Voice Assistant And Smart Speakers: How Podcasters Can Utilize This Technology Boom

The Q'd Up Podcast on Podcasting

Voice assistants and smart devices were an emerging market that has since exploded onto the scene during the coronavirus pandemic. With more people embracing the technology in their everyday lives, it’s an area podcasters should look to if they want to get in early.

On this episode of the Q’d Up Podcast on Podcasting, John and Jay (PodVader) are joined by Jason Fields, the chief strategy officer at Voicify, to talk about how voice assistants can create unique podcasting experiences. Whether it’s a custom voice assistant app to expand upon topics brought up in your podcast or a way for new listeners to find you, savvy podcasters can use this technology to their benefit.

Show highlights:

Introduction

What is voicify? (1:05)

Jason explains what Voicify is and how it’s being used to create better experiences using a voice assistant.

How smart speakers promote more audio listening (3:20)

Jason details how the explosion of smart speakers has helped to promote more audio listening -- podcasts and audiobooks.

COVID-19’s impact on smart speakers (4:30)

Jay shares some of the stats from The Infinite Dial study that shows smart-speaker use boomed in 2020. With the coronavirus pandemic keeping people home, Jason believes they were exposed to the full breadth of what voice assistants could do for them. Going from the novelty of setting a timer or playing music to more specific forms of voice entertainment, the additional home time allowed and encouraged people to experiment, especially when working from home.

Brand loyalty (8:51)

As Jay notes, the use of a specific smart assistant didn’t necessarily mean the adoption of that company’s music services. Jason expects there won’t be much brand loyalty from consumers, with most choosing features

Integrating voice assistants with podcasts (11:08)

With voice assistants making it easier for people to find and consume audio content, podcasts are a natural partner. Jason explains how podcasters can use voice assistants to present listeners with a deeper dive into their content and provide more interactive advertising opportunities.

Discovering podcasts with voice (21:48)

Jason gives some examples of how using voice assistants could help people find your podcast easier and how it can be integrated as business solutions.

The demographics of voice assistant users(25:28)

As Jay points out, The Infinite Dial study determined smart speaker usage skews heavily towards younger generations. However, both Jay and Jason discuss how that statistic might not be entirely accurate.

Voice search (28:33)

With voice assistants becoming a bigger part of the market, brands are trying to figure out how to be at the top of the charts, leading many to wonder about voice search. However, Jason believes the trend will lean more toward creating custom solutions that fill a specific need.

Links:

Q’d Up

Pod Vader - Twitter

Pod Vader - Email

Pod Vader - Linked In

John - Email

John - Linked In

Edison Research - The Infinite Dial 2021

Tom Edison - The State of Podcast Listening for 2021

Voicify - Website

Voicify - LinkedIn

Jason Fields - Emai