Here's a little something to brighten your day - especially if it's been consumed to the usual pre-Christmas rush!
Here at Voice Takeaway, we pride ourselves on our quality and professionalism. But even the very best, such as our very own CEO, the award-winning voiceover artist Emma Clarke can slip up behind the microphone every once in a while!
Here what happened when Emma had to read some seasonal scripts...
Imagine hearing a sales pitch as part of a glossy, corporate advert - it might make you sit up and take notice but it won't always guarantee a sales conversion because you're well aware by now that adverts are designed to make goods and services look impressive.
Now, imagine you hear the same pitch but from an ordinary customer like yourself. They have no interest in communicating their positive experience other than a desire to help potential customers like you make the right consumer choice. The chances are, you'll take what they have to say very seriously.
Research detailed in this post shows how customer testimonials have become the most effectives means of content marketing. If your business isn't using them, here's three clinching arguments to start using them now.
1 - Customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating for all types of content marketing, with a conversion rating of 89%.
With such a strong conversion rate, why wouldn't you invest in having some created? Find some happy customers and ask them to take a moment to record their positive experiences. Don't put words in their mouths, just let them say what they feel is appropriate.
2 - A website visitor will stay an average of 2 minutes longer on a site after they've watched a testimonial video.
Once they've watched a testimonial video, the average website visitor will have been assured of the credibility of your product or services. They're therefore much more likely to stay viewing your website for longer, and ultimately to become a customer.
3 - 79% of consumers trust customer reviews as much as personal recommendations.
We all trust a personal recommendation from a friend or colleague, but most people actually trust reviews from other customers just as much. Word of mouth is a great tool, but customer testimonials and reviews can reach thousands of people at once, so use them to amplify the positive things people are saying about your business.
If you're having trouble recording or editing your own testimonials, why not get us to help you? Here at Voice Takeaway we can edit your customer reviews into one slick showreel, with special effects and corporate branding. For more information, just contact hello@voicetakeaway.com. (Sources: WedDam Survey, Comsoore, BrightLocal.)
It's amazing how many businesses overlook on-hold messaging when trying to improve their marketing strategy. It's one of the most effective means of content marketing and is extremely cost effective. If you're still dubious - here are 4 facts you need to know: 1. 84% of callers prefer messages on-hold to other options.
Think about it - would you rather have the sound of silence or professional and informative messages about the business' latest offers and services? What's more, there is almost no end of messaging you can use, so even if your caller is on-hold for several minutes, they needn't hear the same thing twice.
2. 90% of callers with silence on-hold hang up within 40 seconds. Music on-hold adds another 30 seconds to the hold time.
The sound of silence can make the caller feel unwanted or forgotten about. Just using music can help keep them on the line that little bit longer - increasing the likelihood that you'll be able to take their call and deal with their request.
3. Callers listening to info and music on-hold stay on the line up to three minutes longer. Music is better than nothing, but there's a huge increase in the time people are willing to remain on-hold when they're listening to messages. Combining useful messaging with music stops people getting bored and can help re-assure potential customers that you value their time.
4. 15-35% of callers purchase additional items and services as a result of something they've heard on-hold.
Don't waste those valuable minutes when you have a customer's attention. Use on-hold messaging to tell them about other products or services you provide. It may be the first time they're hearing about them. Also tell them your latest deals and offers or any useful stats that might re-enforce their need for your product.
(Sources: AT&T, North American Telecommunications Association, US West, Nationwide Insurance and Maximarketing Studies.)
Make sure you're using on-hold messaging as effectively as you can. Otherwise you're just flying in the face of all the evidence that shows it to be a hugely valuable means of content marketing.
There's a much-publicised passage in the newly released autobiography of former Manchester United footballer Roy Keane that tells us a lot about call greetings. In it, the then Sunderland manager is planning to sign a player named Robbie Savage and so attempts to call his transfer target. His call goes straight to voicemail, where he hears the message "Hi, it's Robbie…whazzup!".
Fans of classic Budweiser adverts might be tempted to smile at Savage's answer-phone antics, but not Roy Keane. Upon hearing the message he immediately ditched his attempts to sign the player, deciding "I can't be f***ing signing that".
Whatever this amusing tale tells us about the personalities of Keane and Savage, it tells us something wider about the nature of professional employment. If an answer-phone message can put off potential employers like a football manager, it can sure as day put off clients, customers and colleagues.
A call greeting that is overly informal, or indeed one that just sounds amateurish can act like a big neon sign telling people to stay away from your business. Instead, take the time to invest in a high quality call greeting. Make it short, simple and professional or, if your business has a distinctive brand personality, create an effective way to communicate that in a succinct way.
What is an audio logo? It's a question business people sometimes ask in the face of jargon-friendly marketing men. Well here's a no-nonsense explanation:
"An audio logo is a short sound clip that instantly identifies your brand"
For example, the McDonald's "I'm loving it" jingle is an audio logo. So too is this famous ditty from Intel:
As you can hear, it's a simple sound that communicates instantly the essence of a brand and inspires the listener to immediately associate it with Intel.
But don't fall into the trap of assuming that audio logos are only relevant for big corporate giants like McDonalds and Intel. In fact, they can often be most effective for smaller businesses.
