“It is tempting to assume that we have listeners by the ears because they can’t skip radio… but our listeners will still skip ads mentally if the creative is not good enough.

“Radio advertising is not about spots on air, it is about communication,” says Ralph van Dijk from Eardrum.

Ralph urges stations to make ads that will make their listeners go from “passive hearing to active listening.”

When you are creating great audio ads, try to get the audience interested in the first few seconds. Say something that makes people want to hear more, advises Ralph.

“There is a difference between the creative in streaming ads than on radio.”

An ad inside the music streaming environment is like putting an ad after the third track of your own CD. You would be  annoyed by the interruption, so acknowledge the interruption, then craft the ad that knows you are listening to a playlist. Be respectful of the environment, which is different from the radio environment.

In podcasts, do not use a radio ad that is designed to cut through. Podcast listeners are like an exclusive ad, you need to make ads that fit into that club environment, don’t write ads that feel like an intruder interrupting your time with your friends.

Create advertising that feels more like a program than an advertisement.

Ralph’s tips for getting the best from your audio on various platforms, us to use different techniques that are appropriate to each audio platform.

 More reports from Radiodays Asia here and here.