Digital Communication

Engaging with Voice

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In my estimation, I spend roughly two and a half hours each week riding a crowded subway, unable to move and, therefore, unable to look at my phone.

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Photo via: Creative Commons

The unwritten rules of the subway dictate that I should NOT, under any circumstances, make eye contact with (or talk to) my fellow commuters, so I am forced to consider other ways to pass the time. Without the ability to scroll mindlessly through my social feeds – as there just isn’t room to move – I am left with no other recourse but to read as many of the advertisements prominently displayed in whichever subway car I happen to be riding in on that particular day. giphy

In mathematical terms, I am looking at transit ads for 12.5 hours a week, 50 hours a month, and 600 hours a year.  In all of that time, however, I have NEVER acted on any of the ads I spend so much time viewing.  These numbers led me to consider how it might be possible to use mass transit ads to more effectively capitalize on the captive commuter audience.

There had to be a way, I thought, to use these ads for more than raising awareness of a product, service or cause.  I just couldn’t figure it out…that is, until recently during a lecture conducted as part of the Communications@Syracuse Spring 2019 Immersion.  The discussion, led by Greg Hedges, vice president of emerging experiences at RAIN, was titled “Voice and the Future of Digital Marketing” and, while it didn’t directly provide a solution to the problem I spend my mornings and afternoons trying to solve, it did make me think that voice may be the answer…with some caveats (SPOILER ALERT: Privacy concerns and accuracy).

As discussed during the immersion, we have advanced far beyond the “Hey Siri, set a timer for…” days of both voice search and voice commerce.

According to search engine optimization (SEO) consultant Bradley Shaw, “consumers are being trained by the likes of Amazon and Apple to just shout out their needs and expect expedited local solutions to accommodate them.”

In other words, people are no longer simply using voice as a novelty, it has become something that delivers value and its importance is only expected to increase in the coming years.

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It is entirely conceivable that in the near future voice will be used for the majority of searches and that personal voice assistants will become almost ubiquitous.  A recent statistical search analysis by ComScore predicted that 50% of all searches will be accomplished by voice search in 2020. That’s only a year away.  For these reasons, smart companies are…or have been…exploring ways to capitalize on these trends…or risk being silenced in the marketplace both literally and figuratively.

Today, however, the majority of the voice revolution is occurring “privately,” meaning within quiet personal spaces. While mobile voice search is on the rise, it has not yet reached widespread adoption….perhaps due to privacy concerns.  (Interestingly enough, people are hesitant to engage in mobile voice search or mobile voice commerce in public spaces due to privacy concerns but have no such qualms about talking on their phones about even more personal matters.)

According the a Global Web Index report, privacy is indeed a major factor in a user’s willingness to embrace voice technology.  The report notes that “70% of voice tech users are concerned about the internet eroding their personal privacy.”

Despite the privacy concern, which is only exacerbated by being in public while trying to conduct a search or purchase a product using voice, all signs point to the inevitability of widespread public voice search use.  This inevitability is largely rooted in our societal dependance of mobile technology.

“Consumers are heavily reliant on the internet for information whenever they need it.
They also display a strong desire to be “connected” at all times and see their smartphone as an essential part of their day-to-day lives; more so than their wallets.”

Once people are able to overcome their hesitancy about purchasing a product they are looking at in a subway ad, for example, the possibilities for on-the-go voice use are unlimited.

This level of comfort is already on display among younger users…Gen Z…currently the largest population segment in the world.

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While younger generations are quickly embracing mobile voice search technology (privacy be damned), others are not far behind.  Recent statistics show that a third of internet users state they are interested in purchasing a voice-controlled smart assistant and 22% of internet users who buy grocery products are using smart assistants.

Outside of privacy the other concern I have regarding the use of voice is the issue of accuracy. While recognition has undoubtedly reach previously inconceivable levels, with Google now above the 90% marker in voice search capture ability and headed towards near 100%, how accurate can a personal voice assistant be in a crowded, noisy space? Is anyone comfortable risking making the wrong purchase because the search tool was unable to overcome environmental noise? Before there is a secure, 100% reliable way to engage with voice in a “loud” environment, it will be difficult to use mobile voice in certain environments. But…

Back to my original problem…Imagine riding on the subway, ear buds in, unable to move when you spot an ad for a product you NEED to have. Without voice, you’re stuck until you get off the train and, if this is the case, you’ll very likely not take any action to obtain the object of your desire.  However, with voice assistant capabilities you’d simply need to say, “Buy X, Ship Home.” Problem solved.  This is a use not limited to direct purchase…

“Tell me more about Organization X.”

