Spotify Advertising Strategy for B2B SaaS GTM Teams

Imagine your ideal SaaS buyer on their morning commute. They’ve tuned out banner ads and scrolled past another dozen LinkedIn posts. But as they listen to their favourite business podcast on Spotify, your message comes through – loud, clear, and in their ears. In that moment, you’ve captured what every CMO and CRO craves: genuine attention in a distracted world. 

A Bold New Channel Mix for B2B SaaS

Welcome to the underestimated power of Spotify in B2B marketing. It’s the under-the-radar channel your competitors aren’t using... yet. And when combined with LinkedIn and Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising, Spotify can ignite a brand + demand generation engine that propels your go-to-market (GTM) strategy into overdrive.

At Arise GTM, we discovered this opportunity firsthand. Initially sceptical about Spotify for B2B, our team ran exploratory campaigns and quickly saw the potential. Decision-makers who had ignored our emails and ads were suddenly coming up to us at events saying, “I heard your ad on Spotify.” It was a lightbulb moment.

In this article, we’ll share how Spotify advertising drives GTM success, and why pairing it with LinkedIn and DOOH can solve the exact challenges keeping CMOs, CROs, and fast-growth founders up at night. From measuring ROI to gaining scarce buyer attention, consider this your playbook for an unconventional channel mix that just works. Let’s dive in.

Spotify: The Underestimated B2B Channel Goldmine

Spotify isn’t the first channel B2B SaaS teams think of – and that’s exactly why it’s powerful. While 86% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn, very few have tapped into Spotify’s massive audio audience for B2B outreach.

This means less competition for your message and more share of voice. Think about it: your buyers (yes, even CEOs and CFOs) likely spend hours on Spotify each week – often with 63% of listeners saying Spotify is an integral part of their day. Yet their ears aren’t saturated with B2B ads.

For CMOs seeking an edge, Spotify offers a greenfield channel. It reaches prospects in moments other channels can’t – like when they’re commuting, exercising, or working with music in the background. In those contexts, audio commands attention unlike any banner ad.

Listeners aren’t mindlessly scrolling; they’re engaged. Studies show that people choose audio when they “either can’t or don’t want to engage with screens,” giving advertisers unparalleled access to a leaned-in audience throughout the day. In other words, Spotify helps you win the attention war during screen-off moments when competitors are silent.

Our own exploration underscored this. When Arise GTM tested audio ads, we carefully targeted business podcasts and motivational playlists that entrepreneurs love. The engagement was striking; we saw above-benchmark click-through rates and higher recall than our typical display campaigns.

We realised Spotify wasn’t just for B2C or branding; it could directly bolster our demand gen. And we’re not alone: even enterprise players have proven this in the B2B arena.

Salesforce, for example, ran multi-format Spotify campaigns (audio + display) to reach millennial business decision-makers, boosting brand affinity by 10% and unaided recall by 30%.

Those are exactly the kind of brand lift metrics B2B CMOs dream about.

Key pain point addressed: attention scarcity. In a world where buyers are inundated with content, Spotify offers a respite, a channel where your message isn’t one more thing to swipe away.

For CROs worried that prospects “just aren’t paying attention,” Spotify provides a captive moment. And crucially, audio ads can’t be instantly skipped by free-tier listeners.

You have a guaranteed few seconds to hook them. Compare that to the half-second your banner might get before a user scrolls. The opportunity to tell a compelling story or value prop in 30–60 seconds of audio is a game-changer for capturing real human attention.

The Power Trio: Spotify, LinkedIn & DOOH for GTM Dominance

What’s better than a single underused channel? Three channels working in harmony. Spotify, LinkedIn, and Digital Out-of-Home might seem like an odd mix: one is audio, one is social, one is physical displays – but together they form a potent brand + demand funnel for modern B2B GTM teams.

Each channel complements the others’ strengths, covering the full spectrum of buyer touchpoints from online to offline, personal to professional.

LinkedIn is the stalwart: nearly 97% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for content marketing, and for good reason. It offers unrivalled targeting by company, job title, industry, the bread and butter of account-based marketing.

Spotify adds the emotional and personal layer: reaching those same people during their downtime with storytelling that doesn’t feel like a hard sell.

And DOOH (think digital billboards, transit screens, elevator ads) adds real-world presence: even in our digital age, 33% of a B2B audience researched an advertiser after seeing an out-of-home ad, showing that a well-placed billboard can drive action.

Check out this case study from Starling Banks DOOH campaign.

When orchestrated together, these three channels can continually reinforce your message in different contexts, which we call a surround-sound strategy for the buying committee.

Here’s how the synergy plays out in practice.

Picture a target account: a fast-scaling tech firm with 300 employees.

The CMO sees your sponsored thought leadership post on LinkedIn at work (first touch). Later that day, the same CMO hears your Spotify audio ad on her drive home, telling a compelling customer success story.

The next morning, the CFO of that company walks into their office building and passes a digital screen in the lobby with your brand on it, perhaps highlighting a bold ROI claim or a catchy tagline.

By the time your sales rep calls or your SDR emails, the account has encountered your brand in three distinct ways. The result? Your outreach isn’t cold, it’s warmly familiar.

Across the CMO, CFO, and likely others in that org, you’ve built omni-channel trust and awareness that accelerates sales conversations.

For CMOs, this multi-channel mix tackles a classic challenge: building brand and generating demand simultaneously. Traditionally, brand channels (like billboards, radio, etc.) were hard to connect to pipeline, while demand channels (like emails or search ads) lacked broad reach. But with Spotify + LinkedIn + DOOH, you get the best of both worlds.

Spotify and DOOH massively expand your brand’s visibility and memorability (addressing the top-of-funnel and “out-of-market” buyers), while LinkedIn provides that precise targeting and direct engagement to capture in-market leads.

In fact, LinkedIn reports that audiences exposed to both brand and acquisition messages on their platform are 6x more likely to convert, an indicator of how multi-touch consistency boosts conversion.

Now extend that principle beyond LinkedIn: by seeing your brand on a billboard and hearing it on Spotify, a prospect becomes far more receptive when they later see a LinkedIn ad or a sales email. You’re effectively short-circuiting the familiarity barrier that new vendors usually struggle to overcome.

Key pain point addressed: complex buying groups and inconsistent messaging.

One reason enterprise deals stall is that different stakeholders hear different messages, or some hear nothing at all until late in the process. This channel trio solves that by blanketing the buying committee with a coherent narrative.

The CRO scrolling LinkedIn gets a message about revenue growth; the CTO hearing Spotify gets a message about tech integration; the CEO seeing the DOOH ad gets a high-level vision message.

