What Is Social Audio?
When we think of social media, we think of visual platforms filled with still and video content complimented by rich sound, from voiceovers to jingles and soundtracks. In this part of the social media world, sound is an aspect, not the main attraction! The landscape is filled with visual platforms, Instagram, Facebook,
TikTok and Snapchat, to name but a few, but with social audio entering the mix, things are set to change. With so much noise in the visual landscape, it makes sense that there would be a revolt or a trend to give our eyes a rest that focuses on other senses, where appearance isn’t the focus and authenticity rains supreme, and that’s where social audio comes in. Today at Jane Hayes Consulting, we look at What Is Social Audio? The new era of social.
With busy lives and too many platforms to choose from, social audio slots in as a platform that can be consumed on the run. Content shared through social audio often has a more casual, personable feel than other forms of social media marketing, as users interact directly with hosts and guests in interactive conversations. Appearances don’t matter, and this can leave room for honest, more authentic discourse between audiences, brands, and organisations.
But how, as a brand, can you enter the fray and engage with your audience? By leveraging platforms such as Clubhouse and Discord, companies can quickly and effectively reach their customers and build meaningful relationships.
This encourages people to engage authentically with brands, creating a more lasting impact than conventional methods such as text or visuals. Additionally, social audio allows for more targeted audience demographics, which helps promoters efficiently gain access to the right people and boost ROI.
“Clubhouse has over 10 million users, according to the most recent data. 56% of Clubhouse users are between the age of 18 to 34. Over half of clubhouse users are between the age of 18 to 34, accounting for 56%. People aged 35-54 make up 42% of clubhouse’s total users. And the remaining 2% are 55 years and above.” Demandsage
5. The platforms:
1. What is social audio, and how does it work:
Social audio is quickly gaining traction as one of the hottest social media trends. It allows people to unite and share their voices, be heard, and share ideas in one place. Users can join virtual rooms for live conversations, listening parties, conferences, and more.
With social audio platforms like Clubhouse and Discord, users can easily join group talks or host their own. Each room allows moderators to control who they let in and what topics are approved. This helps create safe socialising spaces that mimic the atmosphere of an in-person gathering without needing to be physically present.
2. The benefits of social audio for businesses:
Social audio provides businesses with a new way to build customer relationships. As it’s still in its infancy, forward-thinking brands that adapt quickly can secure a presence without as much competition. Social audio can add value to any company’s efforts by communicating clearly and authentically. You can reach any audience, no matter the size, interactively and engagingly, strengthening your connection — social audio gives you the potential to attract more followers through creating fresh, unique content.
Social audio can add another layer to your marketing strategy. Use the space to talk about issues facing your industry, allowing your audience to have an open dialogue with your brand, leading to greater trust. You can get a product lead from your brand to talk through a newly released collection and do a Q&A. No matter what content you create, be transparent in your communications; social audio is a space to have honest and open dialogues and, if used strategically, can have a significant impact on customer bonds.
3. The drawbacks of social audio:
Social audio has its benefits, but it also carries a few drawbacks. To begin with, social audio can lead to conversations that are more challenging to moderate than online banter due to the asynchronous nature of audio messages. Nuances that often get lost in translation can make moderation even more difficult without written communication. Then there's the fact that social audio is constantly streaming, so topics can rapidly change.
This means social audio platforms must create a way for listeners to respond without being subjected to an unending barrage of criticism or harassment - something many platforms have struggled with. With privacy and data security becoming even more top of mind with modern audiences, there can be some hesitancy in adapting to social audio and connecting with brands that decide to include the technology in their strategy.
As conversations can be recorded at the host's discretion, brands adapting to the sector should be transparent regarding capturing, storing and use of data. Some audiences may be hesitant to interact on social audio platforms as it's somewhat deemed a more private and controlled form of social media. To engage with audiences, some brands may incentivise audiences to interact with their profiles viagiveaways and exclusive insights or discounts.
4. How to get started with social audio:
Social audio allows a brand to be a companion to their audience as listeners can consume content while going about their day-to-day activities like doing jobs around the house or driving like podcasts and radio. Brands that choose to participate can look to purchasing ad spaces or, if you’re brave, host a space that
may focus on insight and advice.
Some of the ways you can use Social Audio to boost your business:
Host an event.
Create a space to share brand or sector insights, advice, and reviews.
Participate in conversations.
Connect with influencers and industry experts.
Be sure to consider the following before creating content:
Define your goals.
How To Set Up Your Profile:
Choose the right platform for your business.
Listen to your audience.
Develop a strategy.
Be consistent.
5. The platforms:
Clubhouse:
Clubhouse is a social audio app for iOS and Android where users can communicate in audio chat rooms that accommodate groups of thousands of people. Launching in 2020 as the pandemic loomed, Clubhouse led social audio or drop-in audio. On the platform, audiences can interact according to interest groups and have one-on-one conversations around events. A selection of some of the more popular topics are social media, deep tech, start-ups, and business.