“Donate to…”

In two stops you’ll be at 53rd and Lexington Ave, for example. “Where should I eat in Midtown East?”  The top two suggestions are piped right into your ear.

I use “top two” in the example for a reason. As was explained during the immersion lecture, companies will need to optimize for voice or risk not being seen (heard).

This means changing the keywords an organization uses in its SEO efforts.

More and more people are opting to speak rather than type their searches and this means keywords must change.

“People do not speak as precisely as they type. When someone has a thought, the way that thought is relayed to the world through voice will be different from the way it would have been communicated through typing.”

Focus is key in the age of voice search. No longer will it be enough to be on the “first page.” You need to be one of the top options to ensure relevance in the age of voice.

Smart organizations will figure out a way to give voice to their product service or cause or get left behind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital Communication

Consider Me WordPressed

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While my experience with WordPress has been admittedly limited – basically I used it for class only – I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to use. Working with WordPress’s most basic functions is fairly intuitive. It is relatively simple to get an account set up, write a blog and get it posted online. It becomes slightly more difficult, however, when you start working with some of the more advanced functions. The options are available to give your site a more custom look, but you have to know how to manipulate the appearance to fit your needs.

One of the more frustrating experiences I had during my interaction with WordPress revolved around limits on the amount/type of media I could include in my posts using the free version.

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In order to accomplish some of the tasks I wanted, I had to upgrade my account. While this is to be expected, it does limit what the basic blogger is able to accomplish for free. Clearly, however, this has not significantly impacted the popularity of the platform. After all, more and more sites are created using WordPress every day.

I’m sure that the platform offers far more capability than I have used. In fact, I’m sure I have yet to really scratch the surface. However, the little experience I have with WordPress has been positive enough that I am interested in exploring what else I can do. On a related note, when I first established my blog (for class) it seemed as if there were far fewer themes available than there are currently. To me, this is intriguing, as I always like to have more design options. Essentially, the more choice available, the more appealing the platform becomes.

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Despite its success, however, WordPress has a reputation as a blog site. Even with my limited use, I can see that it offers far more than serving as a means for bloggers to deliver their thoughts to the world. As it is grown, and features have been added, I feel that there is potential for WordPress to be utilized at the enterprise level. It would take the addition of enhanced collaborative capabilities, but the potential, as evidenced by past success, is most certainly there.

In the meantime, I will continue to use it as a host for my blog.and experiment with the new themes and capabilities that I have recently realized existed.

Digital Communication

Once Upon…Always

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Whether you’re an advertiser, a photographer, a journalist, a CEO or someone who just wants to get invited to parties, there is one skill you need to master in order to be successful — storytelling.

We are exposed to stories during our earliest days and learn to value a good story as a way of making sense of the world around us and this is true no matter where you live and will likely remain true forever.

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Every culture has its own way of telling stories, but one thing remains the same the world over (as it has been since the first story was told) — stories, both telling and hearing them, is at the heart of the human experience.

Stories inspire us, move us to act, teach us, entertain us and connect us.

We tell stories to other people and listen to others share their stories with us because stories are ultimately meant to be shared. It is the sharing of stories that drives the connection we, as human beings, crave.

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Whether it is a story as complex as that told by Tolkien in the Lord of the Rings or as simple as what I did this morning, if a story is told well, the potential impact it can have is immense.

From childhood, we learn that a good story is something to be treasured. It is something we hold on to, remembering it for years if not forever.

The value we place on a good story, combined with the shared experience such a tale can generate, shows why the ability to tell a good story is so vital to success in any field.

Whether the story is told through imagery, verbally, in print, or on social media, what matters is the quality of the story. This is true in any industry or profession.

For example, in the advertising world, a good story ensures we remember a product and, later, share the story told to sell that product with others, thereby creating a second-generation “advertisement.”

For photographers and journalists, a good story is at the heart of the profession. Good stories by these professionals enhance society as a whole, informing citizens of what is going on around them, enabling them to better participate in societal discourse. The information presented by journalists, however, doesn’t resonate unless the story is good.

CEO’s have to consistently tell their company’s story in an effort to inspire investors or shareholders and potential clients/customers. If you, as the head of a company, cannot tell a good story about what your organization does and why it does it, you are going to have a hard time getting others to follow you or believe in your company.

