Would you like to ask a question and get the answer in a blink, avoiding devices or getting online to do so? Who doesn’t, right? Voice marketing is the new way of reaching out to clients in a more human, natural, and user-friendly way. What about agencies providing this kind of service? The key is to understand their own potential and the usage of voice assistants in general. 

Conversational marketing is already very popular with US consumers. According to recent data, people are currently using over 60 million advanced digital assistants. By 2021, business communications will adapt the next wave of chatbots and virtual assistants.

What is voice technology?

Voice technology represents the intersection between AI services, IoT devices and UX. This helps in yielding a hands-free way to interface with technology. As our daily life is becoming more intense, the need to interact with each other hands-free is increasing. Therefore, big companies operating in the voice technology world are leveraging it for voice marketing. 

What is voice marketing anyway? 

Have you ever thought of how it started? If we go back, voice technologies’ first revolution would be converting the content into audio form. This contributes to broadening the user journey. It delivers a personalized, unique, and human experience. 

The usage of voice assistants will double in the next three years, from 4.2 billion users to 8.4 billion users. This 50% voice assistant growth means an emerging need to leverage voice as a marketing channel. 

Elements of voice marketing and how to set up for it

Voice marketing is part of a bigger puzzle, marketing itself. It should be familiar if one has a general background in marketing, such as a brand, content, and visibility for these two. But how would they look alike for voice marketing?

• Brand recognition through voice 
• Converting content to audio 
• Voice search optimization 

Converting website content to audio opens up an entirely new dimension of marketing. It means marketing to audiences who are multitasking and can not otherwise consume content on the go. But is that all? The use of voice technology is wide-ranging and expansive. It will soon have a huge impact across many industries and government agencies. By 2022, all new cars will come equipped with voice technology. Everyone onboard can be targeted via voice marketing and also operate hands-free with the assistants.

Advantages of marketing through voice

• Branded audio content on different audio platforms tends to be much cheaper than its video counterpart. 
• Human interaction: it is easier speaking to someone or something than typing a keyboard or getting automatic email responses. 
• Voice marketing helps marketers gain better qualitative and quantitative feedback, which converts higher qualified leads. 

Disadvantages of marketing through voice

• Dependency on AI platforms. Different from google ads, people will not be able to know which ad is paid for or not when launched through voice marketing and brands might face unfair competition, due to the fact that marketing will be in the hands of big players such as Amazon, Google, Apple, etc. 
• Customers do not want to hear multiple options. Considering this, only the most searched and most ranked companies will advertise through voice marketing as time passing by. 

Voice marketing is a rare scenario where there is an effective and measurable approach with no room for “funkiness”, as opposed to the lack of transparency the hi-tech marketing and advertising landscape is known for. 

6 brands that have incorporated voice technology into their marketing strategy

The absence of voice tech in the workplace has made it more sensible for marketers and product developers to invest in voice marketing. Many B2B offers in this space have a simple focus – often to personal efficiency. This is still a positive step because it makes these processes more accessible and inclusive.

Amazon– Alexa for Business

Alexa for Business is a managed service with three main components: a set of management tools, APIs to integrate with IT infrastructure, and the Echo devices. It is considered to be the tool for efficiency in the office. 

Salesforce– Einstein voice 

They launched a conversational CRM that helps them transcribe meetings and put them as logs in their CRM. However, after two years in operation now, Salesforce has quietly declared that they have decided to retire Einstein voice this year. Einstein AI platform, on the contrary, is not being retired, and Salesforce will continue to update it with additional features. 

Google– Google duplex 

It allows google assistants to call businesses and take care of the whole conversation. This is a huge help when it comes to setting up and booking appointments. Google Duplex launched for Pixel device users. And, at first, it would only call select restaurants in NYC, Atlanta, Phoenix, and SF. But, Google’s automated, artificial intelligence-powered calling service is now more available.

SAP- Business bydesign

SAP business bydesign unifies multiple business operations and enables companies to add business processes to solve immediate problems and add processes later as needed. Rather than trawling through numbers, you’re able to request specific figures which Alexa will immediately recite to you. The point is, this is meant to save time and create flexibility. 

Vistaprint – Small business advice

By signing up to the Vistaprint skill through Alexa, you will receive marketing tips for small businesses in your daily newsfeed. Simple but innovative.

Microsoft- Cortana for Alexa 

Users of Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana can now access features of the other’s virtual assistant, the companies announced. Microsoft has cleverly adapted Cortana to be compatible with Alexa. 

Voice marketing as a conversation starter tool

There is always a need for the customer and the brand to communicate, and here lies the success of voice marketing. It is a two-way dialogue that creates something special between the customer and the marketer, which cannot be created if using other digital channels. These direct conversations with voice apps help marketers gain deeper understanding from their customers. 

Key takeaways

1. Customer experience

• Voice marketing is a two way communication between the brand (marketer) and the end user. 
• Getting in touch with the customers through voice helps brands gain more qualitative and quantitative feedback when it comes to their marketing strategies. 
• Considering that you will have a first real time contact with your customer, the interaction needs to be perfect. 

2. Lead generation 

• Voice marketing for lead generation can highlight prospects that are not fully aware of your brand and what you offer in the market. 
• You can target a very narrow audience through voice marketing, that might be unable to have the highest turnover if reached through other channels. 
• When lead generation is done through voice marketing, the lead is transferred directly to the salesperson.