All online marketing tactics will remain dominant and drive content. However, the type of content we create and its optimization will have to change and adapt to meet the needs of the target audience: audio researchers. 

Voice-activated technology has increasingly become a part of the daily lives of people. Nearly 120 million virtual assistants are currently available in US households. And then by the year 2022, as per OC&C Strategy Consultants, 55 per cent of adults would have a voice assistant at home. Google Voice Search is among the most frequently used virtual assistants for smartphones.

Today, most individuals tend to voice their search instead of just typing it. And why? Because it is faster and with much less effort, you get the desired results: thorough typing. Since you’re writing for the machines that will interpret your content when searching for responses to questions, it’s essential to keep your vocabulary simple. It’s complex for AI to grasp complicated grammar and long sentences. 

Reasons why brands should use Voice-Activated Technology

• Allows the company to stand out from the competition

We see ten websites on the very first results page when we search on google. Even if you manage to locate on that first page, that still doesn’t give you an assured conversion –you’re still in the contest with any other websites. Presently, however, voice searches only pull up one single answer, or what is called Position Zero. If you manage to get to that level, this ensures that you conquer the search term and effectively get a foothold on your rivals. 

• Enhances SEO

Speech-activated technologies do have some applications that unexpectedly boost productivity in parts, such as enhanced search engine performance. Researchers can voice complicated search words into the product search engine using voice-activation tools, resulting in faster and more accurate searches. Speaking search words is more reliable than writing them when it comes to complex product names.

• Tends to increase prospects to sell

Research indicates that as they perform voice searches, users are ready to accept content from labels. In more depth, 52% of consumers of smart speakers want connections to sales and promotions. Forty-eight per cent want personalized details, and 42 per cent would like forecasts of future events. In other words, you are effectively tapping into a consumer niche that may be easier to convert by using voice-activated techniques. 

Here are a few ways to involve voice-activated technology in your content marketing strategies

1. Using Chatbots in your content marketing strategy

The modern generation of voice-activated technologies may pose difficulties for marketers, but some innovative ideas are also being introduced. Using a Chatbot to allow consumers to find your content, deliver information directly to them and manage leads and boost sales is one of these possibilities. To understand the context and intent of natural language questions, Chatbots use specialized artificial intelligence algorithms. They can scan your content database to provide the quality content to address the query or respond directly to one’s question.

You’ll need to make sure your material is “conceptually rich” to get the most out of a chatbot and integrate it correctly into your digital strategy. It means adequately formatting it so that machines can effectively “interpret” it. Conceptually rich content is not only beneficial for bots but also strengthens your SEO as search engines look for valuable metadata through your material. 

2. Podcast Marketing

Podcast marketing is among the most immersive types of voice-activated technology. Over the years, podcasting has witnessed phenomenal growth. A podcast is a compilation of digital audio files which are available for viewing or downloading on the web. To get the most recent updates and information, a user can subscribe to a podcast of their choice.

Today, businesses are rapidly using podcast marketing to strengthen their overarching plan for content marketing and customer engagement. There are already quite a few networks for ad management that deliver voice-activated ads for up to 10 seconds. Podcast advertising is a crucial medium for marketing, and the way people communicate with brands is constantly changing. Podcasts are modern talk radio on smartphones. The increased use of mobile phones has led to the rapid expansion of podcasting.  

3. Creating Content for Voice Assistant Users 

It is also vital to consider the type of content to be produced, as well as optimizing and adjusting the content you generate for voice-activated system users. It’s not just a matter of long-form versus short-form. Audio searchers also have very different requirements than text-based searches. These consumption patterns can be very unexpected sometimes.

For example, according to Google’s research, the search for store information is a popular and anticipated activity of voice-activated speaker consumers. However, information about deals and customised tips and data ranks far higher than the types of information that advertisers expect these consumers to access. 

You can carry out your study into what audio tech users want by observing your consumers and reviewing your web analytics. Note, however, that many audio searchers will not reach your website at all but will obtain the information they want via featured snippets. Voice assistants are still an evolving technology, and their use may grow over the next few years. Instead of just answering quick questions, many people might prefer using their voice assistants to read out lengthy content. So, it’s better to keep your content marketing strategy diverse (in other words, don’t just focus on short-form content and snippets featured) and check what works for you on a routine basis.

Some examples of brands who have implemented voice tech

       i. SAP: Business ByDesign

Now voice-enabled, SAP’s Company ByDesign solution is looking to streamline processes and eliminate errors. For example, rather than looking for numbers manually, businesses may request precise figures and have Alexa read them out loud.

     ii. Disney’s Voice-Activated Content

Disney is collaborating with Google Home and via Google Actions, has created voice-activated storybooks and games aimed at children.

   iii. Alexa Skill: Vistaprint’s Small Business Tips

Vistaprint, a printing firm, developed an Alexa capability to appeal to smaller companies. Skill helps them solve obstacles by supplying them with the best strategies.

   iv. Estée Lauder: Ask Liv

Beauty brand Estée Lauder has created Google Action to provide users with voice-activated beauty tips, product suggestions and notifications that are concurrent with their skincare regimens. 

The Bottom Line

No matter how you look at it, voice-activated technology is set to take spotlight and companies could do well to start integrating it into their marketing mix. Voice penetration from both the point of view of consumer adoption as well as brand adoption is on a very similar trajectory as the cell phone was around2007, rapidly moving into public consciousness. We are reaching a tipping point as more and more people use voice services continuously and brands start to understand the advantage.