Clubhouse has also attracted key minds, which has provided access to discussions that aren’t traditionally available to the general public. Identities like Elon Musk and Grant Cardone have conducted masterclasses on the platform. For businesses looking to add Clubhouse to their marketing strategy, there are advantages to be had. It can be an effective way to grow a community and a place to interact with your audience authentically; it can also be an effective layer to the marketing of an event or a way to strengthen credibility by talking to news and industry insights.
1. Track down and accept an invite.
2. Set up your profile.
3. Pick topics of interest and follow users.
4. Join or start a club or room.
5. Request to speak.
6. Enjoy.
Twitter Spaces:
Twitter Spaces is a feature within the Twitter app that allows users with more than 600 followers to launch, host, and participate in audio chat rooms; like other social audio platforms such as Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces can be an effective way to discuss and roll out new product features, gain feedback on a product or service, and connect in a more intimate way to your audience. The platform attracts the same audience as Twitter standard, and if you are considering including it in your business strategy, these are just some ways you can utilise it.
How To Set Up your Profile:
Log in to your Twitter account.
Hold the + post button to reveal the spaces option.
Name your space.
Invite and connect with your audience.
Enjoy.
Facebook Audio Rooms:
Facebook has entered the room with their addition to the social audio world – Facebook Audio Rooms. Via Facebook Audio rooms, you can discover, listen in, and join live conversations with public figures, experts, and others about topics you’re interested in. If you and your brand are looking to add Facebook Audio rooms to your marketing strategy, many advantages can be found, especially if you use the platform in your current mix.
You can use the rooms to create awareness of either a product or its attributes and your brand in general; you can tell your story; this can be an effective way of developing strong bonds and showcasing authenticity. The Audio rooms can also assist you in increasing your following on the platform, and like the traditional form of the app, it can be consumed on the run.
How To Set Up Your Profile:
1. Log into your Facebook account.
2. To join a live audio room: On your Feed, scroll down until you see a post with a live audio room.
3. Click on the post to join the room.
If you’re looking for a specific host’s live audio room, you can also search for their room.
To search for a room:
1. On your Feed, click the search icon on the top left and search for the host.
2. Click on their name to go to their profile.
3. Scroll down their profile until you see their live audio room.
Remember that while you’re in the room, people can see your name, profile picture and any Stars you’ve sent.
To invite someone to join a live audio room in a group:
1. Go to the group and click Rooms at the top.
2. Click Join to join the room in progress.
3. You can then: Click Share, then send someone a link to the room. You can share the link with
members if it’s a private group. You can share the link with anyone on Facebook if it’s a public group.
· Click Invite next to anyone suggested.
· Click search to search for someone to invite, then click Invite. For private groups, only group members can be invited. For public groups, you can invite any of your Facebook friends, even if they aren’t members of the group.
Discord:
Discord is a VoIP and instant messaging social platform. Discord launched in 2015, quite sometime before its counterparts. Its users span the 25–34-year age range, with users between 16-24 making up 22.2 % of the user base. Users can communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, media, and files in private chats or as part of communities called "servers". A server is a collection of persistent chat rooms and voice channels accessed via invite links.
Discord is popular among the gaming community, with one of the largest user bases on the platform. The discord platform blends a Slack-style interface that blends audio, video, and text. Businesses looking to include Discord in their strategies can use the platform to grow their community and talk directly to users on topics related to their offerings, such as innovation, product releases and attributes.
How To Set Up Your Profile:
1. Open the app.
2. Create a username.
3. Complete the catcha as directed.
4. A popup will appear and give you the option to Get Started with creating a new server or skip ahead
to finish creating your account.
5. Claim your account with a password and email address.
6. Add friends via their Discord tag.
7. Find interest groups.
8. Enjoy.
“As of May 2022, users between the ages of 25 to 34 years accounted for the biggest share of Discord.com users worldwide, making up over 42 percent of the platform's audience. Younger users between 16 and 24 years made up 22.2 percent of the Discord user base. “ Statista
6. Tips for creating successful social audio campaigns:
Social audio campaigns can be a powerful tool in the right hands, but it takes the right strategy and innovative ideas to bring social audio content to life. There are various tips to keep in mind when planning social audio campaigns, such as generating relevancy between social audio audiences and the message that you want to convey, keeping episodes short for maximum impact and ensuring you have excellent sound quality.
Additionally, social audio advertisements should contain engaging stories that pique listeners’ interests and draw them in. Ultimately, having an authentic tone and content makes social audio campaigns much more successful.
Jane Hayes Consulting, Leading You Through The Digital World:
Jane Hayes Consulting is an independent digital marketing agency founded to help businesses create consistent, creatively aligned, and strategic content. Jane Hayes Consulting can help you put your best foot forward with our expertly crafted team covering website design and building, marketing strategy, content creation, brand creation, and project management. We work within budget restraints and look toward the future. Need assistance in developing your digital strategy and creating a business advantage? Contact Jane Hayes Consulting today and sign up for our newsletter.