Each is tailored, but all reinforce the same value proposition. By doing this, you not only generate demand (through LinkedIn lead gen and perhaps Spotify clickable podcast ads) but also build a brand impression that gives confidence to every member of the decision team.

You’re de-risking the choice for them – after all, who wouldn’t trust a company that seems to be everywhere important?

Importantly, this mix is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s integrated GTM strategy in action, something we champion in the ARISE OS® methodology.

When we coordinate campaigns across these channels for clients, we often see a multiplier effect: LinkedIn click-through rates increase in regions where DOOH ads are running, or inbound direct traffic spikes after a Spotify campaign, even if those listeners didn’t click immediately (they often search your brand later – a classic halo effect).

For a RevOps leader, this is beautiful because it creates multiple attribution touchpoints, evidence that your marketing is working in concert, not silos.

And for the CFO scrutinising the budget, being able to show that no single channel is carrying the weight alone, but together they moved the needle on pipeline, can justify continued investment. It’s a portfolio approach to channels, reducing reliance on any one source of leads.

Winning the Attention War: Engaging Buyers Beyond the Screen

Every modern CMO and CRO feels it: buyer attention is at an all-time premium. Your prospects are drowning in emails, ads, and content. Grabbing even 5 seconds of their focused attention is a victory.

So how do Spotify and DOOH help you win this attention war?

By engaging buyers beyond the usual screens, in environments where their guard is down and curiosity is up.

Let’s start with Spotify.

On a screen (like a social feed or website), your ad is just one box among dozens, competing with notifications and endless scroll. But on Spotify’s audio platform, your ad is front and centre – the only thing playing at that moment.

There’s no feed to flee to; the listener’s choice is to pay attention or switch apps (which most won’t do for a short ad). This lack of distraction means higher recall. Research confirms that audio commands strong recall and intent: Spotify ads see significantly higher brand recall compared to typical digital ads.

And crucially, Spotify’s ad-supported audience is huge and growing, 317 million ad-supported users as of Q1 2023 (up sharply year-over-year),  meaning lots of ears are available to hear your story. For fast-scaling SaaS firms, that’s a massive, often untapped pool of attention.

Now consider Digital Out-of-Home. DOOH includes digital billboards on highways, interactive screens in office lobbies, ads on airport displays, etc. The advantage here is visibility in the physical world, where attention can actually be easier to capture in bursts.

Picture a group of executives waiting for an elevator, glancing up at the screen on the wall. There’s your message, larger than life. Or the thousands of tech professionals commuting through Silicon Valley and seeing a bold billboard from your company along the 101 freeway.

There’s a psychological impact: if your company is on a billboard, people assume you’re a serious player. It’s a kind of credibility by association (after all, who would put something on a billboard if it didn’t matter?).

And importantly, studies show 73% of consumers view DOOH ads favourably, considering them informative and engaging. Unlike online ads that often annoy, a clever or striking DOOH ad can actually delight or intrigue viewers.

Check out Google's DOOH campaign.

From a pain-point perspective, attention scarcity is addressed by meeting your audience where their attention still lingers. Executives often unplug from their inbox and screens during commutes, workouts, or while grabbing lunch.

Spotify and DOOH intercept them exactly at those points.

For example, a RevOps leader taking a lunchtime walk might pass by your DOOH ad outside a co-working space.

A Sales VP driving to a client site hears your Spotify ad in the car.

In those moments, they’re not in meetings or firefighting issues – they’re mentally open. By occupying some of that white space in their day, you lodge your brand into memory where competitors aren’t present.

Another aspect is ad fatigue. Digital ecosystems like social media and display ads are so crowded that many users experience banner blindness, literally tuning out anything that looks like an ad.

If your marketing relies solely on those channels, you’re fighting uphill for diminishing returns. But Spotify and DOOH offer a refreshing change of format, audio narratives and big visual statements that cut through the fatigue. They don’t look or sound like the dozens of ads your buyer has already ignored today.

In fact, when Salesforce used Spotify audio combined with display, it was explicitly to “cut through the noise” and reach buyers during downtime. The uptick in brand consideration they achieved (+11% among their target listeners) indicates that those buyers paid attention, likely because the message reached them in a moment when they weren’t overloaded.

Finally, capturing attention is not just about the medium, but the creative approach these media enable.

In a 30-second audio spot, you can tell a mini-story or spark imagination using sound – something you can’t do in a static banner. In a billboard, you can use bold humour or a provocative question in ways that would fall flat in a tiny web ad. These formats encourage creative diversity, which in turn keeps your audience engaged.

When Arise GTM crafted a Spotify ad, we opened with a question we knew our audience had to answer: “CMOs, stuck in traffic but your pipeline’s not moving?”, delivered in a knowing, friendly tone.

It resonated because it was different, a voice in their car speaking to a real frustration. We couldn’t have achieved that via another channel quite the same way.

So by leveraging the strengths of audio and large-format visuals, you give your marketing messages a distinctive edge that commands attention.

From Brand Awareness to Pipeline: Measuring Spotify & DOOH ROI

Any marketing leader considering a new channel will ask: “How do we measure ROI?” For years, channels like audio and out-of-home were seen as tough to track, which made CFOs raise an eyebrow.

But today, measuring the impact of Spotify and DOOH is not only possible, it’s increasingly sophisticated. We can (and should) connect these brand-oriented channels to real pipeline outcomes with smart strategy and tools.

Spotify ROI Measurement

On the simplest level, Spotify’s self-serve Ad Studio provides the basics: impressions, clicks (if your ad uses companion banners or CTA cards), and listens through to completion. You’ll know how many people you reached and how engaged they were (completion rate is a great proxy for ad quality). But how do we tie this to pipeline?

One way is through direct response mechanisms: use a memorable vanity URL or offer code in the audio script (“visit oursite.com/Spotify for a free trial”) to track direct traffic and conversions from the ad.

Another increasingly popular approach is brand lift studies. With larger Spotify spends (or via their managed services), you can run brand lift surveys to see recall, awareness, and consideration uptick in exposed vs. control audiences.

For example, run a survey asking, “Have you heard of [Your Company]?” The difference in “yes” between those who heard your ads and those who didn’t is the lift. Salesforce likely measured results like that (hence their 30% recall lift stat).

While that’s not direct pipeline, higher brand awareness in your target accounts correlates with smoother sales (sales teams will tell you how much easier calls are when prospects recognise the brand).

Now, to get more granular, advanced B2B marketers integrate Spotify into multi-touch attribution models. For instance, if you’re using a marketing automation or attribution tool, treat Spotify like a programmatic channel: when running an audio campaign, concurrently see if organic or direct traffic from the targeted region or demographic increases.

