Gone are the days when you had to pick up your phone to skip the song or even call mom. Now you can simply call out Alexa or Google to do these simple tasks for you and well, they make a big difference!

Voice Marketing has emerged in the recent past and has the potential to become the next big thing. Facilitating ease and convenience in the customer’s hectic lives and giving brands benefits like being able to be heard and creating a deeper connection with the audience, voice marketing has become an essential part in the marketing landscape. So let us first understand what voice marketing is exactly and then further deliberate into the benefits and challenges it brings along with itself and how brands can leverage this technology for greater connection with the audience.

Voice marketing refers to the use of marketing strategies, tactics and tools to reach your TG through voice-enabled devices. These voice-enabled devices range from smartphones, speakers, televisions to even cars. As technology continues to advance in every sphere of our lives, the usage and dependency on various devices are also increasing. Therefore, it only makes sense for marketers to integrate voice marketing plans into their current marketing strategies.

Voice marketing is on the rise due to various factors which influence consumer behaviour and the buying process and therefore should be considered. We know speaking is the easiest way to convert your thoughts into actions. It is easier than writing and requires minimal effort, hence it is preferred. People are also busy with earning bread, raising a family, socializing and more and hence wish to spend less time doing things that are redundant or can be automated. People can eliminate a literacy barrier by searching the web using their voice without having to know the correct spelling of a particular word.

Especially in a country like India where literacy rates are low but the technology & internet penetration is high. People are aspirational and do not let the literacy levels become a hurdle in their way to success, voice search comes as a great support as it helps them learn anything and everything over the internet. Voice marketing comes in handy for visually impaired people as well.

It also gives us more accurate information, for e.g. we are more likely to make a mistake when comparing multiple products based on their price but if you ask Alexa to compare various products at the same time from a particular website, it will give you more concise and accurate information.

But from a brand perspective, voice marketing helps your brand enter the consideration set of your target audience when you give them this benefit. Giving your business a voice makes it stand out from its competitors. Today, if you hear Siri, you will be able to recognize it instantly and associate with Apple in a second. It makes brand awareness and recalls stronger when consumers already have a million other brands to choose from in the market. It leads to a deeper brand connection with the existing as well as potential customers.

Voice marketing also opens up two-way communication with consumers. On asking a query, you can speak into your mic to give your input and get the desired response. This has further enhanced the voice marketing experience and brand experience.

Although voice marketing for your brand has several benefits, it also poses several challenges.

Technical challenges are one of the primary challenges where people are unable to figure out the functionality of such features and therefore refrain from using it. Also, some devices may not stand up to the quality of voice assistants, hence deteriorating the customer experience. But the most important hurdle in the way of voice marketing adoption is the lack of trust. As people are increasingly conscious about their data, privacy and the information that they give out, there is a certain level of mistrust that is associated with devices and related features.

However, the use of voice recognition by consumers is on the rise and will continue to be that way therefore brands should take this opportunity to make the most of it.