to break the bank to reach your target demographic on Spotify. Get started today to see how easy it is to set up your next campaign.