The Benefits of Audio Advertising in Your ABM Strategy

Account-based marketing (ABM) is all about surrounding your buyers with the right message at the right time. But as digital habits shift, so must your strategy. More decision-makers—especially Gen Z and millennial buyers that are making up 70% of B2B buying groups according to Forrester—turn to digital audio platforms, spending more than four hours each week streaming podcasts, music, and other audio content. If you’re not reaching them there, you’re missing a critical touchpoint in digital media. 

The popularity of digital audio formats is growing, and the numbers speak for themselves. Podcast engagement has skyrocketed, with time spent listening more than quadrupling in the past decade. Podcast network Wondery teamed up with Dentsu ad agency and Edison Research on their “Fandom Phenomenon” white paper where, out of 3,000 surveyed participants, 38% of podcast users rated podcasts as their preferred entertainment.  

Among business audiences, engagement is even more impressive: Signal Hill Insights finds that 83% of business executives who listen to podcasts have tuned in during the past week, with many qualifying as “power listeners,” consuming five or more hours of content weekly. Nearly half of B2B decision-makers say thought leadership content—often delivered through audio formats—impacts their purchasing decisions. And among American decision-makers, 43% prefer podcasts as a way to consume B2B content, ranking them on par with newsletters, webinars, and video conferences. 

For marketers looking to reach buyers where they’re already engaged, digital audio offers a prime, largely untapped channel to integrate into their multi-channel ABM strategy to build awareness, deliver value, and drive deeper account engagement. 

Advantages of Audio Advertising 

For B2B marketers leveraging ABM, audio advertising offers an opportunity to drive brand awareness and connect with decision-makers in a personal, immersive way. While traditional display ads compete for attention in a crowded digital space, audio ads engage listeners wherever they are, whether that’s traveling to work or running errands, working out, or unwinding. With digital audio consumption on the rise and engagement higher than ever, B2B brands can leverage this format to reach target audiences and key buyers in moments when they’re most receptive. Read on for why audio advertising deserves a place in your ABM strategy. 

Precise Audience Targeting Capabilities 

One of the biggest advantages of digital audio advertising in B2B is its precision targeting. Marketers using intent data can better target and reach key decision-makers based on demographics, behavior, and location—ensuring ads are heard by the right audience at the right moment. 

Beyond broad targeting, digital audio ads can be dynamically tailored by account, industry, or buyer persona. Custom ad messages voiced by thought leaders can be adapted to resonate with specific buyers, making the content feel more relevant and personalized. Programmatic advertising platforms even use data signals to adjust messaging in real time, ensuring your ads align with a listener’s interests and intent. For example, a listener at a tech company who works in data analytics recently engaged with AI-related content might hear an ad about your AI-powered analytics tool, while a listener from the same company but in marketing hears a version focused on campaign insights. 

Audio advertising’s targeting capabilities delivers more than just impressions—it creates meaningful connections. By serving highly relevant digital audio ads, you can engage key accounts in a way that feels natural and personalized (and we know B2B buyers love personalization).  

Increased Brand Awareness 

With digital audio’s growing audience, B2B brands have a powerful opportunity to expand their reach—especially when buyers are away from their screens. Whether they’re commuting, exercising, or multitasking, decision-makers are still actively listening, making audio a seamless way to keep brands top of mind. 

While static ads and emails are impactful at driving brand awareness, the B2B space is just beginning to understand how embracing audio channels continues to drive brand awareness. Instead of constant visual stimulation with display ads, audio ads engage a different sense (hearing), which continues to stimulate your buyers’ interests even when they’re away from their digital screens.  

Audio also has a proven impact on memory, with Nielsen finding that audio ads result in a 24% higher recall rate compared to display advertising. Repeated exposure through these forms of media like podcasts, streaming platforms, and other audio formats reinforces brand recall, ensuring your message sticks with key accounts over time. By integrating audio placements into your ABM strategy, you create a lasting presence that resonates well beyond the initial touchpoint. 

Promotes Higher Engagement 

Audio advertising isn’t just about reach—it’s about deeper engagement. While display ads are featured to buyers who are actively researching or seeking out information, audio content reaches specific audiences when they’re in a more relaxed or focused state. This creates a prime opportunity for brands to connect without competing for visual attention. 

A key advantage of audio is its ability to build emotional connections. A real voice—whether from a podcast host, radio personality, or industry thought leader—adds credibility and warmth that static ads simply can’t match. When a trusted voice delivers your message, it feels more like a recommendation than an interruption. Programmatic audio ads can have a similar effect to ads read by hosts, of course. B2B brands with strong marketplace presence can use that recognition to ignite excitement from listeners. Brands can also use their internal thought leaders, such as C-suite leaders and employees with strong LinkedIn presence and following, or partnerships with B2B influencers to add a familiar voice to their ads.   

Amplifies Existing Multi-Channel Campaigns 

Audio advertising acts as a performance multiplier in your marketing mix. Its ability to quickly capture attention and deliver messaging in a focused, distraction-free format gives it an edge when used in a full-funnel, multi-channel strategy. The combination of audio ads with content syndication, display advertising, connected TV (CTV), and LinkedIn Ads not only boosts overall campaign engagement by offering another channel to engage with, but emphasizes a more immersive, memorable experience for your buyers due to the messaging being delivered in a different way (via sounds, not visual ads that can blend into everyday work activities). The result is stronger brand affinity, improved message recall, and a more connected journey for your audience across every touchpoint. 