Here are our 5 reasons to get an audio logo:
1 - They're Memorable
One of the biggest challenges for any marketing effort is getting your message to stick in people's minds. What's the point of pushing a great product if no-one is going to remember it? Audio logos can be memorable because of their simplicity, and because studies show that we remember music and sounds more effectively than other forms of marketing. When you're competing in a competitive market, having a memorable brand can be crucial.
2 - They're Versatile
Once you've got your own audio logo, there's no end of ways to use it. If you're in the business of commissioning TV or radio ads, then deploying your audio logo at the end of them helps re-enforce your brand. But you can also use it for your website, on-hold messaging, call greetings, presentations and events. Audio logos are one of the most versatile marketing tools.
3 - They're Short
One of the greatest problems with marketing is the fear that potential customers have simply switched off by the time they've finished reading your newspaper ad or hearing your sales pitch. In today's fast-moving world, short and snappy audio logos can be a real asset because they can communicate your brand in such a brief space of time.
4 - They're Creative
There's no set formula for how an audio logo should sound - as long as it's distinctive. In the case of Intel, it's just a jingle comprised of a few notes. In the case of McDonalds it's a simple tune communicated in a number of different ways. But you can also insert words and strap lines into your audio logo. In fact, there's no end to the ways in which you can be creative. If your brand is designed to appear friendly and approachable, you can make your audio logo bright, cheery or even funny. If your brand is serious and professional, you can make your audio logo reflect that as well. 5 - They're Cost Effective
Don't think that just because they're used by big companies, audio logos are necessarily extortionately priced. In fact, once you've commissioned your audio logo, you'll get so much use out of it, it'll become cheaper with each play. At Voice Takeaway, our audio logos start at £35/$58 (excluding VAT) - a price that will soon seem a bargain.
Indeed they are. Here at Voice Takeaway HQ in the UK, the arrival of Atlantic storm Hurricane Bertha has reminded us that summer won't last forever. What's more, the leaves have started to turn a distinctly duller hue, and the evenings are noticeably drawing in.
Now, you may be wondering what on earth this sentimental observation has to do with audio marketing - well, I'll tell you. Seasons come and go, and when they do they change more than simply the weather. Our working lives and cultural celebrations change with it.
Therefore, audio marketeers have the perfect opportunity to refresh their marketing content to make it appropriate for each new season. Otherwise, the sunny, summery advert you aired in June may prompt fits of nostalgic rage from your customers by the time they're still hearing it on a cold, damp day in November.
What's more, with seasonal celebrations such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and Easter, come prime opportunities for successful audio marketing. If your business has a unique product to offer over Christmas, perhaps holidays, gifts or accessories, then make sure your marketing reflects the festive period.
Similarly, if you've got offers or deals on to mark a certain festival, then why not make a new advert of marketing campaign to reflect this? Not only will it make your business look and sound more topical, it can provide great opportunities to be creative and make a memorable impression on potential new customers.
As a suggestion, why not re-vamp your audio logo for Halloween? Especially if your brand identity is quite playful, why not have fun making it sound a little spooky? Alternatively, update your call greetings and on-hold marketing to notify your customers of your holiday opening hours or seasonal promotions. Then of course, there's always the wonderful opportunity to create a seasonal advert for radio or online.
Bob Dylan was right to note "The Times They Are a-Changin'" - make sure your audio marketing does too.
"Now you have the power to connect with a new audience through the power of audio" - Jenny Brewster This is a guest blog by Jenny Brewster, founder of 'The Podcast Academy;
Wow, podcasting is rising out the ashes all of a sudden - but why? Podcasting is becoming so popular here in the UK and as with all things we'll have early adopters who reap the benefits and there'll be those who are left scratching their heads a couple of years from now wondering why they didn't start their podcast show!
It's all down to the rise of the smartphone - it's that simple. When you create a Podcast show, you can even call it a radio show, YOU are creating targeted content that your listeners can tune into on ter go! Whether it's by the pool, on their mundane journey into work or even if they're in the gym - when I'm working out I always have the Judge Jools podcast playing and hey! Its' FREE…
Last week we had great news from Apple, they are turning the Podcast App into a NATIVE app! What does this mean for you - well, the Podcast app now comes preinstalled on all iPhones with the IOS8 operating system and above. Wait, there's even more great news, if it's not enough that Stitcher Radio are going into Ford car dashboards, now Apple will be doing the same with podcasts, though this is rolling out in the US first, we won't be far behind.
So why do YOU want a podcast show? Where do I start, if you have a business that you make a revenue stream from why would't you want one? Do you market your business? Do you use social media in your business? Maybe you blog, maybe you send out flyers or do mail drops? Now you have the power to connect with a new audience through the power of audio, the 1 billion strong iTunes audience, or the SoundCloud and Blackberry audiences - it's free!
By creating your very own Radio show you are reaching a target demographic with the power of audio, so how does this sell more of your products? When done the right way your intro and outdo on your show drive listeners to your website, when you dangle that lead magnet in front of a bunch of avid fans of your show you can bet your bottom dollar they're going straight to your site and grab it! Boom, you've captured their email data to talk to them offline through email marketing.
None of this is rocket science, it's simply applying all the marketing strategies you know but applying them to your podcast not your blog post that people don't have time to read. We're in a scan economy, you need to be capturing people's attention in creative ways. The minute we sit down at a PC we have a to do list as long as your arm, but when we're on the move the content we tune into is purely our choice. Podcasting is powerful - embrace it to position, promote and profit.
