Kristina: Why was COVID-19 a catalyst for voice technology's popularity?
Matt Muldoon, President, North America, ReadSpeaker: Prior to the pandemic, voice technology was gaining popularity--in 2019, research showed that nearly 40% of all internet users in the United States used voice technology, and 61% of adults who used a voice assistant reported that they'll use it more frequently in the future. This growth then exploded when the pandemic began, as voice technology was viewed as a safer means of communicating and completing tasks like paying for groceries, since people didn't have to touch a physical surface.
Now, consumers have become accustomed to the convenience voice technology offers, and brands are realizing that they need to meet these new consumer standards by offering voice interactions, or up leveling their voice strategies to create experiences that are engaging and memorable.
Kristina: How can voice technology help marketers go beyond transactional offerings?
Matt: As every marketer knows, personalization is key to engaging, acquiring and retaining customers. Since 90% of consumers find personalized marketing efforts appealing, it's crucial that brands find new ways to offer personalized content to convert consumers. With many consumers already comfortable with voice technologies and eager to engage with them further, marketers can bring personalization efforts to their voice strategies by creating a custom digital voice - or voices - that allows a company to sonically brand itself across various touchpoints and devices.
Once a brand creates its custom voice, marketers can modify scripts to consistently ensure it is aligned with the brand, as well as create new ways to interact with consumers, without being beholden to a voice actor's availability. This way, a revised voice can be deployed across touchpoints more quickly. One way a digital voice can help marketers go beyond the transactional is by offering consumers special offers as they're completing tasks. For example, if a consumer is exercising and listening to music, a brand can deploy an ad with their digital voice that offers the consumer a deal on new workout equipment, clothing or shoes. With this tactic, the brand can elevate and personalize their messages to the most important consumers at the right time.
Kristina: How can marketers leverage multiple custom voices for different business needs?
Matt: As voice technology becomes more broadly used by brands and their marketing teams, there are certain ways in which companies can leverage multiple custom voices for different business needs, including:
• Deploying the right tone at the right time--for companies that have created a digital voice, they may quickly realize that the standard tone doesn't work for all situations. For example, consumers build shopping lists using voice technology. If an item that the consumer has requested is out of stock, a brand can use a sympathetic and understanding tone that expresses regret that an item is sold out. An additional voice could also be used to suggest an alternate item. However, if a customer successfully adds all his or her items to their list and proceeds to the checkout portion, a brand can deploy a voice that is more upbeat.
• Maintaining cultural preferences--for companies that have a global presence, it's important that marketers understand how customers in different countries communicate. People in Latin America, for example, respond to faster speech. As such, marketers may consider programming their digital voice to speak more quickly when communicating to customers in these geographies. By understanding speech preferences, marketers can ensure that their voice is successful on a global scale.
• Speaking to different audiences--some companies, such as those in the entertainment industries, have audiences that span various age groups. To best engage each user, marketers should leverage multiple voices to provide the best experiences. For example, if speaking to children, marketers can deploy a happy, friendly voice to draw them in - or even leverage a child's voice. But, when communicating with adult users, marketers may find that using a more authoritative and conversational voice works better.
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