How to Use Social Audio to Boost Brand Engagement

For many years, images and videos have been the go-to content formats to drive audience engagement. However, in 2021, there has been a significant surge in the adoption of social audio, particularly the social audio app Clubhouse.

Not long after, other mainstream social media platforms followed suit: Facebook launched a suite of audio creation tools including Live Audio Rooms akin to Clubhouse, Twitter has Twitter Spaces, and Spotify has Greenroom — just to name a few.

Social Audio: What It Is and Its Advantages

Social audio or voice-based social media refers to any social media that uses audio as the primary means of communication. Some examples of social audio formats are:

• Live audio conversation rooms
  Platforms that offer this feature include Clubhouse, Spotify Greenroom, and Discord Stage Channels.
• Podcasts
  These can be accessed through audio streaming platforms such as Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify for Podcasters. Facebook has also recently rolled out podcasts, as well as live audio rooms.
• Soundbites
  These are short-form audio clips that’s being offered by Facebook. This format is also slowly gaining steam, and other fairly new platforms like Racket and Beams are joining in the trend.
• Voice messaging
  This is pretty much offered in most, if not all, communication platforms available. However, apps like Quest and Pludo take this format to a new level by offering a platform for users to engage with one another through short audio messages.

Part of the reason that social audio has grown into popularity is that, over time and especially during the pandemic, people have become more conscious of their digital consumption. It’s not only because of the concern for their eye health; it’s also because of the negative effects of prolonged screen time on one’s mental health.

Social audio, however, offers a win-win: people can still socialize with others and/or get entertained — all with only minimum screen time. Audio also fits seamlessly into our busy schedules: You can consume and engage in social audio while living your life, whether you’re busy cooking, driving, exercising, or whatnot.

Tips for Using Social Audio for Your Brand

1. Select topics that are relevant and valuable

It goes without saying that the content you produce for your social audio should be relevant to your target listeners and should resonate with your brand.

Begin with a goal in mind: Do you want to educate your audience? Do you want to share an important message to drive change? Or do you simply want to entertain? Whatever topic you decide on, think of the value it will bring to your audience.

A few simple ways you can do to come up with topics are:

• Engage in social listening to gain more insight into your target listeners’ interests
• Draw inspiration from your competitors and fill in the gaps that they failed to address
• Notice any trending topics through Google Trends or through the trending hashtags feature in most social media platforms

2. Repurpose existing or new content

As a related point, you can also leverage your existing content and repurpose them for your social audio strategy. This way, you can maximize the reach of your brand message, all while providing your audience variety in the way they consume your content.

A few ideas to repurpose your content for social audio:

• Turn your blog articles and/or videos into a podcast
• Take bits and pieces of your podcast — such as quotable quotes or key messages — and turn them into Soundbites
• Let your audience pick an article or video you’ve already posted and then invite them for a live audio conference to discuss any of their questions

3. Promote your audio events well in advance

As social audio is a fairly new feature in most mainstream social media platforms, promotion and brand exposure are key to maximize attendance.

Just as you promote your brand’s new products/services and live events to your channels, the same treatment should be extended to your audio events as well — in this context, hosting a live audio conference.

Let your audience know at least a week in advance about the event. If you’re on Facebook, setting up an Event is helpful, as audiences can set reminders for themselves if they wish to participate. A few days prior to the event, as well as a day before, have a follow-up post to build anticipation.

4. Use the right tools

Using the right tools is essential in making stellar audio recordings. If you intend to regularly create podcasts or host live audio events, at the very least, it pays to invest in the following:

• a good-quality microphone
• a pop filter
• boom arms

Audio editing software such as Audacity and GarageBand are also helpful in polishing your audio output.

Luckily, however, advances in AI have made it easier for people to lessen white noise while recording audio, and it can be done from the comfort of the platform you use (for example, Facebook and Twitter Space). The key is to get familiar with your chosen platform’s social audio features and leverage them to your advantage.

Boost Your Social Media Marketing with the Right Strategy

Social audio is a relatively new form of digital media that offers its own set of advantages for both marketers and consumers alike. Early adopters of this rising trend can gain a competitive edge, and it’s definitely worth trying if you’re looking for new ways to reach and engage with your audience.

However, we also understand that adopting this new strategy can be overwhelming. If you need help with any aspect of your social media marketing, Ilfusion offers a suite of services that are suited to your brand’s unique needs.

Call us at 888-420-5115, or send us an email at [email protected] to get started!

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