Business growth comes from being innovative, as well as doing the basics right; keeping on top of key trends and the ever-changing digital environment is vital for ensuring you’re not missing out on new ways to grow your business.
Although not all marketing tactics are relevant for your sector (we’re thinking virtual reality headsets for solicitors for instance), there are some you need to keep an eye out for, especially with how they could change your business landscape in the future. We’re not quite at the hover car stage yet, but certainly at the self-driving car stage (think Google), and we’re employing marketing tactics that we never knew were possible.
Think about how we search or find out new information. Not many of us keep our encyclopaedias handy, but our smartphones aren’t usually more than an arm’s reach away. With voice search now becoming one of the most popular ways to request information or perform an action, it’s becoming harder to ignore it as a marketing tactic within its own right. Luckily, not many companies realise this, so it’s time to undercut the competition.
What is voice search?
Voice search is fast becoming one of the most used ways of finding out information. In fact, one in five searches are conducted by voice search – that’s a whole lot of chat. Users will simply gain the attention of their voice assistant and submit their query. With such a human approach, it’s no wonder why voice search is so popular, requiring minimal effort, and providing users with a lot less information overload than a regular search engine.
Advantages of voice search
1. Users can get answers quickly and directly
2. You can use natural, organic language, rather than keywords
3. Different languages can be detected and users are therefore served with appropriate results
4. Allows users to multitask – think about getting answers whilst driving or cooking
Benefits of voice search for business
Voice search is still relatively new and exciting, but this also means that not many companies have started focusing on it as a marketing tactic, something which you could take advantage of. At some point in the future, we might even discover that we no longer need a screen to conduct searches or queries; simply state your question out loud and Alexa, Google Home, Siri, or any other type of technology, will respond in seconds with an answer.
Optimising your website to allow Google or Alexa or Siri to pull through information easily, not only puts you ahead of the competition, but drives that relevant traffic through from those customers who have a clear incentive to buy or invest in your services or book a table at your restaurant. Researching how people use their voice to search, rather than typing a query, will give you an edge over the competition, allowing you to answer questions as that customer has asked it.
Voice search was set to become one of the biggest digital marketing trends of 2019. Luckily, there’s still enough time for your company to get to grips, make your mark, and, most importantly, answer your customers’ queries.