Ultimately, however, we all want to be able to tell good stories because this ability helps us connect with those around us. We all want to associate with someone who can entertain, inspire and enthrall us with a good story. We all want to be the person who others want to listen to. Understanding how to tell a story and what elements make up a good story enables us to achieve this goal.

We are told stories from birth and start telling them shortly thereafter. What separates those of us who can tell a good story from those who can’t is practice and an understanding of what moves others…and this is the case in any industry or situation.

Digital Communication, Uncategorized

The 4 A’s of Journalistic Success

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I’m going to give you, the journalists of the future, some advice.

I’m going to keep it short and (hopefully) easy to remember because, if you follow these few simple rules, I have no doubt that both you — and the journalism industry as a whole — will succeed.

Why am I offering this advice? Well, because your success as a journalist matters a great deal to me. I not only want you to be successful, I want journalism itself to thrive.  Journalism has proven to be invaluable throughout our nation’s history and I want that to remain the case.

That said; there is more to reporting than shooting something with an iPhone and posting it on your Facebook page.

You, as the reporters of tomorrow, will shape our nation’s societal discourse. You will educate a country. You will provide context, depth and information. You will perform a vital public service.

You should do this to the best of your ability and cut no corners.

You can do this by adhering to the 4 A’s. So, without further ado, here’s my advice (a word that also begins with A).

  1. Accurate: When you enter the real world, you will be under incredible pressure to meet deadlines and to get stories out to the public first. But, remember, wrong information fast is FAR worse than correct information slightly delayed. It only takes one wrong story for you to lose your credibility as a journalist. Check your information before you report it as fact. Your readers/viewers/listeners deserve the true story and you should expect nothing less of yourself. No matter what medium you choose to deliver your story, above all else, ensure that what you are presenting is accurate.
  2. Adaptable: The tools you use to do your job today could very well be obsolete tomorrow. Journalists who only wrote print stories for newspapers now find themselves producing multimedia pieces for the web — or out of a job. You MUST stay abreast of changes in technology and learn how to use these new tools. You have to be able to deliver the news to media consumers in a way that they are willing to pay attention to. That, today, happens to be in a mobile format. Know how to produce stories for that platform. Know social media. Don’t be afraid of change — embrace it. Be ready for the next big thing and stay adaptable. Your career in the future depends upon it.
  3. Aware: Be aware, as in self-aware. Know one thing: Your responsibility is to report the story, not be the story. You are not a celebrity.  You are a journalist with a sacred responsibility to objectively report the news to a population hungry for accurate and fact-based information. Stay humble and take pride in the quality of your work, not the number of times people recognize you on the street.  Additionally, on the topic of awareness, stay curious and remain aware of what’s going on around you. Pay attention to topics people are talking about on the street, find the stories nobody else is working on. Staying aware and looking for these opportunities, and taking advantage of them, will help you stay relevant.
  4. Aggressive: Don’t wait for stories to come to you. If you do, you’ll be behind everybody on the street with a phone and an internet connection. Get out from behind your computer and go find a story. People aren’t always going to want to talk to you. Do your best to make them. You have to work to get the story. Passive reporters are reporters without work. Everyone and everything has a story. It is your job to tell these stories and you can only do this by staying active and aggressive.

There is so much more to being a journalist, but keeping the 4 A’s in mind will set both you and the industry on the path to success.

Digital Communication

Data Point: I HATE Surveys, but LOVE Service

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On a scale of 1 to 5, with one being the least helpful and five being the most helpful, how would you rate the service provided by this blog?

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At some point in our lives, we’ve all been asked to answer similar questions as part of the surveys we are seemingly inundated with on a daily basis.

It is no accident that we, in the digital era, are being asked to take more and more of these surveys, whether online or over the phone. Today, data collection, and the effective use of that data, is becoming an incredibly important industry – one with benefits that can be applied across a variety of enterprises.

One of these enterprises is the customer service industry. And, for better or worse, the survey method of collecting data is tied closely to customer service.

While these surveys can be frustrating to consumers, there is (despite what we all think) a purpose behind these “annoyances.”

The data collected by companies through these surveys (in whatever form they take) and through other methods such as loyalty programs, social media monitoring and analysis of your online behavior enables these businesses to alter their practices in an effort to provide a better service experience for their customers…like you.

