Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / Why Brands Are Investing in Social Audio Spaces
Transcript
- Lucas: So a few weeks ago I was scrolling through LinkedIn and I noticed a brand I follow — a mid-size B2B analytics company — was hosting what they called a 'weekly audio huddle' every Thursday at noon. Luna: Yeah, I've seen those. They're like the modern version of a radio call-in show, but inside the app. Lucas: Exactly. And what caught my eye was the engagement. Hundreds of comments, people tagging colleagues, and the host — their head of marketing — was just talking, no slides, no polished script. Just a conversation. Luna: It felt more human than a webinar, I bet. Did you look into how it performed for them? Lucas: I did. They told me that after three months of running these weekly audio chats, their newsletter signups had grown by about 40 percent. And the average listen time per session was 22 minutes — which for social media is an eternity. Luna: Twenty-two minutes? That's longer than most YouTube videos people actually finish. Lucas: Right. And that's the thing about social audio — it's a format that rewards attention without demanding all of it. You can listen while doing dishes, while commuting, while walking the dog. It's lean-back, but still intimate. Luna: So is this the moment where brands should be investing in audio spaces? Because I remember Clubhouse had its moment a few years ago, then it faded. But now with Twitter Spaces and LinkedIn Audio, it feels more integrated. Lucas: It does. The difference this time is that the audio features are baked into platforms where people already have their professional or social graphs. You don't need to download a new app or build a following from scratch. If you have a Twitter audience or a LinkedIn network, you can start tomorrow. Luna: What about the quality of the conversations? I've been in some Spaces that were just chaotic — people talking over each other, long silences. Lucas: That's the risk. But the brands that do it well treat it like a hosted talk show. They have a clear topic, a moderator who knows how to guide the conversation, and they invite guests who bring specific expertise. The analytics company I mentioned — they had a rotating set of internal experts and sometimes a customer as a guest. Luna: So it's not just the marketing team talking. It's product people, engineers, customer success — real voices from the company. Lucas: Exactly. And that authenticity is a big part of why it works. Audio strips away the visual polish. You can't hide behind a perfectly designed slide deck. Your voice carries your enthusiasm or your hesitation. Listeners pick up on that, and it builds trust. Luna: I've noticed that some brands are also using audio for Q&A sessions after product launches. It feels less scripted than a press release. Lucas: That's a great use case. Another one I've seen is 'ask me anything' sessions with the CEO. I remember a fintech startup that did a Twitter Space after a controversial fee change, and the CEO answered questions live for an hour. The stock didn't tank, and a lot of the anger diffused because people felt heard. Luna: So it's not just a marketing tool, it's a crisis communication channel too. Lucas: It can be, if you're brave enough. But let's talk about metrics, because that's where a lot of marketers get stuck. How do you measure success in an audio room? You can't track clicks in the same way. Luna: Right. Is it just about listenership, or are there other signals? Lucas: The metrics I've seen brands focus on include: number of unique listeners, average listen time, the number of speakers who raise their hand or get invited to speak, and then downstream actions like follows, mentions, or link clicks shared in the chat. The B2B company also tracked how many people signed up for their email list using a custom link they dropped in the Space. Luna: So it's less about vanity metrics and more about engagement depth. That feels aligned with where social media is heading anyway. Lucas: Absolutely. And one thing I find interesting is the retention difference. They compared the email signup rate from their audio series versus their LinkedIn carousel posts. The audio series converted at about three times the rate per impression. Luna: That's significant. But audio also takes more effort to produce live. You can't just schedule a post and walk away. You have to show up and perform. Lucas: True. But the brands that are committed see it as a regular commitment, like hosting a podcast episode every week. And the upside is that you can repurpose the audio later. Clip a 30-second soundbite for Instagram, transcribe the whole thing for a blog post, pull quotes for LinkedIn. Luna: So it's a content engine, not just a one-off event. Lucas: Exactly. And if these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your own work, that's pretty cool. We keep this show ad-free, and listener support is what makes that possible. If today was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep the conversation going without any sponsors interrupting. Lucas: Alright, back to audio. One of the challenges I'm seeing in mid-2026 is that the novelty has worn off. People are more selective about which Spaces or audio events they join. So brands need to be more intentional about topic selection and promotion. Luna: What's working now? What topics get people to show up? Lucas: Controversy, but in a constructive way. For example, a marketing agency hosted a Space titled 'Is Email Marketing Dead?' and got over 1,500 live listeners. The key is to pick a question that people have strong opinions about, but frame it as a debate rather than a lecture. Luna: So you're tapping into the social aspect — people want to hear what others think, not just a brand monologue. Lucas: Exactly. And the host's role is to be a facilitator, not a spokesperson. The best audio events I've seen have the brand representative only speaking about 20 percent of the time. The rest is audience questions and guest speakers. Luna: That makes me wonder about the production side. Do you need special equipment? Or can you just use your phone? Lucas: You can absolutely use your phone. That's part of the charm. But if you want to sound professional, a cheap USB microphone and a quiet room make a huge difference. I've seen brands send a simple mic kit to their regular hosts — it's a tiny investment. Luna: What about scheduling? I imagine consistency matters a lot. Lucas: It does. The B2B company I mentioned — they do it every Thursday at noon without fail. Their audience now expects it. And they promote the next session at the end of each one, which builds a loop. People come back because they know there's a regular touchpoint. Luna: I've also seen some brands experiment with serialized audio series — like a five-part mini-series on a specific theme. That seems to work well for building a loyal audience. Lucas: Great point. One example: a SaaS company did a four-part series on 'The Future of Remote Work' and each week featured a different guest expert. They saw a 25 percent increase in followers over the series run, and many listeners said they looked forward to the next episode. Luna: So it's like a podcast, but live and interactive. Lucas: Exactly. And the interaction is the secret sauce. When a listener asks a question and gets answered live, they feel a personal connection to the brand. That's hard to replicate with pre-recorded content. Luna: One thing I'm curious about: are there any industries where social audio doesn't work well? Lucas: I think if your product is highly visual — say, fashion or interior design — audio alone might feel incomplete. But even then, you could host a Space where you describe a look or a room and invite feedback. It's about finding the angle that works. Luna: That's true. I've seen makeup brands do 'get ready with me' audio sessions where they describe their routine. It's oddly intimate. Lucas: And for B2B, it's almost a no-brainer. Professional audiences are already conditioned to listen to podcasts and webinars. Audio spaces feel like a more casual version of that. Luna: So where do you see the opportunity for the next six to twelve months? Is audio going to become a standard part of the marketing mix? Lucas: I think it already is for forward-thinking brands. The barrier to entry is low, the audience is there, and the engagement metrics are strong. The brands that start building an audio habit now will have a loyal community by the end of the year. The ones that wait will find it harder to break in. Luna: It sounds like the window is still open, but it might not be forever. Lucas: Exactly. So if you're a marketer listening, pick one platform — Twitter, LinkedIn, or even a standalone tool — and commit to a weekly or biweekly audio session for three months. Track the downstream metrics and see what happens. I'd be surprised if you don't see a lift in trust and engagement. Luna: That's a concrete challenge. I might try it myself. Lucas: Do it. And let us know how it goes. We might do a follow-up episode on listener experiments. Luna: That would be fun. Alright, I think that's a good place to land. Lucas: Yeah, I think so too. Thanks for listening, and see you next time.