Soft Launch For Google Audio Ads
by Michael Arrington on May 30, 2007

We are getting reports from advertisers that Google Audio Ads have been added as an option to their Adwords accounts, although we can’t confirm yet that everyone now has the feature (please let us know if you do not see it).

Google is offering $400 in free advertising to Adwords customers.

The service has been in testing since late last year. Advertisers can purchase ad spots on radio stations, paying on a CPM basis. Google will also use professional voice actors to produce your audio ad (most radio stations will also do this for free).

Look for the “Audio Ads” tab in your Adwords account. Screen shots below.


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Comments

This could really be great. If they can make the getting ads out on radio as easy as they have the online world, then just wow.

 

Yeah I saw this today / I might try it out with the $400 dollars they offered me in free ads

 

I don’t currently have the Ad Creation Marketplace on my account.

 

I’ve been using Audio Ads for months now. I like how you can listen to the actual snippet of your ad being played on the station. I don’t like how you can’t choose a specific radio station, only the type of format and DMA.

 

Mike, nice meeting you here in Toronto.

Am I the only one here that wouldn’t allocate marketing $$ to radio? Google allows me to precision target my audience, so why backtrack and advertise on the radio?

Google has sold everyone the Kool-Aid, how do they expect us to go back to lemonade? My call is that Google will wind this down in about 24 months.

Best,
George

 

Had this pop up in a few accounts a few months ago. Have not tried it yet. I can confirm that they are offering a 400 buck ad creation incentive.

 

Michael,

I have a UK based AdWords account and do not have the option for audio ad’s. I’m going to assume its becuase Google do not have any deals with any staions over here YET. Can’t wait til they do though! :-)

Ollie

 

You only get the $400 discount if you use one of their ad creation agencies, which will almost definitely cost you more than $400.

 

thats meant to be “stations” by they way!

 

must be great roi if they have to *pay* customers $400 to get them to try it:)

 

It will only work if you run ads frequently. They need more talk radio. I will try when they have more stations.

 

Hi Michael, thanks for the link. We actually spotted them in the “wild” in March. http://www.marketingpilgrim.co.....o-ads.html

It looks like the roll out is still ongoing.

 

Just checked my account, I do not have the option :(

 

Why is Google going for terrestrial radio when companies who own terrestrial radio know that the action is online and they are in fact buying online properties! (CBS:LastFM)

It seems like a backward step to me - if they had streaming audio ads for web radio that would be cool. As an advertiser I don’t think I’d want to advertise a web property on terrestrial radio

 

Focus on textual ads, please.

 

We have it but we did not try it yet

 

In Canada, do not have it… Yet!

 

Thanks for posting this update.

To Karen, I’m in Canada and currently have the “Audio Ads” tab in my Google Adwords account. Hopefully it will be rolling out for everyone soon.

 

Wondered how google audio ad will be contextual in mails???

 

I don’t currently have the Ad Creation Marketplace on my account either.

 

I don’t have this feature yet.

 

We have started using Audio Ads for about a week now. We did the creative stuff ourselves, since we have experience doing this in-house. While radio may seem backwards to some, it allows us to talk to a potential customer in a passive environment. We sell a broad market item to folks that just as easily could buy it from their local supplier, but may have never considered using the internet to buy it. Our message is (no surprise here) how our experience is better than bricks and mortar.

As to the results, they will never be as concrete as Google Analytics, but so far so good. Our two test markets are performing above average.

 

Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! lqsorthone

 

I was just searching around for some good books on commercial production and i came accross this article. I have been a DJ f or about 15 years and i am hanging up the turntables. I have been meaning to start recording for years. From years on the radio i am starting a voice over business. I have my own studio and invite you to check out my temp. website. If you need a voice for your online commercials i have a pretty good library of them in my head. Check it out and i look forward to hearing from anyone who needs a voice.

 

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