FINDING YOUR VOICE: WHY VOICE SEARCH IS DIGITAL'S NEXT FRONTIER - By 2020, 50% of all search will be by voice-is your brand ready? - HubSpot
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FINDING YOUR VOICE: WHY VOICE SEARCH IS DIGITAL’S NEXT FRONTIER By 2020, 50% of all search will be by voice—is your brand ready?
2017 | FINDING YOUR VOICE
From 2001: A Space Odyssey to Star Wars, consumers had a conflicted view of artificial intelligence.
While the potential of A.I. was intriguing, the prospect of engaging with robots was intimidating.
But in 2011, Apple’s 2001 introduction of Siri began to shift that view while sometimes mocked
for its inaccuracy. Using natural language processing, she could answer questions, offer restaurant
recommendations, and provide directions to your destinations. Suddenly, it was no longer science
fiction…A.I. was real and in the palm of your hand. Consumers found the technology practical,
easy to use, and above all, fun.
Boom! Voice Search Explodes
Today, through Alexa, Google Home, and other smart speakers we’re seeing voice become a part
of the everyday lives of consumers. As they engage with these devices, there’s growing excitement
about the possibilities they offer and the potential to liberate consumers from their screens. And
consumers are quickly adapting to these new technologies— consider that in 2014, voice search
traffic was negligible, but by 2015, voice search increased to 10% of all search traffic (an estimated
50 billion searches per month). The recent introduction of voice controlled personal assistants, such
as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant, are accelerating growth. Currently about a quarter of U.S.
consumers have purchased a personal assistant device and another 20% plan to purchase one in the
next year. Millennials and Generation X have been early adopters — 67% of consumers under the age
of 45 already own an Echo, and 62% of those who don’t own one, plan to purchase in the coming year.
The Future of Voice
2020 at least half of all search will be
done by voice
2021 analysts predict there will be
7.5 billion digital assistants in the world—
more than the current world population
2025, 95% of everything you do with your device will take place through
voice technology
Analysts predict that within a few years, the average person will have more
conversations with bots than with their spouse!
The Speed of Sound
It’s no surprise that voice search is accelerating at warp speed: the consumer shift to mobile
generated massive amounts of data that fueled machine learning. Simultaneously, long-standing
research challenges, such as speech recognition and machine translation began to see leaps in
accuracy. Technological advances enabled consumers to easily communicate with these devices. As
more consumers adopt this technology, tech firms are competing for share of market and counter
space. Currently, Amazon captures 70% with their Echo devices, but Google, Samsung, Microsoft,
and Apple are expected to grow share globally through 2021.
For more trends and analysis visit
www.womensmarketing.com
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2017 | FINDING YOUR VOICE
Projected Market Share By 2021 What Do Consumers Think?
Consumers are genuinely excited about these
23.3% Google Assistant devices. Ninety-six percent of those who purchased
an Amazon Echo device say they are happy with
14.5% Samsung Bixby it. When asked to compare satisfaction rates Siri
may still be lagging though, since iPhone users
13.1% Apple Siri preferred Alexa over Siri (95% to 61%). Android
users preferred Alexa (95%) slightly more than
Google Assistant (92%). Users say voice technology
3.9% Amazon Alexa
overall helps people interact with each other
and 39% are excited about a future where voice
2.3% Microsoft Cortina assistants will anticipate needs and take actions or
make suggestions.
“Alexa, Play Rihanna”
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and as such,
more than half of voice-controlled devices are
anchored where the action is. From listening to
music and the news to asking Alexa to entertain the
kids with jokes or games, consumers are primarily
using their devices for entertainment purposes.
But as they become more comfortable with the
technology, consumers are discovering that it’s
easy to control their lights and other appliances
through the device. Likewise, about a third of
Echo owners have used it to order products from
Amazon. In this new era of v-commerce, what are
consumers most likely to buy? Items that they shop for every day, from household products like
paper towels and detergents to food and beauty.
They’re Shopping…But What Are They Shopping For?
baby
products
health &
personal 26% 19%
care
beverages
& snacks
15%
10%
31%
beauty
household items
products 15%
pet
For more trends and analysis visit
www.womensmarketing.com
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2017 | FINDING YOUR VOICE
Shopping is Going to Change…Again
What is means for brands?
In traditional search, consumers are supplied with lists of choices. In voice search, the consumer
asks for a recommendation, receives one, and either goes with that suggestion or asks for another
recommendation. For example, if a consumer asks Alexa to add D batteries to her cart, Alexa is
likely to offer Amazon’s house brand. The user may agree to buy those, ask for another selection,
or request a brand-name product, like Duracell, instead. Even though an extensive list of battery
brands exists, only a few are in consideration—the products Alexa suggests, or those that are top-
of-mind for the user. In a post-text world, there isn’t an exhaustive list of choices to scroll through
and compare the way you would in a Google search. The streamlined choices offered through voice
search will mean it’s even more important that brands nurture consumer relationships and continue
to develop an always-on omnichannel strategy.
