3 Tips to Advance Your Audio Marketing Efforts

Audio marketing is currently a hot topic. Advertising giant Carat has described “screen-free media” as one of the biggest media trends for 2021 thus far.

Since the audio marketing world has never had so much momentum, it’s something marketing teams should consider adding to their marketing strategy either this year or next. If your marketing plan already includes audio marketing, consider improving the quality of the product you’re putting out to increase its value.

For example, if your audio quality could be improved with an investment in new equipment or a soundproof room, make room for that in the budget. It’s important for your company to put its best foot forward with its audio marketing collateral.

Easy Ways to Improve Your Audio Marketing Efforts

If you are just now getting into, or are already in, the audio marketing game, here are a few tips to ensure that your efforts take you to the next level.

1. Create Quality Raw Recordings

It doesn’t matter how good you are at post-production. If you start with a crappy audio file, you are going to be fighting an uphill battle every step of the way. That’s why, whether you are recording a business podcast, a webinar, a how-to video, or anything else, you want to start with a high-quality recording.

This starts with your microphone. Choose a mic model in your price range, but make sure that it is built to capture clean, crisp vocals.

Once you have the mic, consider the many other factors that impact the quality of your initial recording. Dolby.io recommends taking a few key steps to ensure that your audio is clean right from the get-go, including:

• Finding a recording space that is as quiet and controlled as possible;
• Using a central room away from windows;
• Including soft objects like pillows or couches in the room to reduce echoes;
• Testing various areas of your space to find the best spot in the room;
• Investing in a pop filter;
• Following proper mic technique, such as keeping your head still and remaining six to eight inches from the instrument.

If you do your best to get a great recording, it can make the entire editing and publication process smoother. It also makes it that much easier to produce a high-quality final product that will stand out in a crowded audio marketing space.

2. Perfecting Post-Production Activity

Once you have your raw file, you want to turn it into a polished piece of audio magic. While this isn’t rocket science, there are several best practices that you should follow if you want your audio content to stand out

For example, no matter how simple your podcast may be, you should always create a recording plan. This should lay out the narrative structure of a podcast, live video for social media, or even a pre-recorded lecture.

Having a plan in place can help you double up activities as you go along. If you know ahead of time, you can do things like select trailer clips while also doing edits. This can save you from having to re-listen to the audio more often than is necessary. Regardless of the content, always outline how you want your finished piece of audio to flow.

It’s also a good idea to take notes — always with time stamps — while you’re recording. Then, when you go to edit, you can jump right to each point of concern in your files. If you start with notes, you can make major changes right up front. This avoids wasting initial time listening through an entire file when you know major changes need to take place.

If you’re creating marketing content, there’s also a good chance that you’ll use certain files, like intro music or end credits, often. Make sure to label these so that they’re easy to spot at a moment’s notice.

As you go through mixing and mastering each audio file, make sure to use different outputs, as well. Try different kinds of headphones. Run it through desk speakers, too. Even try a car stereo to ensure that everything is sounding good.

3. Keep the Right People in Your Sights

Finally, as you edit your audio marketing content, remember that, unless you happen to be trained in this specific field, you’re not going to be able to compete with top-level recording studios. Instead, set SMART goals to achieve throughout your recording activities. Indeed.com describes these kinds of objectives as goals that are:

• Specific;
• Measurable;
• Attainable;
• Relevant;
• Time-based.

In other words, don’t try to reach the level of a recording on the Hot 100 Chart. Set goals that can help you achieve attainable, real-world audio marketing results for your business.

This revolves around creating your audio marketing content with the right people in mind. This should include two critical parties:

• Your audience: Consider what your customers and industry consumers are looking for. What topics do they want to see covered? Are you communicating with B2B or B2C customers? Let this inform the topics that you choose.
• Your competitors: At this point, everyone has a podcast, social media presence, YouTube channel, and so on. With so much content already out there, consider what your competitors are doing to both succeed and fail with their own audio content.

Your Audio Marketing Content Will Improve Over Time

From clean recordings to proper post-production practices to setting SMART goals, there are plenty of ways to improve your audio marketing. This can apply to both new and existing efforts, too. You can exercise all of these tips while launching a new audio marketing strategy. You can just as easily incorporate audio advances into existing marketing efforts, as well.

The important thing is that each business approaches audio marketing as an area of continual improvement. Consumer interests — and by extension, audio subject matter — are always changing. Recording equipment and spaces need to be kept in good shape.

In order to maintain a steady output of quality audio content, businesses should embrace continual learning and take the time to invest in their audible content. If you can do that, it can quickly take your audio marketing efforts to the next level.

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