Voice technology allows a device or software to understand human speech. It is also known as voice recognition technology or speech recognition technology. Voice technology uses natural language processing (NLP) and AI to receive and interpret spoken commands or inputs and respond accordingly.

Voice technology allows users to communicate with the internet using voice commands. It has changed how people interact with devices and how people with limitations have more accessibility to the internet. Besides freeing up hands for multitasking, it offers more ways to communicate and shop online.

According to the latest data from Think With Google, 20% of Google App searches on mobile are voice-led[1]. Also, in a 2022 survey report by UpCity, 50% of US smartphone and smart speaker users use voice-activated technology daily[2].

When one thinks of voice, it’s hard not to think of Microsoft’s Cortana, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and Samsung’s Bixby. These ‘intelligent assistants’ lead the way by making shopping lists and music playlists, booking appointments, keeping personal journals, and switching bedroom lights for their users.

Mark Zuckerberg is far too excited about voice technology. A yet-to-be-named Facebook Assistant[3] is in the works. And he is personally testing “Jarvis AI” in his home. Fun fact: Morgan Freeman provides the voice of Jarvis for Zuckerberg.

Imagine being as cool as Tony Stark in a few years? That dream is not far from turning into reality today. That’s how we know we have arrived in the post-mobile world!

But how is the voice faring in the world of marketing? Let’s take a look:

  • Some brands have gotten an early start within the voice space to build relationships with consumers through interactive experiences. [Business2Community][4]
  • 27% of US consumers prefer using a personal voice assistant to visiting a website to interact with a company or shop online. [Search Engine Journal][5]
  • In 2017, 3.1% of marketers integrated voice search into their content marketing strategy. [BrightEdge][6]
  • 43% of companies have already invested in technology to enable voice marketing. [Digiday][7]

Incorporate voice technology into your marketing strategy with the four insights below that might capture your interest.

Using Digital Assistants to Shop Is Happening for Real

To shed light on digital shopping techniques, the Adobe Analytics Report[8] stated that while not many smart speaker owners committed to placing orders on their device, they heavily use them to make an informed buying decision (47%), compare product prices (32%), or add items to the shopping cart (43%).

Using-Digital-Assistants-to-Shop-Is-Happening-for-Real

Voice shopping was worth $4.6 billion[9] in 2021 and reached $19.4 billion by 2023. Global brands like Domino’s, Johnnie Walker, and Nestlé have already started integrating voice technology into their marketing strategies to better connect with customers.

Let us take Johnnie Walker, for example. It has found it interesting to personalize the shopping experience for its customers using Alexa. Amazon’s virtual assistant first asks the consumers questions regarding their preferences and then recommends the Johnnie Walker product that’s most suitable to them.

A voice-based commerce experience is catching on.

Companies Are Using Digital Assistants Internally

Enterprising B2B brands like Salesforce have already lent their voices to the digital assistant conversation. The cloud software company has launched Einstein Voice, an extension of its Einstein AI platform.

The digital assistant allows sales managers to operate cloud services and dictate memos without touching a screen or typing anything. Einstein Voice can also be integrated with similar technologies to efficiently deliver team pipeline updates, calendar appointments, and other key priorities to the team.

Salesforce has another exciting product called Einstein Voice Bots, Which enables customers to build their voice-activated assistant, brand it accordingly, and engage the end-user on any smart speaker.

Integrating Voice Technology Into Your Marketing Can be Challenging

Your content marketing and editorial strategies should reflect how the business plans to leverage the technology and how invested you are in it from a content point of view. Before diving in, consider these questions.

  • Are your target customers comprised of smart-home enthusiasts, early adopters who are FOMO-driven, or users from other demographics more likely to engage via voice than other platforms?
  • Can you make your content experience valuable with voice for your target customers?
  • How likely are you going to succeed in your marketing efforts via voice?

If you are not sure about either of your answers, it is best to wait to bank on this technology and not waste resources when you are not adequately prepared. Study how other businesses and even your competitors are using voice to create a better customer experience.

google-search

More than one billion voice searches are conducted in a month, and 40% of adults and 55% of teens use voice searches daily[10]. To engage consumers, content marketers must emphasize short-form content products that offer quick and crisp answers to users.

Regarding SEO, marketers should acknowledge SEO guidelines related to spoken word search behaviors and informational needs. Get your content to appear as a featured snippet on Google. That’s how Siri, Cortana, and others will fetch it.

When focusing on voice-search optimization, it is essential to remember that the virtual assistant can only deliver a single search result per request. MOZ Founder Rand Fishkin also points out that the demand for traditional SERP results[11] and typed results will continue to grow because of the increase in search results.

How we perceive SEO will change depending on how voice technology is used for marketing purposes.

Wrapping Up

Remember, voice will soon become an additional interface for marketing purposes and coexist with other mediums like digital, print, TV, and radio. It will offer a new way of interacting with customers and add more value to their lives.

Data Source Reference
  1. Google App searches on mobile are voice-led
  2. US smartphone and smart speaker users use voice-activated technology daily
  3. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Assistant
  4. Business2Community
  5. Search Engine Journal
  6. BrightEdge
  7. Digiday
  8. Adobe Analytics Report
  9. Voice shopping was worth $4.6 billion
  10. 40% of adults and 55% of teens use voice searches daily
  11. Demand for traditional SERP results

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