Voice Search: The New SEO
The good news is you don’t have to overhaul your entire SEO strategy, but it does mean you’re
going to need to make some changes that can help you to be successful in voice search. First
consider the intent behind voice search. Mobile voice searches will use natural language, which
means long-tail keyword phrases are more important than ever. You can start to develop your
strategy by brainstorming about what naturally spoken questions may be asked about your business,
product, or service. Think about conversational phrases that you need to add when optimizing for
conversational voice search. Your strategy should be more conversational in nature and mimic natural
speech patterns and colloquialisms. Consider the types of questions your customer service call
centers receive most often and start documenting the exact words consumers use when speaking
to representatives. Once you’ve compiled a list of questions and statements, you can begin to create
content pages that focus on those longer, more conversational search terms.
Beyond SEO: Voice Experiences Can Do for Your Brand
Marketers are at the forefront of voice technology and just beginning to understand what consumers
want and how voice will fit into their customer engagement strategy. Voice experiences, such as
Alexa Skills, can introduce your brand to new consumers and keep them engaged. As consumers
find voice experiences they enjoy and meet their needs, it will be increasingly difficult for new
brands to compete. Starting now gives your brand a head start and helps you establish a footprint
in the new world of voice.
For more trends and analysis visit
www.womensmarketing.com
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2017 | FINDING YOUR VOICE
Thinking about building a voice experience is different than designing for mobile or web. It starts with
asking the right questions, understanding the customer challenge you want to solve, and delivering
a relevant and enjoyable experience.
How To Get Started: A Strategic Approach to Every Stage
DEFINE DEPLOY OPTIMIZE
Start By Asking The Design, Build & Deploy Listen to Your Users &
Right Questions Your Skill Optimize the Experience
What are your consumers Design your experience Review and utilize analytics
most interested in? to drive the user to key and reviews to enhance
conversion points. the skill
What are their needs from
your brand or service? Ensure best practices in voice Monitor reviews and respond
design and development are to consumers and help address
What will surprise and baked into your skill. their interests/challenges
delight them? in utilizing your skill
Define your Go To Market
How can voice impact plan and utilize your owned
your consumer journey and channels to promote it to
help you achieve your your customer base.
business goals?
For more trends and analysis visit
www.womensmarketing.com
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2017 | FINDING YOUR VOICE
Finding Your Brand Voice
Just as brands have unique voices and personalities on their websites, social media, and apps,
brands need to strike the right tone on digital personal assistants too. Independent brands are
already creating skills for Alexa that offer unique content.
Inspiration from independent brands who’ve built Alexa skills
1. Stubbs
“Alexa, ask Stubb for barbecue tips”
Your kitchen or backyard can become
the modern-day version of C.B.
Stubblefield’s legendary Lubbock,
Texas restaurant with Ask Stubb. You
can get recipes from The Man himself,
listen to his favorite tunes, get bar-b-q
tips & tricks, order more sauce, and find
special content for every holiday and
bar-b-q weekend.
2. Madison Reed
“Alexa, read me the latest LOVE is in
the hair blog”
This app will read the latest blog posts
from hair color indie brand Madison
Reed’s blog, “LOVE is in the Hair”.
The blog features tips and tricks for
hair and beauty.
3. European Wax Center
“Alexa, ask my EWC to book a
reservation for me”
European Wax Center’s skill drives
to retail by allowing clients to book
appointments, check point balances,
and learn more about their product line.
Sources: MindMeld the rise and rise (and future) of voice 2017, Gartner Gartner’s Top 10 Strategic Predictions for 2017 and Beyond: Surviving the Storm
Winds of Digital Disruption, AdWeek Accenture Interactive Infographic Here’s How Much Consumers Will Use Voice Technology Soon 2017
For more trends and analysis visit
www.womensmarketing.com
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2017 | FINDING YOUR VOICE
In the age of brand discovery, we help independent brands connect with consumers and win.
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CONTACT
Questions about content Want to learn how
or media inquiries? Women’s Marketing can
Contact the author. grow your brand?
Ann D’Adamo Marlea Clark
Director, Content EVP, Marketing & Insights
203.256.4135 203.256.4174
adadamo@womensmarketing.com mclark@womensmarketing.com
www.womensmarketing.com @womensmarketinginc @Womens_Mktg Women’s Marketing
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