Is it time to plan your marketing activities for 2021 already? Brands are always looking to know where their customers are and accordingly identify the best channels to reach and engage with them. The standard definition of social media is continuously expanding and users are finding new ways to connect and share their interests. 

The concept of audio streaming changed the way music and audio content is consumed. Digital audio platforms are growing fast allowing everyday consumers to easily access  favorite music and podcasts on demand.

Marketers need to look into how this growing trend is affecting consumer habits in the MENA region. There is a power in audio streaming that distinguishes it from other types of media content. People are spending more time checking their phones on the go, audios are convenient for this type of lifestyle. Audio streaming is for everyone, especially businesses looking to connect with their customers. If brands take the time to tap into the power of sound, user experiences will improve and personal connections with their audience will be made. 

This article analyzes consumer consumption habits between August 4th 2020 to September 22nd 2020 based on 5.6 million activities monitored by the Crowd Analyzer tool. We will examine how audio streaming insights can help marketers grow their brands and better decide on how to position their content in this flourishing industry with great potential. 

REASONS TO CONSIDER AUDIO CONTENT:

1. Audio listeners are growing and the industry is rising

Audio Streaming platforms are on the rise. It was recorded that 40% of conversations about audio streaming brands mentioned Anghami, a leading platform in the MENA region providing both Arabic and English audio content. The mentions were then followed by YouTube, Sound cloud, and Spotify during the monitored period. The constructs of our daily reality and how we consume entertainment has significantly changed in the past couple of years, and is becoming more dependent on streaming apps. In fact, its flexibility and accessibility gives it an edge. When someone listens to audio, they decide to give it their full attention. Hence, the content needs to be creative enough to keep and grow an engaged audience.

The highest activities on social media for the monitored audio streaming apps showed that Saudi Arabia was the most active country when it came to mentions and activities with a 43% share of voice, followed by Egypt and Iraq from August to September. 

2. Audio is an opportunity to create personalized content

While analyzing consumer habits and behavior during the monitored period, the insights showed that the majority of positive feedback on those audio streaming apps revolved around a user friendly experience. It is key for users to navigate their way through those apps as they consume the information. The second point that customers valued was the personalization of content through recommended playlists  When it comes to audio streaming apps, users favor being taken on their own personalized journey that is tailored by the chosen app to fit their own taste of music. Those features give the opportunity for brands to build a human connection with consumers through endorsing playlists.

Audio streaming platforms are a window of opportunity to put out the right quality that fits your audience, allowing for better engagement and higher connection. Each audio platform has a unique feature that attracts their users, and turns them into loyal customers who are willing to pay for the service. For Anghami, 55% of users praised the user friendly experience along with the on point recommendations.  On the other hand, YouTube is characterized by a unique type of content that is different from other audio platforms. 67% of users still praised YouTube for the positive user experience. This is an indication of what users are concerned with the most when choosing their preferred content channel.

 It is important to note that social media users stated that advertisements are their top negative concern. 50% of negative mentions were directed at excessive advertisements hosted by audio streaming apps. So brands ought to focus on being relevant and creating creative content. In this context, quality beats quantity.

3.  Listening habits and preferences are easily monitored and analyzed

Although there are several ways to identify your target audience  and understand their behavior, when it comes to digital audio marketing, by tuning into conversations, you get to grasp what type of audio content your audience is listening to. There is always something new to listen to, and there is a wide array of content available from podcasts to songs; users get to be selective like never before. It is clear that music is taking over the audio content and singers are the ones driving force. In order for brands to be able to grasp what is popular, we looked into finding out who is influencing the most popular content.

What happens next?

Audio streaming content is becoming significant. Brands should focus more on reworking content and marketing strategies to include digital audio activities. With the increasing demand for it among the MENA region, it is time for brands to expand their territory into the realm of sound.

•       Audio content is part of the future
•       Audio can help you connect with your audience
•   Audio is relevant considering the current on the go lifestyle

Just like every marketing decision, it is crucial to equip yourself with the right information to make the right decisions that fit your brand. Crowd Analyzer can help empower your brand with the data needed to create relevant audio content that will attract the audience.  We are here to support you with effective monitoring, and social listening tools to plan the right marketing strategy for 2021.