We had a client who saw a curious spike in direct traffic to their site from a city where we ran Spotify ads, effectively a halo effect we could attribute to the campaign (controlled by comparing to a city where we didn’t run ads).

Additionally, Spotify recently introduced CTA cards for audio ads, clickable pop-up banners that appear in the app when your audio ad plays and remain for a while.

This drives post-click engagement and can be tracked just like any paid social click. It’s another way Spotify is closing the gap between ears and clicks, making ROI more trackable.

And good news for budget watchers: the entry cost is low – you can start with as little as $250 on Spotify Ad Studio, run a test, and see results in your dashboard. That low barrier means you can pilot a campaign without big risk, gather data, and then scale if it pays off.

DOOH ROI Measurement

Historically, out-of-home was infamous for being a black box (“I know half my advertising works, just not which half,” as the old joke goes). But modern DOOH flips that narrative. With digital screens and programmatic ad platforms, we can track exposures and even tie them to actions.

For example, many DOOH vendors provide impression estimates using camera sensors or foot traffic data, so you know roughly how many eyeballs likely saw your ad.

More concretely, we can use techniques like geo-fenced lift analysis: serve mobile ads or online ads specifically to people who were within a certain radius of your billboard location, and track if those people visit your site more or convert better.

There are vendors that can drop a pixel in a mobile app to retarget users who came near your DOOH ad (leveraging location data). As wild as it sounds, it means you could show a LinkedIn ad or display ad to someone who likely saw your billboard, creating a one-two punch and then measuring conversion from that combined exposure.

Another measure: Nielsen studies found that 33% of B2B viewers looked up a company after seeing an OOH ad, and nearly 25% visited the website. So one pragmatic KPI is uplift in branded search or direct traffic during the DOOH campaign period.

When we ran a DOOH campaign for a Saas client, we watched their Google Analytics: direct traffic from the city where the billboards ran jumped markedly, and “BrandName + product” searches went up.

By comparing these trends to a baseline (before the campaign, or against a control region), we attributed a portion of new pipeline deals from that region to the DOOH influence.

It wasn’t perfect math, but it was persuasive for the CMO and CFO: we could show that for a certain spend, we achieved a lift in website visits and lead form fills that likely wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

Check out TikToks Brits 2020 DOOH campaign.

Key pain point addressed: proving ROI and data quality.

For RevOps and CFO stakeholders, Spotify and DOOH no longer need to be fuzzy “top of funnel” spends you hope will pay off later. You can attach real numbers to them.

Moreover, integrating these channels into your CRM and attribution systems keeps data quality high. Ensure that whenever a lead comes in, you ask “How did you hear about us?” in a dropdown.

You’d be surprised how many will say “I heard your podcast ad” or “saw your billboard at the airport” if those are running – we’ve seen it happen, and that anecdotal evidence is gold.

Pair that with more systematic tracking like UTM parameters on any Spotify ad URLs and time-bound attribution models for regions with DOOH, and you can credibly connect these channels to downstream metrics (SQLs, opportunities, revenue).

One more advanced tip: use marketing mix modelling (MMM) if you have the scale. MMM can statistically estimate the contribution of each channel (including offline like OOH and audio) to outcomes, controlling for other factors.

It’s what big consumer advertisers use to justify TV and OOH spends.

B2B can borrow that playbook at a smaller scale. A quarterly regression analysis might show that whenever you run Spotify+DOOH, your opportunity creation rate goes up 20% (after accounting for seasonality).

These kinds of analyses turn sceptics into believers because they quantify the previously unquantifiable.

In short, measuring Spotify and DOOH requires a blend of creativity and rigour, but it can be done. And when you show those results, you ease the biggest fear of the C-suite: wasting money. Instead, you’ll reframe Spotify and DOOH as investments with trackable returns, which is music to a CFO’s ears (no pun intended).

Precision Targeting vs. Broad Reach: Ensuring Lead Quality

One worry B2B marketers have about broad channels like Spotify and OOH is:

• Are we just shouting into the void?
• How do we ensure the right people hear or see us? 

After all, quality leads > quantity of random impressions. The good news is that Spotify and DOOH offer more targeting than you might think, and when combined with LinkedIn’s laser focus, you can craft a campaign that’s both wide-reaching and relevant.

Spotify Targeting Capabilities

Spotify’s Ad Studio allows you to target by location, age, gender, platform/device, and – critically for B2B – by interests and context.

While you can’t choose “job title = VP of IT” on Spotify, you can reach listeners of certain podcast genres or playlists that correlate with professional interests.

For example, you might target the “Business & Technology” podcast category, or even specific podcasts if available. You can target by genre of music or even by real-time context like “work” or “commuting” playlists.

So a savvy B2B campaign might zero in on, say, 30-55 year olds in urban tech hubs during work hours with an “Entrepreneurship” interest. That’s likely to hit a lot of founders and execs. It’s not one-to-one like LinkedIn, but it narrows the field significantly.

Spotify also has first-party data on device type (target desktop vs mobile), which is handy – maybe desktop listeners during work hours are more likely in an office setting (i.e., could be the work crowd).

Additionally, if your product is region-specific (say you only sell in North America and UK), you can target those geographies so you’re not paying for irrelevant regions. No additional targeting yields the broadest reach, but layering interests or genres yields a more relevant segment, striking the balance is key.

From Arise GTM’s experience, we found that targeting context was a game changer. In one campaign, we targeted “coding” and “software development” playlist listeners for a DevOps SaaS tool – essentially catching engineers and IT managers who listen to music while coding.

The leads that came through subsequently (we paired the audio with a LinkedIn retargeting campaign) were highly qualified; many mentioned they liked that we “spoke to developers in their language.”

The Spotify ad created awareness in a setting they enjoyed (music while working), and then our LinkedIn ads provided the detailed follow-up offer.

The result was a notable uptick in lead quality score for that cohort, compared to our usual LinkedIn-only leads. It proved that broad reach can yield quality if you are smart about where and how your message appears.

DOOH Targeting Approaches

With DOOH, targeting is about choosing the right placements and timing. You can decide which cities, which neighbourhoods, even which specific screens to show your ads on – that’s a form of targeting.

For B2B, consider placing DOOH ads in areas dense with your industry. For example, if you target fintech companies, advertise around financial districts or fintech meetups (some DOOH networks let you buy time on screens near event venues during conferences).

If your audience is startups, place ads in co-working spaces or entrepreneurial hubs via networks like Captivate or other office TV screens.

Modern DOOH buying often happens via digital exchanges where you can say “only show my ad on office park screens between 8am-10am and 5pm-7pm on weekdays,” effectively catching commuters.

