Marketers have more ways than ever to reach people, but more choice can actually make planning harder. Which audiences matter most? Where should your message run? What should success look like?

Audio can bring those decisions together. Broadcast radio, podcasts and streaming each play a distinct role, giving marketers ways to build broad reach, tap into trusted voices and passions, and stay present across consumers’ daily routines. 

Here’s how to build an audio campaign from the ground up.

Step 1: What Do You Want Your Audio Campaign to Accomplish? 

Begin with the business outcome.

Are you trying to introduce a new product? Build awareness in a new market? Increase consideration? Drive store traffic, website visits, leads or sales?

This decision should guide everything that follows, including your media mix and measurement plan. The most successful campaigns start with the outcome the campaign needs to drive and align attribution to that goal before activation. 

That discipline also keeps your campaign focused. Instead of asking audio to do everything at once, give it a clear job.

Step 2: Who Does Your Campaign Need to Reach? 

Once the objective is clear, define the people who can help you achieve it.

Look beyond basic demographics. Consider where your customers live, what they care about, what content they choose and where audio fits into their routines.

Those signals can help determine the best combination of local or national radio, relevant podcast environments and targeted streaming.

Scale matters here, too. iHeart broadcast radio reaches 9 out of 10 Americans every month, giving marketers a broad foundation from which to layer more focused audio experiences. 

Step 3: How Should Radio, Podcasts, and Streaming Work Together? 

Think in terms of roles rather than isolated channels.

Broadcast radio can establish reach and frequency. It puts brands alongside familiar voices and everyday listening habits, while connecting marketers with both national scale and local communities. We recommend using radio for reach and frequency as part of a balanced media mix.

Podcasts can create depth. Shows organized around interests, communities and personalities give brands opportunities to connect through content listeners actively choose. Host-led executions can add another layer through voices audiences already know.

Streaming can add targeted, consistent digital reach. Maximize targeting by factors including geography, audience characteristics, content type and time of day. 

The right mix depends on the objective and audience. What matters is planning the channels together, so each has a clear role in moving people from awareness toward action.

Step 4: What Makes Audio Creative Work?

Good audio sounds like a human talking to another human.

Start with one primary message and one clear call to action. Write conversationally. Make the brand easy to remember. Then use voice, music and sound design to support the idea instead of crowding it.

For host-read creative, give talent enough direction to protect the brand message while leaving room for a natural delivery. Consider the campaign objective, required messaging, legal requirements and talent’s role before production begins. 

That human quality matters. Human-driven channels, trusted voices, and audio as ways to deepen trust are all principles at the heart of the iHeart Guaranteed Human promise.

Step 5: Launch as One Connected Campaign

Before going live, make sure the pieces reinforce one another.

Check that your audiences, creative, flighting, calls to action and measurement plan all connect to the same objective. If radio is creating broad awareness while podcasts build deeper relevance and streaming adds targeted frequency, the creative should still feel recognizably like one brand.

That coordination can also extend beyond audio. Campaigns exposed to audio first saw a +83% lift in social performance, alongside +109% digital and social engagement and +47% branded search activity.

Step 6: How Will You Know Your Audio Campaign Worked?

Measurement starts during planning.

Choose KPIs that match the goal. Awareness campaigns may look at brand lift, consideration or message recall. Performance campaigns may focus on website visits, app downloads, leads, store traffic, transactions, sales lift or ROAS. iHeart outlines measurement approaches across broadcast radio, podcasts and streaming audio for objectives throughout the funnel. 

A well-designed measurement plan gives you something even more useful than a campaign report: insight you can apply to the next campaign.

What Does a Connected Audio Campaign Look Like in Practice? 

One iHeart campaign built around Bobby Bones used radio, podcasts, streaming and other extensions to promote a new charter cruise. Coordinated promotion across the Bobby Bones Show, iHeartRadio stations, podcast, social and digital placements helped generate 1,200 reservations on announcement day and 7,000 in the first month, with 90% of customers reported as net new. 

Another iHeart case study shows an automotive advertiser combining podcasting with broadcast radio, streaming audio, digital content, social and live experiences. The campaign generated 380 million total impressions, including 140 million broadcast and 130 million digital impressions. 

Different objectives, same planning principle: let each audio environment do the job it does best while keeping the campaign connected.

What Should You Prepare Before Working With iHeart?

Come to the conversation with:

• Your primary business objective and KPIs
• Priority audiences and markets
• Campaign timing
• Available creative assets and brand requirement]
• Your desired call to action
• Any talent, content or cultural interests relevant to the brand
• Your measurement priorities

You don’t need every media decision figured out. A strong brief gives the iHeart team the inputs needed to help shape the right combination of audience, channels, creative and measurement.

FAQs

Do I need to use radio, podcasts and streaming in every campaign?
No. The right mix depends on your objective, audience and marketing plan. The goal is to give each selected channel a defined role.

When should measurement planning begin?
Before launch. Defining the outcome and KPIs early helps align audience strategy, creative, media planning and attribution. [iheartmedia.com]

What should an audio ad focus on?
One primary message and a clear next step. iHeart’s creative guidance emphasizes simplicity, clear branding and a straightforward call to action. 

Ready to Put Your Audio Plan Into Action?

From the broad reach of radio to trusted podcast voices and targeted streaming, iHeart can help build an audio strategy around your audience and business goals.

Ready to activate audio that creates human connection at scale and drives measurable outcomes? Connect with our team today.