Maybe you have missed it but audio content is pretty important these days. With advancements in voice technology, along with increased accessibility, people are gorging on audio content in more ways than one. So, one thing becomes crystal clear:
If you’re not offering an audio experience, you’re missing out.
With the use of text to audio converter, you can audiofy your blog in minutes and offer a new yet familiar way to not only engage your audience but also to monetize your blog through the streamlined audio advertising. Here are eight major reasons why you should do exactly that.
1. Audio is where the readers are
As reasons go, this is arguably THE one. Before you dismiss my notion, take a look at the numbers. From 121 million Americans listening to spoken word audio each day (an increase of 16 million in the last five years) to Australians consuming audio online for more than eleven hours per week (more than ever before) and people consuming audio content literally everywhere in between, this thing is huge on a global level.
It’s not like this is some brand new thing. Audio in its digital form has been around for some time, playing a modest part in the publishing industry where formats such as audiobooks have a consumer-oriented history. With the proliferation of smartphones, other types of digital audio like podcasts and streaming music have really found their footing, with audio news and articles closely following.
If you want further proof about this audio renaissance, how about this? Google is aggregating audio news all in one place for more devices, all the while making search (ultimately) more audio-friendly by getting better at understanding natural language.
So, what makes audio so special?
2. It does wonders to improve user experience and increase engagement
If we accept the fact that your readers are used to listening to content by now, the first thing you’re doing is removing any kind of friction for them. Audiences today, particularly the young(er) part, expect to receive their content in a way that enables multi-tasking. They demand immediacy because this is the age of efficiency. As such, relying on a read-only experience will fall short.
When you look at it from your readers’ angle, you’ll see even the smallest barriers produce enough frustration to just give up, severely reducing the amount of time they spend on your blog – not to mention attracting and keeping new visitors. It’s simple:
Fail to meet the expectations of your audience in terms of different ways to consume your content and you’ll eventually lose them for good.
3. It’s convenient
Audio consumption has exploded and continues to thrive because it aligns to the busy nature of modern life. Different formats and types of content suit different occasions, whether it’s a short burst of information, long stories with developed narratives, news-like updates, and else in almost every topic and length.
The majority of people welcomed the on-the-go mode of doing things and shifted how they consume their content. Adding audio to your blog is a simple way to make your content portable. A 5-10 minute audio blog is easy to fit into a busy schedule. Shorter duration also makes it a bit more accessible than making a podcast episode.
4. No limitations
One major advantage of audio content is that it has no restrictions in terms of how it’s consumed. You can be a passive listener with no active involvement. You can do it in one take or multiple, which is why even long formats like podcasts work so well. The level of flexibility, paired with easy access, make audio content a preferred channel for many out there.
5. It’s affordable
The cost of entry is fairly cheap, considering you get an entire new channel to engage and monetize your audience (more on that in a minute) with a simple text to audio converter. More so, if you have a WordPress website, there are free solutions such as ours that cost you absolutely nothing to integrate into your blog and offer a listening experience.
6. It’s personal
Audio has this wonderful ability to establish a direct one-on-one connection with the audience. As a result, there’s more involvement, with many listeners turning to audio for information, entertainment, even companionship and inspiration. The human-like voice gives color to words, creating a direct connection between your content and your listener. While the business of storytelling branched out to audio some time ago, it’s the hands-free convenience that amplifies the need for new engaging content.
There’s another side to personalization – one that you can facilitate with contech (content technology). It’s a term that addresses the symbiosis of content and audio via technology. Basically, it’s complementing the listening experience while adding more value through content aggregation and recommendation based on constant learning of your visitors’ behavior. As a result, they will spend more time on your blog and exploring more content.
7. You get a new monetization option
With a seamless implementation of a text to audio converter, a whole new world of opportunities to monetize a blog opens up. You can do it via audio advertising or even experiment a bit with your own content and delivery. I’m talking about the type of content you produce and how you release it: as an audio exclusive, full-on article or episode, short story, audio snippet derived directly from the content for immediate use, etc.
Audio ads will be inevitable at some point, and there’s good news on that front. One Adobe study discovered 38% of people find audio ads less intrusive compared to their counterparts on TV, online, print, and social media. Furthermore, 39% find those same ads to be more engaging than those on other channels
8. It will soon be a necessity
That is if it isn’t already. Because audio content is increasingly becoming the go-to medium for media consumption, it will soon be irresponsible to offer a reading experience alone. I firmly believe social media networks will soon incorporate a form of audio content on their own, especially as brands realize it pays to think about how they are (under)represented in the medium.
It’s safe to say audio has extended its reach to numerous platforms so having a part in it pulls your audience closer in a world where there is so much fragmentation in content and user experience. More voicetech accessibility will drive adoption of more audio content in 2020. Hence, you need to think about the ears of your visitors as well as their eyes.
But not in a creepy way.
Maximize your content
User experience has a vital role in what your audience wants and expects from you. Unless you enjoy in some weird way seeing high bounce rates and low retention, audio needs to become an important part of your blog.
In a world where people want to be able to multitask and consume content on the go, publishing posts and articles, sharing them on social media, and dropping emails via the newsletter is not enough anymore. If you want to maximize your content, the bar has been set higher and you need to jump over it. Being omnipresent is something that by all means should be worth investing in because sooner rather than later, your audience will be wanting to hear what you have to say.
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Image credits:
https://giphy.com/gifs/words-english-jackie-chan-Wow3QqPZLmgCI
https://giphy.com/gifs/movie-life-moments-lyX5uEzHZRBN6
https://giphy.com/gifs/sonic-relaxing-3ohzdEknLXKhKxWS9W