Reinforce Your Audio Messages With an Audio Companion Ad

Programmatic audio provides brands with the opportunity to reach audiences in screen-free moments. Audio ads perform well on their own, but it’s possible to boost their effectiveness even further by adding a display companion ad. Including companion banners alongside your audio can help reinforce the impact of your message and drive more engagement.

Read on to learn what audio companion banners are, how they work, and their benefits. 

What Are Audio Companion Ads

Audio companion ads or audio companion banners are clickable visual ads that run at the same time as an audio ad. They are displayed for the duration of the ad, while listeners hear your audio ad through a mobile device or desktop. 

Companion banners are powerful tools for boosting the effectiveness of your audio campaigns. A companion ad complements the audio ad, providing a visual connection to the brand message and a streamlined path for users to engage with the brand beyond the ad (by clicking). Plus, audio companion banners provide an added metric on top of the usual audio metrics: clicks.

For example, if a gym were to run an audio campaign, a companion banner could be included in the campaign to streamline the path to enrollment. The audio companion ad might look like this:

How Audio Companion Banners Work

Companion banners are usually an image or display ad, and they display at the same time as an audio ad is played. In most cases, a companion ad will support click-through URLs. That way, a user can click on the ad to be directed to more information about what they’re hearing in the accompanying audio ad. Keep in mind that companion banners do depend on the publisher’s player capabilities and are not necessarily displayed in all players. 

Benefits of Audio Companion Ads

Including audio companion banner ads brings lots of benefits to your programmatic audio strategy. Here are three of those main benefits. 

1. Reinforces Brand Messaging

Companion banners are an effective tool for emphasizing a brand’s message. The added visual element combines the power of audio with the power of imagery. This works to grab more attention from the user, strengthening the connection between a user and a brand (or ad).

2. Drives Engagement

Audio companion banners help drive users to action by making the path to conversion simpler. For example, being able to simply tap the banner ad on a screen is much easier than having to look up a brand or product that is mentioned in an audio ad. Providing this simple way to engage helps reduce friction on the path to conversion.

3. Enhanced Measurement

Adding audio companion banners comes with the benefit of more tools for measuring the effectiveness of an ad campaign. When companion banners run alongside an audio ad, you’re able to see how many click-throughs the campaign earned. 

Tips for Creating Companion Ads

To create audio companion banner ads that effectively support your audio messaging, you’ll want to follow a few best practices. 

1. Optimize banner ads for the format they will appear in. Provide display options in various sizes that will fit both mobile and desktop, to maximize scale.
2. Add creative elements that tie the banner to the audio ad. Be sure to include the brand or company logo in the ad, and ensure the banner is eye-catching and organically references the audio content.
3. Include a call-to-action (CTA) that reinforces the audio ad’s message. A visual CTA will strengthen your messaging and encourage the user to take further action. 
4. Ensure the companion banner ad complements the audio content. A visual element should complement what the user is hearing, but not distract from it. Keep the ad simple so that the user remains engaged with the audio they are hearing. 

Reinforce Your Audio Messages 

In today’s highly mobile and connected consumer environment, digital audio is a great way to command a listener’s full attention. Music spurs emotions, and listening to a podcast can emulate the experience of chatting with a friend. 

Digital audio is so engaging that Edison Research reports that 70% of monthly podcast listeners don’t do anything else while listening to a podcast. As audio earns a more prominent place in our lives and consumption continues to grow, this format is one that advertisers won’t want to miss out on. 

Interested in running companion banners in your next programmatic audio campaign? Request a demo to learn more about StackAdapt.