Satellite

From Ad Types to Strategies: Your SiriusXM Advertising Guide

Oct 16, 2024

In the audio space, SiriusXM is one of a kind. It has some obvious similarities to terrestrial radio—but with some massive upgrades. Big names, more content options in one place, and reliable signals (to name just a few). And its digital-audio-like qualities give it even more of an edge over AM/FM, with better quality, a more intimate listening environment, and go-anywhere convenience.

With one-of-a-kind content comes one-of-a-kind opportunities for advertisers. Consider this your guide to launching a SiriusXM campaign.

The Benefits of SiriusXM for Advertisers

Our subscribers are invested in the content (literally). They’re not only opting in, but they specifically come to SiriusXM for channels and shows across news, comedy, sports, and entertainment talk that they can’t find anywhere else. For brands, that means exclusive access to a leaned in audience—and that’s just for starters. Other benefits of SiriusXM advertising include:

  • Exclusive audience. 65% of in-car listeners never tune in to AM/FM radio

  • Big attention spans. 41% listen to the same channel for 20+ minutes

  • Higher SOV. 50% less commercial time per hour than AM/FM

  • More likely to buy. 77% correlation to hearing an ad on SiriusXM and making a purchase (10% higher than AM/FM)

Now that you know what awaits, let’s dig into how build your SiriusXM campaign.

Get to Know the Ways to Buy SiriusXM

Purchase premium inventory the way you want. SiriusXM offers a variety of flexible buying options to meet any campaign objective.

Scale & Max Reach

  • Genre cluster: Like all sports, all news, etc.

  • Custom cluster: A combination of news, sports, etc., selected to align with audiences and interests

  • Daypart: For example, across all channels in mornings only

Targeted

  • Channel: Specific channels or a single channel based on your goals

Custom

  • Show: Advertisers can run in specific programs on channels

  • Personality: Includes talent reads by select SiriusXM talent

Tailor Your Reach

SiriusXM is a national platform, allowing your ads to be broadcast across the country. Our solutions work best for brands that are looking to reach audiences more broadly (think AM/FM radio) while leveraging our unparalleled content, superior listening experience, and exceptional sound quality.

Here are some ways you can tailor your reach to align with more specific audiences:

  • Category targeting: By channel genre (e.g., lifestyle, sports, news)

  • Daypart targeting: By day of the week and/or time of day

  • Custom clusters: By custom group based on audiences and interests

Dig into SiriusXM Ad Formats

When it comes to how your ads play on SiriusXM, you have options. Our selection of ad products and formats allows you to reach millions of passionate entertainment, news, comedy, and sports listeners. And if you need audio assets, we’ve got you covered there, too. With our in-house audio creative team, you’ve got experts in your corner. From scripting, to casting, to recording, we’re your competitive edge for audio creative.

Talent Reads

Talent for SiriusXM ads use exact line-for-line, word-for-word scripts. If the host wants to deviate from the script, they can, but they usually circle back to the script to finish the spot.

  • Live reads: Copy read by a host live, aired within programming content during a show (:60)

  • Pre records: Copy pre-recorded by a host, aired during an ad break (:60)

Brand Spots

You can provide your own audio spots, or you can use our in-house creative team to create a spot. (:30 or :60)

Sponsorships

The following ad types can be leveraged with sponsorship buys.

  • Billboards: Air as live or pre-recorded advertiser tags. They are placed within, before, or after sponsored content. Though they are usually read by a production voice, sometimes hosts read them. (:10)

  • Tune-in promos: SiriusXM-written-and-produced spots that are paired with brand spots. The purpose is to drive listeners to an advertiser's sponsored programming. These are read by a production voice. (:30)

  • Promo copy: We write the copy that best fits the program you're sponsoring and send via traffic to produce. We then marry your promo to your 30-second brand spot to maximize your impact. (:30)

Align Your SiriusXM Campaign Strategy

How you buy SiriusXM and the ad types you choose should be tied to your campaign goals—and we have solutions across the funnel.

Awareness: Genre & Custom Clusters

For maximum scale, utilize a grouping of channels based on interests/categories like comedy or talk (genre cluster). For more control, utilize a custom cluster—a grouping of channels based on audience and interests (e.g., male sports fans, 25+ comedy fans, etc.)

Consideration: Target Specific Channels, Shows, Dayparts, and Live Play-by-Play

Align your brand with shows and channels that are affiliated with your target audience, including sports channels with live, play-by-play coverage. Daypart your ads to run at certain times of day. Increase frequency and switch up messaging to keep your brand in the consideration set for your listeners.

Purchase/Conversion: Personalities

Tap into the power of the host-listener relationship. Talent reads by our exclusive talent can push audiences to take action and make a purchase. Leverage promo codes to keep a brand and offer top-of-mind with listeners.

Add More Audio for Wider Reach

The true SiriusXM Media advantage is the fact that you have multiple networks and formats at your disposal (SiriusXM + SiriusXM Streaming Network + SiriusXM Podcast Network). Whether you’re layering publishers or adding other audio formats, your campaign goes even further when you turn up your digital audio investment.

Get Started with SiriusXM Ad Campaigns

Now that you know how to build a SiriusXM campaign to leverage our exclusive content and leaned-in audiences, what are you waiting for? We’re here to help you get started. Let’s talk.

Learn More About SiriusXM for Advertisers

Sources

  • 1.

    Nielsen Custom Qualitative Study for SiriusXM, 2022

  • 2.

    SiriusXM internal metrics

  • 3.

    SNL Kagan

  • 4.

    Starcom/Mediavest Group “Reaching Consumers During the Purchasing Process"

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