How effective these companies have been at responding to customer feedback, at least the feedback represented by the data they have access to, is up for debate, but the potential to use this data to improve the customer service experience is immense.

There is clearly a financial element to the interest in improving customer service. Better customer service means happier customers, which, in turn, means repeat business and more money.

So, the motivation to get this right is strong.

The question is: How, in today’s world of “Big Data” can businesses, large and small, leverage the data they are able to collect to provide the best possible customer service?

  • They can use the data to assess a widespread feeling among customers about a particular area of service and adjust accordingly. If the data shows a prevailing feeling that, for example, room service at a hotel is slow; the hotel can implement changes to improve the speed with which food is delivered. Food always makes customers happier. This works on the flip side as well. If there is a particular point of service that is trending well, businesses can highlight this or expand it, if possible.

 

  • They can take advantage of patterns associated with individuals to provide a more personalized experience. To carry on the hotel example — if a frequent visitor to a hotel has, on several occasions, asked for extra towels in the room, the hotel can use that information to ensure that extra towels are already in the room at check-in. Wouldn’t you feel special if there were a lot of towels in your room (just like you like)?

 

  • Another step in the direction of personalized service involves the use of customer preferences to offer suggestions for other services/products the consumer may enjoy. There is enough data out there to establish these types of preferences. If, for example, I’m at my hypothetical hotel, and they know that, in the past, I’ve asked for a reservation at an Italian restaurant, and a new, critically-acclaimed restaurant recently opened in the area, they could offer to make a reservation for me when I arrive, without having to be asked.

The possibilities abound. When companies are truly able to harness the potential of data to improve customer service, all consumers will benefit.

While it may be a little while before the true potential of data-based customer service is realized, businesses can start to improve customer service by altering the way this data is collected — maybe by being a bit less aggressive in the survey arena.

 

Digital Communication

This is ONE Opinion – You should DEFINITELY get more

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It’s been happening gradually for more than two decades and, unless you were really paying attention, you probably didn’t notice it. I know I didn’t until recently. I’m talking about the trend of telecommunications mergers set off by the 1996 Telecommunications Act. This little piece of legislation made it possible for a single media company to control previously unheard of numbers of media licenses. Under these rules, one company, for example, could control most of the media outlets in a given area.

“What’s the big deal?,” you say.

“It’s called capitalism,” you say.

And you’re right.

It is the way businesses in our country function. They’re in the telecommunications business to make money and, if there is a way to make more money, these companies owe it to their shareholders to do so.

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that approach.

I am, however, saying that there are some subtle, yet significant, drawbacks to the proliferation of recent telecommunications mergers.

Perhaps the most insidious of these is the decline in female and minority ownership of media companies.

As a few companies, mostly led by white males, amass vast media holdings, more and more small media companies, many led by people in the “other than white male” demographic are being pushed out.

This is a problem both socially and culturally.

Why?

Because the fewer viewpoints we are exposed to, the narrower our thinking becomes. Our nation was not built through mass agreement or homogenization. We cannot afford to go down this path.

Diversity matters in all areas and ownership of media properties is no different.

Even if you’re not currently in school, try to think back to when you were. Now, imagine you’re writing a paper. Would you feel comfortable turning it in knowing you’d based it on one source? Likely not.

You’d want a wide variety of sources and you’d want the ability to, after looking at varied viewpoints, form your own opinion.

You should expect the same in life. However, if certain demographics are removed from the mass media equation, we are going to hear from only one voice and that is something we cannot afford.

As I said earlier, I don’t blame the companies amassing these holdings and pushing others out. They’re simply doing what they should do. This wouldn’t be possible, however, if government regulations prohibiting this sort of business weren’t removed.

Competition and diversity made this country what it is and competition and diversity should continue to play a role in the telecommunications arena. This can only happen if diverse media companies are allowed to get in the game.

Without the support of our government, specifically the FCC, however, they won’t be able to compete with the bottomless pockets of the bigger telecommunications conglomerates.

Our culture needs diversity in media. If the trend toward consolidation continues, we could, in a worst-case scenario, end up with one giant media company only providing content they approve of. There would be no debate. There would be one viewpoint. One voice. To me, this is unacceptable.

Digital Communication

Anybody Got Some Spare Parts? Bridging the Global Digital Divide

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In the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to travel quite a bit (job-related.although I wish it were personal) and I’ve seen firsthand the global digital divide. There is no question it exists. I’ve been places where you can access the Internet from literally anywhere at lightning-fast speeds and I’ve been to places where the Internet may as well have never been invented. Not surprisingly, the latter of these conditions manifests most consistently in less-industrialized nations.

