My friend, we are witnessing an enormous transformation in marketing driven by the rapid rise of voice technology. With smart assistants like Alexa and Siri embedded in homes everywhere, consumers increasingly prefer to interact via conversational voice rather than typing search queries or tapping apps.
This major shift requires brands to rethink customer experiences and optimize for voice, or risk falling behind early adopters racing ahead. As your personal guide, I’ll share insights into this voice revolution along with recommendations to future-proof your marketing strategy.
The Surging Popularity of Voice Assistants
Leading the charge are voice-based AI assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant and Microsoft’s Cortana. These virtual assistants use natural language processing to understand spoken requests ranging from playing music to controlling smart home devices.
Global smart speaker ownership has boomed over 400% since 2018. An estimated 35.6 million Americans already use a voice assistant device regularly.
And this is just the beginning. Digital marketing expert Jay Baer predicts:
“By 2023 over 25% of searches will be conducted via voice assistants rather than text search.”
With more advanced AI capabilities leveraging user data, tailored 1-on-1 conversational interactions will become the norm.
How Consumers Are Embracing Voice Search
Beyond standalone home assistants, use of voice search is skyrocketing as well. ComScore forecasts over 50% of all searches will be voice-activated by 2020.
Consider these statistics showing the meteoric rise:
- 35% of U.S. adults now use voice search monthly, up 10% since 2017 (Edison Research)
- 70% use voice search multitasking like driving, compared to just 28% for text search (Nielsen)
- 62% of smart speaker owners make purchases after voice search questions
As this form of “conversational commerce” goes mainstream, brands must meet these spoken search queries optimized for natural language and intent rather than keywords.
Innovative Early Adopters Show the Way
Many major companies are already finding creative ways to implement voice interfaces that enhance customer experience:
- 1-800 Contacts – Created an Alexa skill that allows users to easily reorder contact lenses using previous order data.
- Campbell’s – Developed an app with 100+ recipes tailored by ingredients users have on-hand along with options to build shopping lists.
- MINI – Their voice skill engages customers by providing updates on new concept cars and even allows remote access to lock/unlock car doors or flash headlights to locate it in a parking lot.
- Kaiser Permanente – Voice app lets patients schedule appointments or be transferred to 24/7 nurse advice line to increase access to care.
These real-world examples showcase the value voice can offer when thoughtfully matching unique use cases. Early testing and feedback helps identify the best opportunities.
Comparing the Top Voice Assistant Platforms
When considering developing your own voice app, the platform you choose impacts audience reach and functionality. Here’s an overview of primary options:
Amazon Alexa: Over 70% smart speaker market share. Extensive app platform with greatest distribution but some limitations requiring online queries.
Google Assistant: Accessible across Android phones and Google Home devices. Seamlessly taps into other Google services like Maps/Search for robust capabilities.
Apple Siri: Available on all Apple devices. SiriKit developer platform has deepest iOS integration opportunities like messaging and payment options.
Microsoft Cortana: Business focus helps productivity use cases. Integrates across Microsoft ecosystem from Windows to Office 365. Still smaller market presence than rivals.
Evaluate each based on your customers‘ behavior patterns and where you can uniquely enhance experience.
Optimizing for the Future with Voice
Here are my top recommendations on how to prepare for the voice-first future in your marketing:
Optimize For Voice Search – Update Siri, Google Assistant and all major voice platforms to understand your brand name. Include FAQs in content with conversational tones and language.
Build Voice App Integrations – Start with an MVP skill that offers helpful information or convenient actions via voice. Seek user feedback to expand capabilities.
Promote App Discovery – Encourage word-of-mouth sharing. Pursue app store optimization best practices like screenshots and compelling descriptions.
Implement Omnichannel Alignment– Carefully coordinate your voice experience alongside other touchpoints like mobile apps, in-store and web to enable seamless omnichannel engagements.
Prioritize Security – Carefully evaluate risks and safeguard privacy around any voice data collection. Transparency and consent will build trust.
The Future with Advanced AI Assistants
Voice technology is still just getting started. As machine learning algorithms continue advancing, assistants will evolve to handle increasingly complex conversations, personalized information and predictive behaviors.
And with more Internet of Things integrations, surround voice interactions across smart displays, cars and devices will enable rich contextual engagement anywhere.
While markers cannot ignore visual interfaces, the brands that recognize this shift and strategically embrace voice capabilities early will have huge competitive advantages as consumers flock to these conversational platforms.
I hope these insights help you feel empowered to take advantage of this voice-first revolution transforming user expectations. Let me know if you have any other questions!
