🔊 2019's Top Stories in Digital Audio

Plus, Joe Hyland’s Pro Tip on why you can’t measure what matters most. Dec 25, 2019 Good morning marketers, let’s look back on digital audio. As we head into a new year, we’re taking stock of the changes and trends of 2019 that will help shape marketing in 2020. Today, we focus on digital audio news and trends with a selection of influential stories and a Pro Tip from the community. Happy holidays! Taylor Peterson Deputy Editor 1. [U.S. podcast audiences keep growing, 62 million listening weekly]( by Ginny Marvin Half of the U.S. has now listened to a podcast, according to Edison Research. 2. [Your quick-start guide to podcast advertising]( by George Nguyen Everything you need to determine if podcast ads are right for your brand and how to get the most from your campaigns. 3. [Advertisers can now target Spotify podcast listeners]( by George Nguyen In select markets, advertisers can also limit their campaigns to podcast genres. 4. [U.S. podcast ad revenue grew by 53% in 2018 Why we should care More from the report]( by George Nguyen The market totaled $479 million last year and is predicted to exceed $1 billion in 2021. 5. [New Nielsen service offers podcast audience insights for advertising]( by George Nguyen The service polls 30,000 respondents for genre preferences, listening and purchasing behavior. 6. [Spotify solidifies foothold in podcasting with acquisitions of Gimlet, Anchor]( by Robin Kurzer The company shared the news with its Q4 2018 earnings, which showed a profit for the first time despite disappointing revenue per user. 7. [Vibenomics launches out-of-home audio advertising marketplace to target customers in-store]( by Taylor Peterson The audio ad marketplace is designed to connect advertisers with customers shopping in physical stores around the U.S. Pro Tip Throwback What you cannot measure sometimes matters most “Marketers should use attribution reports to assess trends and relative impact, absolutely. But it’s a slippery slope to draw big conclusions from absolute numbers,” cautions Joe Hyland of ON24. “For example, comparing the win rate of deals that include one type of touch versus another is reasonable. But concluding that one specific touch-type drove a certain amount of pipeline – solely on its own – is not. Some channels may see less conversion simply because there is more competition on that platform. Or the problem could be your execution rather than the channel itself. An attribution report can’t tell you why a tactic is underperforming, so that’s where marketers come in. It’s on us to be able to analyze and to optimize our efforts, place multiple bets on different channels, and trust that what we cannot measure will pay long-term dividends.” [Learn More »]( Compare 14 top marketing automation platforms MarTech Today’s “B2B Marketing Automation Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide” examines the market for B2B marketing automation software platforms. This report includes profiles of 14 leading B2B marketing automation vendors, capabilities comparisons, pricing information, and recommended steps for evaluating and purchasing. [Get it now »]( Resource Spotlight Digital Agency Survey 2019 Digital agencies have been on the leading edge of digital transformation, but they are not immune to the challenges of adapting to changing technologies, advances in automation and evolving client capabilities and staff skill requirements needed to evolve. Strategic services will become a greater priority as campaign execution and management becomes increasingly automated. Agencies are also sensitive to client in-housing trends, however, most agencies surveyed in our report were planning to add services in the coming year and hiring — or trying to hire. Many reported having trouble filling positions in a competitive market. [Learn more and download the full report »]( Leftover 2019 budget? Put it to great use! Register for SMX West before the year is over and join us February 19-20, 2020 in San Jose for a fabulous training and networking experience! Discover actionable tactics that can help you achieve your search marketing goals and connect with a thriving community of like-minded professionals. The experts at Search Engine Land have redesigned the agenda just for you, featuring 85+ unique sessions on SEO, SEM, and digital commerce marketing. Sharpen your skills, broaden your horizons, and prepare for what’s next: Register for SMX today! [Register now! »]( [Marketing Land] []( [Want to advertise?]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. [Unsubscribe]( [We respect your privacy.]( This email was sent by: Marketing Land - a Third Door Media, Inc. publication with headquarters at 279 Newtown Tpke. Redding, CT 06896 USA © 2006-2019 Third Door Media. All Rights Reserved.