Audio Is the ‘Performance Unlock’ for Digital Campaigns.

Note to advertisers relying exclusively on digital media: audio provides a significant boost in conversion rates by building brand awareness and emotional connection, as reported in the latest Audacy Insights blog.

“When audio and digital marketing work together, something powerful happens. Your campaigns don’t compete for attention. They compound it,” the blog says, citing Nielsen data showing that adding audio to over-the-top digital media moves conversion from 38% to 42%, an 11% lift.

“Audio is the performance unlock,” Audacy’s blog says. “Digital marketing is phenomenal at precision. But even the smartest digital plan has a blind spot: attention. That’s where audio steps in. Audio doesn’t replace digital performance channels — it fuels them.

According to Nielsen, audio’s 11% lift for OTT is just the beginning. Adding audio to display and social results in a 28% and 9% conversion growth, respectively, while adding it to search drives a 26% increase in brand awareness.

“Search is powerful, but it’s bottom-of-funnel by design,” the blog says. “If people don’t know you, they won’t search for you. Audio advertising changes that. By building awareness and emotional connection upfront, audio makes every downstream digital dollar work harder. More branded searches. Higher click-through rates. Better conversion efficiency.”

What’s the secret of adding audio to any digital media plan? “Audio [is] literally in your audience’s ears,” Audacy’s blog says. “It’s personal. It’s focused. And it shows up during moments where screens aren’t competing for attention, like commuting, working, cooking, unwinding. Audio builds familiarity and trust early in the journey, so when someone sees your display ad, social post or paid search result later, they’re not meeting your brand for the first time. They already recognize you. And recognition drives response.”

Also working in audio’s favor: recommendations from trusted hosts, and audiences not available on competing platforms. “These are superfans, niche communities and high-intent listeners who are deeply engaged and ready to act,” the blog says. “When a recommendation comes from a voice they already believe in, it lands differently. Host-read endorsements feel less like ads and more like advice, accelerating response in ways few channels can replicate.”

By letting each platform do what it does best, Audacy’s blog says, “You don’t just reach more people. You reach the right people, at the right moment, with a message that actually resonates. Digital captures demand. Audio creates it. Together, they turn attention into action.”