This is a proxy for targeting professionals in a certain mindset. It’s not person-level targeting, but it maximises the chance the viewers align with your ICP.

And remember, you can go niche: if you truly only sell to 100 target accounts, you could even buy a single billboard near each account’s HQ (if budget allows) – that’s the ultimate account-based marketing flex!

In fact, one company famously did this by placing billboards by their top 5 target clients’ offices, saying “{ClientName}, we think you’ll love {OurProduct}” – a gutsy ABM move that landed meetings.

That was BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty) for Levi's. They did this in the 1980s as part of a campaign to promote Levi's jeans. The billboards featured the simple message "That's Levi's" and were placed strategically near the offices of their key retail partners like Top Shop and Selfridges.

It was again repeated years later by Intidea, a boutique web design and development agency. They famously rented a billboard directly across from Ogilvy & Mather’s offices in Manhattan with the cheeky message:

“Ogle this, Ogilvy.”

This bold ABM (Account-Based Marketing) move grabbed attention, went viral internally, and ultimately led to a meeting with Ogilvy’s CEO. The stunt perfectly exemplifies using audacious, targeted outreach to break through clutter.

To further ensure quality, pair broad-reach channels with precise channels in a coordinated way. This is where LinkedIn comes back in.

For instance, run a LinkedIn Account-Based Marketing campaign targeting your top accounts with sponsored content at the same time you run Spotify ads broadly to your industry and DOOH ads in key cities.

The LinkedIn ads will generate direct leads from the exact accounts (great for CROs who want names to give Sales), while the Spotify and DOOH will create air cover and potentially engage leads you didn’t know about yet.

Over time, you might notice that the leads coming via LinkedIn from those regions are more warmed up (because they also heard the audio or saw the billboard).

If you use something like a custom tracking phone number or URL on the billboard, those who respond are by definition interested and probably relevant (very few random consumers will go out of their way to visit a B2B tech site from a billboard; if they do, they likely are in the field).

Let's not forget that digital billboards are everywhere now, on trains, train stations, buses, malls - like Canary Wharf in London, so print billboards aren't your only option.

Key pain point addressed: lead quality and waste.

CFOs and CROs often worry that broad ads mean wasted spend on “people who will never buy.” But by using targeting techniques above, you minimise waste.

You won’t be 100% efficient (some students or non-pros will inevitably hear/see your ads), but consider it akin to high-level brand marketing that’s optimised as much as possible towards your niche.

Plus, think of the alternative: if you don’t fill the funnel top with new blood, your LinkedIn retargeting or sales outreach eventually exhausts the same pool.

The broad channels ensure you’re constantly bringing fresh potential prospects into the awareness stage, where your precise channels can then capture them.

Over time, this even improves lead quality in your CRM, because the only people who trickle down are those who resonated with your multi-channel messaging.

In our campaigns, the combination strategy led to fewer total leads, but higher quality leads, exactly what a decision-stage buyer values.

Who cares if you got 1,000 ebook downloads if 950 were irrelevant?

We’d rather have 100 Spotify-influenced leads where 50 turn into real opportunities. That ratio will impress a CRO looking at conversion rates.

In essence, Spotify and DOOH cast the net, LinkedIn and your sales team catch the fish. By designing the net thoughtfully (targeting by context and locale) and placing it in the right waters (the channels your buyers frequent), you’ll haul in catches that are worth every dollar of bait.

Personalisation Without Creepiness: Balancing Customisation & Privacy

Today’s B2B buyers expect personalised experiences – but they’re also more privacy-conscious than ever. It’s a fine line: how do you tailor your marketing to different personas and contexts without crossing into “Big Brother” territory?

Spotify, LinkedIn, and DOOH each handle this balance differently, and together they let you deliver relevant messages in a privacy-respecting way.

On LinkedIn, personalisation is relatively straightforward and accepted. People list their job titles and interests publicly, and seeing an ad because you’re a “VP of Marketing at a SaaS company” isn’t creepy – it’s the norm.

LinkedIn allows you to personalise content by audience segment: e.g., run one ad creative for CMOs highlighting strategic outcomes, and a different one for RevOps leaders focusing on technical integrations. It’s classic segmentation, using professional data.

As long as you’re not doing anything wild like calling them out by name in the ad, it feels appropriate. And LinkedIn has strong privacy guardrails (users can opt out of certain targeting, etc.), so as a marketer, you get to use rich targeting without violating personal privacy. LinkedIn provides the data in aggregate; you don’t see individuals until they raise their hand.

Spotify offers a form of personalisation that’s contextual and creative. You may not know someone’s name or job title on Spotify, but you do know what they’re doing or interested in.

That means you can personalise the message to the moment, rather than the individual. For instance, tailor your audio script to reference the context: “If you’re grinding through work with some music in the background, we get it…” or “Calling all startup founders tuning into this podcast…”.

This contextual personalisation feels organic – the listener thinks “hey, that’s me!” not because you identified them personally, but because you acknowledged the scenario they’re in. It’s effective and not creepy at all.

In fact, personalising ads for higher engagement is a best practice on Spotify. You can also leverage Spotify’s first-party data ethically. For example, targeting by broad age bracket or interests helps ensure the content fits the audience’s general profile (you might use a more playful tone for a younger startup founder audience vs. a more formal tone for an older enterprise exec audience).

Crucially, Spotify doesn’t hand you personal data; it lets you reach segments. So privacy is preserved (the user doesn’t feel spied on), yet you still deliver a message that resonates with the kind of person likely hearing it.

Digital Out-of-Home

by nature is the least personal – and that’s actually a plus for privacy. A billboard or digital display shows the same message to everyone in that location. No cookies, no personal data, just context (location and time) to guide placement.

To personalise in DOOH without true personalisation, you adapt to the environment. For example, a digital sign in a WeWork lobby can say “Welcome, innovators – ready to accelerate your growth?” which speaks to the startup crowd generally there.

Or use time-based messages: “Good morning, London fintech leaders!” on a screen near Canary Wharf (financial district) at 8 AM – that feels personal to those who identify as fintech leaders, yet you didn’t target an individual, only a place and time.

DOOH is inherently privacy-safe because it’s one-to-many broadcast. But you can still be clever: dynamic DOOH can change content based on weather, news, or audience metrics.

Some sophisticated DOOH networks even adjust creative if they detect (via camera AI) a higher proportion of a certain demographic looking.  For instance, if mostly men in their 30s are in view, show creative variant A versus variant B. 

It’s anonymised and on the fly, and as an advertiser, you just supply those variants. Again, no PII (personally identifiable information) is used, but the message feels more tailored.

This multi-channel approach actually helps you balance personalisation vs privacy beautifully.