Provides More Advanced Measurement and Optimization Opportunities 

While considered a “new” marketing channel, audio advertising provides marketers with another measurable, optimizable channel that provides valuable insights into audience engagement. You can track key performance metrics such as impressions, completion rates, and listener actions, giving a clearer picture of ad effectiveness and audience behaviors away from screens. 

Digital audio platforms also allow for real-time optimization.  Dynamic ad insertion enhances flexibility by allowing brands to adjust content based on listener behavior, demographics, or intent signals. You can test different messaging, formats, and audience segments to refine their approach based on what drives the best engagement. 

How to Integrate Audio Advertising into Your Multi-Channel ABM Strategy 

Audio advertising strengthens your ABM strategy by delivering emotionally engaging touchpoints across the buyer journey. When implemented in a multi-channel strategy audio helps drive deeper connections and boosts the performance of other channels. Here’s how to integrate audio advertisements at every funnel stage: 

Build Brand Awareness (Top of Funnel) 

At this stage, audio is a powerful awareness driver, reaching buyers wherever they are, even away from screens. Use it to make your first impression and brand message memorable, especially with high-value accounts across multiple roles. 

Example: Launch a brand-awareness audio campaign targeting potential customers like operations leaders in the manufacturing sector on industry and business news podcasts while running complementary CTV ads that showcase your product in action. 

Tactics: 

• Leverage firmographic and intent data to target top-tier accounts 
• Use programmatic platforms to scale reach across podcasts and music 
• Pair audio and podcast ads with CTV and display for cross-device frequency 
• Run brand lift studies to measure awareness 

Creative Focus: 

• Clear brand introduction and value proposition 
• Memorable slogans, sound effects, or music cues 
• Storytelling elements putting brand emotion upfront 

Deepen Interest and Nurture Consideration (Middle of Funnel) 

Audio helps maintain visibility and deepen trust as buyers evaluate options. When paired with content syndication or display retargeting, it reinforces your brand while guiding listeners toward action. 

Example: Target accounts showing mid-funnel intent with audio ads addressing a specific challenge (e.g., compliance risk), then retarget them with white papers or case studies that expand on the solution. 

Tactics: 

• Target by behavior and engagement signals (e.g., content consumption or website visits) 
• Deliver personalized audio creative by vertical or role 
• Coordinate messaging with display ads and email nurtures 
• Use dynamic audio to align with active campaigns 

Creative Focus: 

• Focus on benefits, differentiators, and value adds 
• Address common pain points with clear solutions 
• Feature short customer stories or expert endorsements 

Accelerate Purchase Decisions (Bottom of Funnel) 

Audio can be a subtle but effective driver of urgency. Use it to re-engage active buyers with reminders, offers, or clear calls to action (CTAs) that prompt the next step in their journey. 

Example: For accounts that engaged with pricing pages or demo requests, serve audio ads with direct messages like, “Schedule your free consult today—spots are limited.” 

Tactics: 

• Trigger ads based on CRM stages or site behavior 
• Retarget engaged accounts with dynamic, CTA-driven audio 
• Coordinate with display and CTV to stay top of mind 
• Use promo codes or vanity URLs to track conversions 

Creative Focus: 

• Urgent CTAs (e.g., “Book now,” “Don’t miss out”) 
• Limited time offers, discounts, or events 
• Direct-response messaging with measurable actions 

Foster Loyalty and Drive Expansion Opportunities (Retention & Expansion) 

The buyer journey doesn’t end after the sale. Audio is an ideal channel for keeping your brand connected with current customers in authentic, value-driven ways, which drives retention, referrals, and upsell and cross-sell opportunities. 

Example: Create an exclusive customer story advertising series that shares real use cases. Use audio to celebrate milestones, promote referral programs, or highlight new solutions. 

Tactics: 

• Deliver thank-you or milestone messages post-purchase 
• Share tips or updates to increase product adoption 
• Encourage customer testimonials or reviews through audio 

Creative Focus: 

• Reinforce appreciation and brand loyalty 
• Provide helpful updates or exclusive insights 
• Promote referral programs or user communities 

Expand Your Reach with ABM Audio Advertising 

The B2B buying group has grown to have anywhere from 14-23 members at a time. While an ABM strategy focuses on how accounts move across the funnel, having that many stakeholders requires proactive marketing motions. It’s time to expand beyond the screen—and audio advertising is the channel you need to truly embrace delivering the right message at the right time.  

But embarking into a new channel requires not just an individual channel strategy. For a true multi-channel approach, you need to understand how audio content works alongside your other channels, and how to bring your audio advertising data and metrics into your current marketing mix so you can remain agile and proactive.
You can make it easy by partnering with a company that knows ABM inside and out. 

Madison Logic is the leading ABM platform provider that supports all the major channels B2B marketers need to reach buyers: ABM Content Syndication, ABM Display Advertising, ABM Connected TV, ABM Social Advertising with LinkedIn Ads, and now, ABM Audio Advertising.  

Backed by our proprietary, market-leading intent data for targeting the right accounts, ML Insights, we’ll help you develop, launch, monitor, and optimize your multi-channel ABM campaigns so that no matter where your buyers are, you’re there first. 

Learn more about ABM Audio Advertising and how it fits into a multi-channel ABM strategy and contact us to get your campaign off the ground.