Brands…Can You Hear Me Now?
TL;DR — Although we have not yet hit the level of JARVIS or KITT, rapid adoption of voice assistants have opened the doors to voice and conversational marketing. First-movers in the space have the opportunity to pioneer a new way to generate new leads and ultimately, drive a more meaningful relationship with their customers.
Can I (Robot) be your friend?
In 2011, Siri launched on the iPhone as the first voice assistant available to the masses, but for a long time, it never got much farther than a neat trick to get questions answered. And more often than not, the information provided back was nonsensical.
Recently, however, there has been a massive rise in the adoption of conversational technology through voice assistants, chatbots, and voice-enabled devices. We often hear about these interactions through the “Big Three” — Alexa, Google Home, Siri — but they are simply the hardware to access conversational technology. While they may only feel like a cool trick right now, without much use outside of checking the weather or setting a timer, the market for reaching consumers through these tools is growing rapidly. Not only has adoption grown but accuracy has too — as of 2017, our devices reached a 95% word accuracy rate for the English language.
Today, 10% of the United States uses voice-enabled smart devices, voice on mobile devices, or chatbots, with 2 in 5 adults using voice search at least once daily. More radically, ComScore predicts 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020, and Business Insider found that 80% of companies will implement some kind of chatbot by the same time. These tools are being used to answer questions, to entertain, to reorder or purchase goods, or to interact with smart homes. And they are connecting with folks when and where they want — while in their kitchens, while watching TV, driving, or working.
However, repeated usage of voice products that are built is slim due to the fact that a vast amount are launched without ample research or strategic planning. In fact, only 3% of users access a voice application more than once after they download it. So before taking on the investment of building a voice experience and pushing it out into the world, it is important to understand the opportunities within the conversational space and to lay the groundwork with a more strategic roadmap so you build something people will actually use.
3 Areas to Watch
Voice Search
When it comes to looking at conversational tools from an ease of entry perspective, this may be the lowest-hanging fruit. Voice Search exists to provide quick answers to questions through your voice assistant, such as, “Hey Google, who won the NBA Playoffs game last night?”. Google, in response, would simply do a search for the score and speak it back to you. For brands, this means that you can make a big splash in voice simply by shifting your SEO and SERP (Search Engine Results Page) strategy. Instead of trying to be the top search by name, be the top search by topic. Using rich snippets can shift the relationship with brands from being an option to becoming a guide.
Voice Products
Just like an app, a voice product is a specific and proprietary voice tool that is linked to a smart device. These are often referred to as “skills”, but just like “Kleenex” is a stand-in for tissues, “skills” are a stand-in for voice products. “Skills” are specific to the Amazon ecosystem, while Google devices refer to them as “Actions”. Unlike voice search, voice products offer an immediate connection between brands and consumers. Whenever someone says “Alexa, tell Spotify to play my Summer Jams playlist”, they are activating a voice product. Generally, voice products fall into one of two categories — utility or experience. Utility products offer some kind of assistance or useful action to people to make an experience or task easier (such as activating Spotify, checking the weather, or ordering groceries). Experience products, on the other hand, offer a fun or engaging interaction that drives people to share it with their friends (i.e. a superhero to help with chores, quiz games, or taking care of a virtual pet).
Chatbots
While chatbots are different than a voice product because they are engaged with via messaging apps versus a smart device, the good news is that the question branches work pretty much the same way. Ultimately, by building one, you’ve built the majority of the other. Chatbots have already shown just how effective they can be, whether as a chance to get fans caught up on Game of Thrones, a Sephora appointment scheduler, or even order pizza. Chatbots can be gimmicky, they can be used as a way to make a huge splash for new products, or they can become a chance to create returning users.
Robots are not people (and vice versa)
“(Technology) needs to accept human behavior the way it is, not the way we would wish it to be.” — Don Norman
The biggest hurdle in front of brands looking to move into the conversational space will be building a product for real people, not robots. With 97% of skills never being used more than once, it is vital to work with a partner to understand user information and data on usage. More importantly, in order for adoption to last, products must be built around the natural behavior of consumers and designed to meet their needs.
We live in a world where the experience is just as important as the outcome. In order for conversational products to be most effective, they have to both offer clear utility (or entertainment) and provide an easy experience. Just like a terrible phone tree that makes you choose twelve options before speaking to someone, having to awkwardly navigate through a voice product will keep your customers from wanting to use the product a second time. By focusing on the wants and needs of the people you are serving, along with how they actually talk and ask questions, you can provide them with a real tool that offers value and keeps them coming back.
Looking Ahead
If building a voice product or chatbot seems far off from where your organization currently is, do not stop looking into conversational marketing just yet. Amazon and Google have recently been in talks with CPG’s about creating opportunities for Voice Advertising on the smart devices. Yet just like the awful banner ads that detract from the apps they were built for, voice ads done poorly can ruin an app and voice assistant experience. As this industry grows, people are going to gravitate towards the ads and tools that fulfill their needs with a smooth experience.
The way we interact with technology is constantly changing. Ten years ago, the concept of a “smart” phone was still being adopted. Just like the Wild West of mobile app days, the shift from touchscreens to talking is creating a new Wild West of conversational commerce. Conversational interactions, by definition, are delivering convenient and personalized support while people are on the go. By researching and engaging with customers conversationally, you have the opportunity to create stronger relationships with your customers and become more essential in their lives.