• Use LinkedIn for personal targeting (because it’s expected on that platform – people almost want ads relevant to their job).
• Use Spotify for situational personalisation (speaking to moods and moments, not names).
• Use DOOH for environmental personalization (tailoring to location and time broadly).

None of these cross privacy lines, especially in a post-GDPR, cookieless world where third-party data is drying up. We’re leaning on first-party contexts: LinkedIn’s professional data (provided by the user), Spotify’s usage context (provided by the user’s behavior but not giving you their identity), and physical context for DOOH.

Key pain point addressed: the personalisation vs. privacy dilemma

that many CMOs face. We hear it often: “We want to personalise our marketing, but we don’t want to be creepy or violate trust.” This channel mix is a solid answer.

You won’t be using invasive tracking to, say, follow someone from site to site with the same ad (that’s dying out anyway). Instead, you’re matching your content to channels where that content naturally fits the audience mindset.

Privacy regulations are only getting stricter – Google is phasing out third-party cookies, and iOS is limiting tracking – but Spotify and LinkedIn are well-positioned in this new world because they rely on first-party logged-in data and contextual targeting. 

So your GTM strategy stays effective even as privacy walls go up. Plus, this approach can actually enhance your brand reputation: you’re showing you “get” the audience without prying into their personal data.

For example, a customer success leader seeing a DOOH ad about “delighting customers” at a conference feels like “Wow, that speaks to me,” but doesn’t feel targeted in a creepy way – it could speak to any CS leader.

At Arise GTM, we encourage clients to build personalisation frameworks: what message for which persona/stage, and then map it to channels appropriately.

Often the most personal messages (like technical feature benefits) go via email or LinkedIn direct messages where one-to-one is okay. The broader but still tailored messages (like industry-specific value props) go via Spotify and DOOH where they hit many but in a focused context.

This layered approach has allowed our clients to increase relevance without triggering privacy alarms. In fact, some prospects have commented positively on ads, saying things like “I loved that podcast ad – it really spoke to the exact challenge we discuss in our team, but it didn’t feel invasive.” That’s the sweet spot we’re after.

Multi-Channel Magic: Shortening Complex Sales Cycles

B2B SaaS sales cycles, especially upmarket, can be long and winding. Multiple stakeholders, endless consensus meetings, cautious CFOs – it’s a journey.

But a well-orchestrated multi-channel presence can accelerate those complex deals by building trust and consensus faster. It’s almost like creating a tailwind for your sales team: every channel exposure nudges the buying group a bit closer to “yes.”

Consider what typically slows down a B2B purchase: lack of awareness (“Who are you guys again?”), lack of trust, internal disagreement (“One person loves Vendor A, another prefers Vendor B”), and plain old inertia.

A smart mix of Spotify, LinkedIn, and DOOH attacks these friction points on multiple fronts.

Accelerating Awareness and Trust

We’ve discussed how these channels boost awareness; in a sales cycle, that translates to fewer “cold” conversations. If a key influencer in the buying committee has heard your CEO on a Spotify ad talking about solving a pain point, they come into the first meeting already warmed up, perhaps even intrigued.

Brand familiarity can shorten the “get to know us” phase of the cycle. In one case, a client of ours was in a bake-off (competitive evaluation) with two larger rivals. Their ace up the sleeve? The prospect had seen their DOOH ads around town and heard their name on a popular industry podcast, thanks to Spotify ad inserts. When our client’s sales rep walked in, the prospect opened with “We’ve been seeing you everywhere lately!”

That deal progressed from initial demo to final proposal in record time – the prospect didn’t need to be convinced our client was a serious player; they already felt it subconsciously from the multi-channel presence.

The CRO later told us, “I usually fight an uphill battle as the smaller vendor, but marketing made us look as big as Salesforce out there. It took credibility off the table as an objection.” Simply put, multi-channel marketing builds trust faster, shaving weeks or months off the consensus-building process.

Aligning Multiple Stakeholders

In complex deals, you often have different stakeholders with different priorities: a VP of Sales cares about revenue growth, the CTO cares about integration and security, the CFO cares about cost and ROI, the end-users care about ease of use, etc.

Relying on a single channel to convey tailored messages to each is tough. But with multiple channels, you can divide and conquer:

• LinkedIn for targeted persona content (e.g., whitepaper ads for technical folks, case study ads for economic buyers),
• Spotify for broad narrative (inspiring vision of how your solution helps businesses like theirs), and
• DOOH for high-level messaging everyone can appreciate (like a bold claim or tagline that the whole office sees).

When done in parallel, each stakeholder gets touched by the message that matters most to them, in the place they’re most receptive to it. The result is a more unified buying committee because everyone has heard “the story” of your product’s value in one form or another.

It reduces those internal disconnects where, say, the CTO says “Never heard of these guys, I’m skeptical,” or the CFO says “What value do they really bring?” – those seeds have been planted already by your marketing. In essence, you create internal advocacy even before your sales team has fully worked the account.

Reducing Inertia with Continuous Presence

The multi-channel mix also helps combat the natural stalls in a long cycle. There might be weeks of radio silence as the prospect internally deliberates or waits on budget decisions. During that lull, your LinkedIn ads, Spotify presence, and DOOH reminders are keeping the pot warm.

It’s hard for a prospect to forget or shelve your solution when they keep encountering your brand. That consistent presence subtly pressures the buying group to take action (“This company is everywhere, maybe it’s a sign we should move forward”).

It’s gentle pressure, nothing pushy, just ambient awareness that makes it easier for a champion inside the account to rally others: “They’re clearly invested in the market, I see them all over, we won’t go wrong choosing them.”

One might call this the “surround sound” effect on the sales cycle. You surround the prospect with helpful, confidence-building messaging.

We’ve observed that accounts exposed to multi-channel campaigns often close in a shorter timeframe than those that weren’t. To quantify it, we pulled data across a few client campaigns: deals where the prospect was hit on ≥3 channels closed about 20% faster on average than those with single-channel outreach.

It’s correlation, not pure causation (could be that more interested prospects consume more channels), but the anecdotal feedback backs it up too – prospects feel more urgency and confidence.

Key pain point addressed: long sales cycles and indecision.

For CROs, shortening the sales cycle means faster revenue and lower cost per sale. For CEOs and board members, it means hitting growth targets sooner. A multi-channel GTM strategy becomes not just marketing fluff, but a tactical weapon for sales acceleration.

And this isn’t lost on Customer Success either – if marketing has thoroughly educated and persuaded an account before they even sign, the implementation and adoption phases tend to go smoother (they knew what they were buying, they were already sold on the value).

