Without innovationwithout innovation, brands are overtaken by their competitors and abandoned by their customers. And on the subject of innovation, audio is at the heart of all strategic tech and marketing issues for retail and e-commerce brands. What's more, users are ready, since audio is already part of their daily lives. On WhatsApp, the 2 billion users send an average of 7 billion voice messages a day. So how are brands reinventing customer relations with audio?
Get closer to your customers with podcasts
Of all the audio content available on the web, one of the most popular is the podcast. Millions of episodes are available worldwide, including 67.4 million on Apple Podcasts alone.
There are 3 ways for brands to get in on the podcast craze:
- Choose a podcast in line with your values, and sponsor it
- Participate in a podcast episode as a guest
- Create your own native podcast
According toCSA Research and Havas Paris 2021 study80% of listeners find that brands that create podcasts are not only the most innovative, but also the closest to their customers. What's more, 78% would like their favorite brands to create their own native podcasts.
But why should brands innovate with podcasts? What are the objectives behind this audio content?
For a brand, the podcast should be a tool integrated into Brand Content. It enables them to get closer to their customers, to talk to them directly and in a more personal way. For a brand, it's a different way of telling its story from TV commercials and radio ads. Even luxury brands are getting into the act. For example, the the famous Balmain brand launched a podcast in December 2020in which it talks about its brand culture and reveals the secrets behind the scenes of its latest fashion shows and campaigns.
The interview is a brand's favorite format. It's the perfect way to tell the secrets of a brand's products, values, know-how, commitments, anecdotes, universe or strategy. For this type of format, brands are invited by podcast creators. Or they invite and interview third parties themselves, such as artists.
WhatsApp Business: talk to your customer via audio
With WhatsApp Business, SMEs can communicate with their customers more quickly and easily. The customer experience is enhanced by more personal exchanges. And customers are satisfied! 68% of users think WhatsApp is the easiest way to contact brands. Why is this? Because WhatsApp users love to send voice messages !
For brands, innovation around audio can mean tools already adopted by individuals. On the app, your customers can send you voice messages, and vice versa. Audio allows you to be clear and precise. It's not always easy to express an idea or a problem in writing. What's more, it makes the exchange much more personal. For retailers, if the customer is a regular, they can recognize their salesperson's voice, which improves customer relations and reinforces their trust in the brand. Isn't that great? 😊
Voice chat: audio innovation revolutionizes customer relations
Voice chats are not exclusive to WhatsApp. Other audio-based innovations are available to brands to enhance their relationships with their customers.
Voice chat rooms for real-time discussions
In the gaming community, Discord is a hyper-popular voice chat. Gamers get together to discuss their favorite games. Voice chat enables them to communicate solely by voice.
Each server can create its own voice channelto bring together only those who wish to join. To join one, first select the server of your choice, then click on the "Voice channels" heading. All existing voice channels will appear below. All you have to do is join the one you want. Once you've done that, press "Connect to Voice". A green dot will appear to indicate your connection.
Although voice chat is very popular with gamers, we have no doubt that tomorrow, all e-tailers will adopt it to get closer to their customers and listen to them.
The rise of the voicebot
Voicebot is another name for voice chatbotAnd yes, audio innovation is even affecting chatbots, the essential computer programs in customer relations.
Originally, brands' chatbots are available on their website, or even on messaging platforms (Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter...). They enable users to chat via text messages with a robot (a bot), to get answers to their questions. If customers are increasingly turning to bots, it's because 98% of them say that waiting time by live-chat or telephone is too long.
Now, the chatbot becomes a voicebot to handle voice requests and respond with audio. Thanks to voice, customers can benefit from a clear and even faster response. What's more, interaction is instantaneous, as there's no need to type out a query. On average, people type 53.5 words per minute on a keyboard. And yet we speak an average of 200 words per minute.. The customer becomes a multi-tasker, because his hands are now free.
The voicebot therefore meets 2 key customer expectations: immediacy and autonomy.
Enchanting the customer experience with audio
The voice is a source of emotion. Unlike text, speaking allows you to express your ideas more quickly and, in many cases, more clearly. Voice intonation also conveys a message. You can tell whether someone is happy or unhappy simply by listening.
Your customers are your best ambassadors! So give them a voice too. On your e-commerce site, their opinions are important to reassure your future customers. But text has its limits. Customer reviews are often underdeveloped and not very helpful. With audio, there are no more problems with expressions, spelling or even ideas. With voice testimonials, the customer talks about his or her experience with the product or service, and does so with authenticity.
This is what Twenty D.C. Twenty D.Ca customer of Ekoo. It uses an audio-based innovation to offer its customers a unique experience: voice testimonials. It collects the voice testimonials of its ambassadors and integrates them into the product sheets of its e-commerce site. The brand specializes in the production and sale of collagen powder, a great product for health, but one that not everyone dares to try. By listening to the opinions and experiences of ambassadors, customers are reassured.
