Last week we spoke about using voice technology to increase productivity in the workplace, but how can we use it to leverage the attention we receive outside the office. Right now, in 2018, many successful businesses in the world are very invested in their social media strategy, as they should be. It was recorded in 2017 that 71% of internet users have a social media profile. It is very clear that voice technology is becoming more and more prominent in our lives whether it be using it to search or control IoT devices. It has been predicted that within the next decade, having a voice strategy will just be as crucial as having a social media strategy. Does your business have a voice strategy yet? Let’s explore what that means.
Home Assistants and The Competition for Attention
Let’s say for example you own a chinese restaurant in London and you are currently killing it on various social media platforms. What is going to happen when Joe Bloggs is sitting in his house in 2022, and he says:
“Alexa, what is the best chinese restaurant in London”.
Alexa responds with #1 result.
“Alexa, book me a table for 24 people”.
Is your restaurant going to be Alexa’s response because you have 18,000 social media followers and have an established brand? No – it will return whoever’s business has took advantage of rising to the top of alexa’s rankings. It’s a competition for attention. Think of it like being the number one search result on Google. So as well as having a social media and an SEO strategy, now is a really great time to start looking into a voice strategy as this is very ahead of the curve. Whoever is closest to the customer – wins.
The Value of Podcasts
One of the things people value most is time. Podcasts are a great way for people to listen to interesting topics and discussions while multitasking and doing other things. Sure, blog posts are great for engaging with social platforms and increasing SEO rankings but this “sound” space is also a great place to be in right now. Home assistants such as Alexa and Google Home are giving podcasts a great platform to be played on more than ever. Spotify and iTunes are our best recommendation of getting your podcast out there as these are compatible with home assistants and are widely used on smartphones.
Perhaps create a podcast around your weekly blog posts going into further detail and bringing on guests to discuss.
There are several ways podcasts can be valuable to your business. Firstly growing a weekly base of listeners means you can put small adverts into the start or end of you podcast such as “check out our latest book on amazon” or whatever you wish to promote. Moreover it goes without saying that having a podcast will also create brand awareness and can attract a whole new type of audience.
Wouldn’t it be great to say to customers, “We are in the top 100 tech podcasts in the world”, for example. This demonstrates the value your business has in your industry. Moreover other more established podcasters may want you on their show as a guest where you can talk about your business to their podcast subscribers giving you low cost advertising.
“Alexa, play a podcast about technology.”
If you want some more information on how voice strategies can improve your business, get in touch! At Lawlor Technologies specialise in building Alexa skills for businesses and for the consumer.