In summary, multi-channel marketing does some heavy lifting traditionally left to sales alone. It educates (so sales doesn’t have to repeat the basics 10 times), builds credibility (so sales isn’t fighting doubt), and keeps excitement high (so momentum isn’t lost).

In the complex B2B sale, that can trim a 12-month saga down to 9, or a 6-month process down to 4 – huge wins in SaaS, where time is literally money.

Beyond Acquisition: Strengthening Customer Retention with Spotify & DOOH

Marketing doesn’t end at the sale – especially not for SaaS, where renewals and expansions are the lifeblood of growth. Customer Success leaders and CROs care deeply about retention and lifetime value.

Interestingly, the same Spotify, LinkedIn, DOOH trio can be wielded not just to win new customers, but to keep existing ones engaged and loyal. It’s about extending that GTM strategy across the entire customer lifecycle.

Spotify for Customer Engagement

Have you considered running audio campaigns aimed at your current customers? This might sound unusual, but think of it as nurturing via a different medium.

For example, you can target your known customer base if you have a way to match them (one approach: if your customer emails are also associated with logged-in Spotify accounts – some platforms allow custom audience matching; if not directly on Spotify, you could potentially do it via programmatic audio with uploaded lists).

Even without direct matching, you could target by criteria that mirror your customer base (industry, region) with messaging that speaks to users.

What would you say?

Possibly promote new features (“Now on [YourProduct]: check out the latest integration – details in your inbox!”) or share customer success stories (“You’re already using [YourProduct]; hear how others are unlocking even more value.”).

It’s a light-touch way to educate and upsell without sending another email that might go unread. Also, consider sponsoring or advertising on podcasts that your customers listen to. If you have a thought leadership podcast or partner with one, your customers tuning in can deepen their connection to your brand.

The goal is to reinforce value and community. When customers continually hear about how your solution is evolving and helping others (in a non-intrusive way, during their normal listening), it bolsters their confidence that they chose right.

DOOH for Brand Pride

Ever noticed how customers feel about vendors who have a strong brand presence? There’s a subtle psychology: if I see my software provider’s ad on a Times Square billboard or a marquee at an industry event, I feel reassured I’m with a market leader.

It might even give me a little cachet to say “Oh yeah, we use them” when others have seen the buzz. Now, not every company can splash in Times Square, but strategic DOOH can target places where your customers go.

For instance, during a big industry conference (say HubSpot's Inbound or SaaStr Annual), you could run a digital billboard near the venue thanking your customers by name (“Innovators at [Client A], [Client B], [Client C] – thanks for trusting [YourCompany]”).

Imagine being a customer and seeing your company name up there – that’s a feel-good moment that deepens loyalty. Or simply being visible at major touchpoints (airports frequented by execs, trade show locations) signals to customers “we’re strong, we’re growing”.

This addresses a key retention factor: nobody wants to stick with a vendor that seems to be fading or low-profile. By boosting your share of voice in the market, you give customers confidence to renew (“They’re everywhere, they must be doing well, we’re safe sticking with them”).

In fact, that Nielsen stat we cited – 15% of people visited a company’s social media after seeing OOH – could include your customers who see an ad and then check out your latest updates, re-engaging them.

LinkedIn for Customer Education

While not the main topic, let’s not forget LinkedIn here for retention – targeting existing customers with helpful content (webinars, user community invites, etc.) keeps them informed.

Combining that with Spotify and DOOH means your customers get a 360-degree communication plan:

• LinkedIn posts in their feed about an upcoming user forum,
• a Spotify ad reminding them of a best practice (maybe driving them to a new case study or tutorial),
• and seeing your booth signage or city ads when they attend an industry expo.

The consistency ensures they don’t miss the message. We often silo “customer marketing” separately, but integrating it into your outward marketing ensures no one loves your brand more than the people paying for it, which in turn creates evangelists.

Key pain point addressed: retention and customer experience.

For Chief Customer Officers or Customer Success Heads, engaging customers outside of email can be tricky. Not everyone logs into the community site or reads the newsletter.

Spotify and DOOH give you channels to surprise and delight customers in their everyday lives.

Brands have also been effectively using Spotify playlists as part of their marketing campaigns, tuning into their community members' passions.

Examples:

• Nike Run Club: This sub-brand of Nike has a popular Spotify profile with a large following, showcasing playlists curated for running and fitness.
• H&M: The clothing retailer has also created playlists for its target audience, aligning its brand with music that resonates with their customers.
• Spotify's own campaigns: Spotify itself has utilised playlists in its marketing efforts, such as the "There's a playlist for that" campaign. 

It sounds fluffy, but customers love it and share it on social media, indirectly promoting the brand. It kept the community vibe alive. 

In essence, retention is about continuous value and relationship building. Multi-channel marketing contributes by keeping the relationship fresh, showing customers that they’re part of something bigger (a popular brand, a movement even), and by providing them useful info in diverse ways.

It moves marketing beyond acquisition into a full lifecycle role, aligning with RevOps’ view that revenue isn’t just new sales, but renewals and upsells too.

Ready to Ignite Your GTM? (Call-to-Action)

You’ve seen how unconventional channels like Spotify, LinkedIn, and DOOH can supercharge a B2B SaaS go-to-market strategy. Now, it’s time to put this playbook into action.

The opportunity cost of doing nothing is high: your competitors will keep bombarding the same old channels while attention slips through the cracks. Be the innovator who captures your buyers’ ears, eyes, and hearts wherever they are.

Arise GTM is here to help you execute. If you’re ready to escape the “me too” marketing rut and accelerate your Revenue Engine, let’s talk. Our team will design a custom multi-channel GTM campaign that fills your funnel with engaged, high-quality demand and propels your brand into your buyers’ daily conversations.

We’ll help you measure every lift, every click, every conversion, and turn underutilised channels into your competitive advantage.

Don’t wait for the market to catch up. Seize the advantage now: reach out to Arise GTM and let’s ignite your growth with Spotify audio, LinkedIn precision, and DOOH impact.

It’s time to arise above the noise and dominate your market. Let’s craft your GTM breakthrough together. Contact Arise GTM today to start your high-impact strategy sprint!

Frequently Asked Questions (Decision-Stage)

Q: Does Spotify advertising actually work for B2B SaaS?

A: Yes – and there’s proof. B2B brands like Salesforce have used Spotify to boost awareness and consideration among business audiences. While Spotify’s traditionally thought of as B2C, business decision-makers are listeners too.

Our experience shows that a well-targeted Spotify ad can drive B2B website traffic and even influence pipeline. The key is messaging and targeting.

If your ad speaks to a real pain point and is heard by the right roles (e.g. via business podcasts or work-themed playlists), Spotify absolutely works to warm up B2B buyers. It won’t usually be a direct lead-gen like a LinkedIn form, but it shortens the path. Prospects often mention hearing the ad, which means you’ve earned some mindshare before sales even calls.

Q: How do I measure ROI from Spotify or DOOH ads for our B2B campaign?

A: It’s a great question – measurement is critical. For Spotify, you’ll track metrics like impressions, listens, and clicks (Spotify provides those). To tie to ROI, use tactics like vanity URLs or offer codes in your audio ads to capture direct responses.

You can also look for lift in branded searches or direct traffic during the campaign period – a spike suggests your ad drove curiosity. Spotify even offers brand lift surveys for larger buys, showing uplift in awareness or intent.

For DOOH (digital out-of-home), you can use modern techniques: some platforms allow tracking via geo-fenced mobile data (to see if people near your billboard later visit your site). More simply, check analytics for traffic/lead volume from regions where ads ran.

We recommend running DOOH in City A and not in City B as a control – if City A’s inbound leads jump, that’s a strong signal. While these channels are more top-of-funnel, you can absolutely connect them to ROI through creative tracking and by measuring pipeline lift in exposed areas.

In our experience, a multi-channel attribution model helps – even if Spotify or DOOH get partial credit, you’ll see the assist they provide in deal cycles.

Q: Our CFO is skeptical about new marketing channels – how do we get buy-in for Spotify/DOOH?

A: Speak their language: data and dollars. To win over a sceptical CFO (or any budget guardian), propose a modest pilot with clear KPIs. For example, “Let’s invest $5K in Spotify targeting XYZ and measure lift in web visits and lead quality, with a goal of 2x increase in brand search traffic.”

Emphasise the low entry cost – Spotify ads start at a few hundred dollars, so you’re not risking much. For DOOH, maybe a small digital campaign in one city. By framing it as an experiment with defined outcomes, you reduce the perceived risk.

Also share success stories: e.g., how Salesforce or other B2B firms saw brand lifts using these channels – showing it’s not unheard of. CFOs also care about efficiency of spend; you can argue that LinkedIn CPCs are rising and attention is saturated (so diminishing returns), whereas Spotify/DOOH are undervalued attention, potentially a better ROI per impression.

Finally, commit to reporting back with real metrics (brand lift, multi-touch attribution showing these channels assisted pipeline). When CFOs see numbers and hear that you’ll measure every penny, they’re more likely to green-light it. Bonus tip: align the test with a company initiative (like a product launch or event) so the CFO sees it supporting a strategic goal, not just “marketing trying something shiny.”

Q: How can Spotify, LinkedIn, and DOOH work together in one campaign?

A: The three channels can be orchestrated as an integrated campaign with a unifying theme. Here’s how: Start with a core message or creative concept – say you’re launching “Product X that saves 30% costs.” On LinkedIn, you run targeted ads (maybe a short video or carousel) to your buyer persona touting that message with a CTA (e.g., download a report or book a demo).

Simultaneously on Spotify, you run audio ads to the same industry (or account list), reinforcing that benefit in story form (“Ever wish you could cut costs by 30%? with Product X, CFOs are doing just that…”). On DOOH, you place visually striking ads in key locations with a concise version of the message (“Product X = 30% Cost Savings. Learn More.” with maybe a QR code or just brand website).

The timing matters too: you might coordinate the launch so that around the week of a big industry event or announcement, all channels “fire” together – LinkedIn ads hit feeds, Spotify ads hit ears, and DOOH hits eyes. By doing this, you ensure wherever your target goes, there’s a touchpoint.

Even better, you can cross-reference: LinkedIn ads could say “Heard our ad on Spotify? See the results here…” and the Spotify ad could say “Seen us around town? Here’s the story…”. We’ve done campaigns where we upload the same audience list to LinkedIn (for account-based targeting) and to a programmatic audio platform – so we know the same people are getting both.

It creates a one-two punch: familiarity from audio, plus direct engagement on LinkedIn. DOOH adds a third punch of public credibility. When run together, the campaign feels ubiquitous. Internally, measure as one campaign (e.g., “Q4 Multi-Channel Blitz”) and track overall impact on pipeline or brand metrics, not just siloed channel metrics.

The synergy often produces results greater than each would alone – like higher LinkedIn ad click-through rates in regions where the DOOH ran, because people recognise the brand.

Q: Isn’t LinkedIn enough for B2B? Why add Spotify and DOOH?

A: LinkedIn is fantastic for B2B – no argument there. But relying on LinkedIn alone is limiting for a few reasons. First, LinkedIn’s user attention is fragmented and often saturated with ads and content (everyone is competing for the same eyeballs). There’s only so many ads a person will engage with in their work feed.

By adding Spotify and DOOH, you reach your audience in contexts where your competitors likely aren’t present. It’s about gaining incremental reach and frequency that LinkedIn alone can’t deliver. Second, LinkedIn mainly covers the digital work-life of a person.

Spotify and DOOH reach them in personal and physical contexts, respectively – giving you a more holistic presence.

Think of a busy executive: She might check LinkedIn in the morning and maybe at lunch. But she listens to Spotify on her commute and sees billboards on her drive. If you’re only on LinkedIn, you miss those other touchpoints.

Third, there’s an element of credibility and brand stature that multi-channel gives you. A LinkedIn ad might make someone aware; a combination of LinkedIn + a high-quality audio ad + seeing your brand around town boosts perception. People subconsciously think, “This company is serious, I see them everywhere.” That can shorten trust-building.

Also, practical matter: LinkedIn’s costs have risen (CPC, CPM can be high). Spotify and DOOH can often deliver impressions at a lower cost, so your cost per awareness (and ultimately per lead) can improve by balancing spend across channels.

We’re not replacing LinkedIn – we’re augmenting it. It’s similar to investment: diversify to maximise returns. LinkedIn is essential, but it’s not sufficient if you want to dominate mindshare.

The highest performing GTM teams are visible across platforms, omnipresence creates momentum that a single channel can’t match. So, LinkedIn will get you part of the way (especially for direct lead gen), but adding Spotify and DOOH fuels both the top of funnel and mid-funnel with more engaged prospects, which ultimately means more pipeline and revenue.

Q: What kind of content works best in a Spotify audio ad for B2B?

A: The best Spotify audio ads for B2B are authentic, concise stories or insights that speak directly to a pain point – delivered in a human tone. Remember, this isn’t a formal presentation; it’s an intimate medium (often one listener with headphones). So content that feels conversational and valuable tends to perform well.

For example, a mini case study can be powerful: “In 30 seconds, hear how [Role] at [Company] solved [problem] with [YourSolution].” Use a narrative arc briefly – problem, solution, result – to hook interest.

Alternatively, pose a compelling question right at the start to grab attention (“CMOs, is CRM data making your head spin?”) and then offer a light at the end of the tunnel.

Tips and insights also work: sharing a quick useful insight (“Did you know 60% of CFOs now prioritize X? Here’s one way to stay ahead…”) positions you as a thought leader. Importantly, have a clear call-to-action – even if it’s just “learn more at our website” – so interested listeners know what to do next.

We find that using a real voice (like your founder or a charismatic employee) rather than a generic announcer voice adds credibility. And sound design matters: a little background music or sound effects that match your brand tone (subtle, not overwhelming) can make the ad more memorable.

In B2B, the content sweet spot is something that educates or intrigues, rather than feeling like a hard sell. And keep it short – 30 seconds is standard, 60 max. People will listen if it’s interesting; they’ll tune out if it’s a dry ad.

So we script our audio ads like mini podcast segments – engaging from the first line, with useful info or a story, and ending with how to find out more. That formula consistently drives higher engagement (reflected in completion rates and site traffic) in our campaigns.

Q: Will my target audience actually notice or remember an audio ad (or DOOH ad)?

A: Done right, yes, they will notice and remember – often more than a standard banner ad. Here’s why: audio ads on platforms like Spotify are delivered in a context where the listener isn’t overwhelmed by multiple stimuli – it’s one ad at a time, and if your creative is good (engaging intro, relevant message), it captures attention.

In fact, research indicates audio ads drive high recall; Spotify’s studies show multi-format campaigns including audio saw a 90% increase in ad recall. From our own campaigns, we’ve had prospects reference specifics of our audio ads (“I remember the stat you mentioned in the ad about X”), which shows retention.

The key is making the ad memorable – a clever hook or a distinctive sound cue helps imprint it. As for DOOH, it’s about placement and impact. People do notice eye-catching digital signage, especially if it’s in an environment where they have a moment (waiting in a lobby, walking by a conference center, etc.).

Nielsen found a significant portion of B2B audiences not only notice but act on OOH ads, which implies those ads stuck in memory at least long enough to prompt action. The brain is wired to remember novel stimuli – so seeing your B2B message outside the usual context (like on a big screen) can actually make it more memorable.

There’s also the frequency aspect: someone might pass that billboard every day for a week. By the third day, it’s definitely burned in their mind! Finally, think of how multi-channel reinforces memory: if they hear your message on Spotify and also see it on a DOOH sign, one echoes the other.

The cross-channel repetition dramatically improves recall and recognition. So, if you’re worried about being ignored, focus on strong creative and strategic placement. When that’s in place, our experience is that target audiences do recall these ads (sometimes even better than digital ads lost in a sea of content). We often hear things like “I’ve been seeing you guys around” from prospects – music to a marketer’s ears.

Q: How do Spotify and DOOH support a complex B2B buying group with multiple stakeholders?

A: They help by blanketing the group with coordinated messaging that addresses each stakeholder’s interests, ensuring everyone from the C-suite to end-users hears something that resonates. In a complex account, you might have 5-10 people influencing the deal. LinkedIn alone might hit some of them (those active on that platform), but Spotify and DOOH broaden the reach.

For example, the technical evaluator might ignore LinkedIn but listen to a DevOps podcast on Spotify – your ad there can plant a positive seed about your solution’s technical prowess. Meanwhile, the CFO might notice your DOOH ad highlighting cost savings on their commute.

Each stakeholder gets a touchpoint aligned to what they care about. When they regroup internally, there’s a shared sense of “We’ve heard of this company, and they seem to speak to our problems.” It creates an alignment of perception.

We often map stakeholder personas to messages: e.g., security head hears an audio ad about compliance (via a cybersecurity podcast), the user manager sees a LinkedIn ad about ease-of-use, the exec sees a billboard about ROI.

The cumulative effect is that the whole buying committee becomes aware of your solution’s various benefits simultaneously, rather than one champion trying to sell it to others from scratch. This external reinforcement can accelerate consensus. It also lends credibility – the stakeholders feel, “If all these different channels are talking about this company, they must be a leader.”

Additionally, these channels can spark internal conversations: one stakeholder might mention, “I heard an ad for X, sounds interesting” and another says “Oh, I saw them too.” That cross-verification can prompt the team to collectively explore your product.

In short, Spotify and DOOH act as multi-threaded marketing – reaching each thread of the buying group where they are, with a message tailored to their angle. This supports the sales team’s multi-threaded selling by warming up every corner of the account.

It’s like prepping the entire battlefield before engaging – everyone is already a bit familiar with your “why”. When we’ve done this, we’ve noticed less pushback from peripheral stakeholders because they weren’t coming in cold; they had already been introduced through our ads.

Q: Is audio/OOH advertising more for brand awareness, or can it generate leads too?

A: Primarily, Spotify audio and OOH are brand-building and awareness channels, but they can indirectly generate leads and even drive direct response with the right tactics. Think of them as top/mid-funnel that make your target market more receptive to conversion offers (which often happen on digital channels like search, your website, or LinkedIn).

However, you can include direct response elements: Spotify ads can have clickable components (CTA cards) and you can mention a URL or promo code encouraging listeners to take action.

We have seen listeners go straight to a website after a compelling audio ad – it’s not as high volume as a search ad click, but those who convert tend to be self-selected and high intent (“I went through the trouble to type your URL I heard on the ad”).

Similarly, DOOH can carry a call-to-action: a QR code to scan, a short easy URL (“Visit oursite.com/offer”) – some people will act on that, especially at events or in contexts where it’s immediately relevant. But realistically, expect fewer direct form fills from these channels versus them feeding your funnel by boosting recognition.

Where the leads really come is when these channels warm up the audience and then your other tactics capture them. For instance, someone hears your Spotify ad, later sees your retargeting ad on LinkedIn and clicks – technically LinkedIn gets the credit as the source, but Spotify seeded it.

That said, we have had campaigns where we did capture leads from these channels: e.g., running a digital billboard at a trade show with a text-in code or QR for a special report – we got scans and signups on the spot. The volume was modest but the quality was high (mostly decision-makers physically at that event).

In summary, use audio/OOH primarily to create demand and preference, and use traditional digital channels to capture it. They might not flood your CRM with leads overnight, but they will improve the quality and conversion of leads from other sources.

Over time, you’ll likely see an overall lift in inbound traffic and leads attributable to “organic” or “direct”, which is actually the halo effect of your audio/OOH efforts driving people to search or type your URL (we’ve seen this correlation often).

So yes, they can generate leads, just often one step removed or in a supporting role. For decision-stage justification: they’re part of a holistic strategy to drive better and more leads when combined with your other channels.