There are certainly factors at play beyond the level of industrialization in a country, however. In some cases, the government in power does not want its citizens to have access to the information on, or the public platform available via, the Internet. In other instances, the citizenry doesn’t have the financial means or the education to use the technology required to access the web even if it is available. In still other situations, the problem is as simple as a lack of appropriate telecommunications infrastructure.

This is where I’d like to focus my attention.

To close the global digital divide, even a little, a framework for service needs to be in place in those nations where it doesn’t currently exist. Without this framework, education regarding Internet use and whether or not those in power want the people to have access is irrelevant.

So, how do we get the right telecommunications infrastructure in place in areas/nations that can’t afford to do it themselves (assuming they have the desire)?

The answer, at least to me, seems to lie in private enterprise. In the United States, in particular, we have several giant corporations with the technical and logistical ability to help “wire” those nations without any or, at the very least, functioning Internet service.

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That said, they are private organizations built on the premise that they exist to make money. Large (in this case huge) philanthropic undertakings do not generally pad the bottom line. Therefore, there needs to be incentives in place that will encourage Internet service providers to lend a hand in areas where their help is desperately needed – both with equipment and infrastructure.

Tax breaks seem to be the obvious offering in the short-term. For each project completed in an area on the wrong side of the divide, Company X will get a write off of X amount of dollars. There has to be something in it for the provider for this to be viable.
There is an additional, albeit less altruistic, motivator. Enabling service enables more people online. This means more money comes into the provider and the businesses that depend on Internet service. Think of it as a start-up investment with slow returns.but, as we have seen in our country, once you’re online, you’re “addicted.” The return on investment will come.

So, private enterprise can work to help close the global digital divide or the chasm can continue to grow.

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For now, these service providers control access, but what if, in the not-too-distant future, there comes along an innovator who develops a way to give free access to all without a physical infrastructure? I don’t have the technical knowledge to even contemplate how that could work, but it would be a truly cataclysmic occurrence for those who are financially dependent on providing what some people think should be a right as a service.

Until that day comes, I think that one solution to closing the global digital divide is represented by the telecommunications companies of the world banding together to help provide the infrastructure necessary to do so. They, I have no doubt, will be rewarded in some way – even if it isn’t financially.

 

Digital Communication

There’s a Party and Everyone’s Invited

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Let’s start with this: Human beings are, in my opinion, social creatures.

True, there are differences in the levels of social engagement individuals are comfortable with, but, ultimately, there are very few people who desire no interaction with other human beings.

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How these interactions are carried out, however, has drastically changed over the years.

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(NOT a recent photo) See how much things have changed? When was the last tea party you attended?)

Today, one of the primary ways we develop relationships with others is through social media.

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Social media, which is characterized by conversation, interaction and engagement in the digital space, allows us to build a different sort of relationship — one where participants are not burdened with some of the messy, up-close-and-personal aspects of interpersonal communication, one where geographic distance is no longer a factor, one where “depth” is not a trait considered vitally important, and one where we can interact with anyone at any time we desire. (I acknowledge that some of that comes off as a bit cynical.)

In our society, most of us likely spend as much time on these “online” social relationships, as we do engaging in our more traditional social relationships.

The obvious question is: Why?

Why is social media so prevalent in our society and why do we spend so much time on it?

I think the answer is multi-faceted.

First, its prevalence has increased because technology has developed to a point where social media is an efficient and effective way to communicate with others. Thanks to computers, smartphones, and tablets, we can now communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Second, social media allows us to let our thoughts be known (in this case, to the entire world), even when no one else is around. If we’re honest with ourselves, we can admit that we think our opinions and thoughts are important and valuable. Social media enables us to quickly let others bask in the glory of our views on an unlimited number of topics.

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Third, social media enables us to live vicariously through others — including celebrities. If you think your life is boring, go online and watch videos of someone base-jumping. This is an extreme example, but I think all of us have been guilty of looking at posts made by our friends and wishing that we had as exciting a life. It is important to realize, however, that most people only post the “highlights.” There are some negative psychological effects related to judging the quality of your own life based on what you see online.

Finally, as I alluded to earlier, we are social creatures. If we’re lonely, we need only go to a social media site to instantly be involved in a conversation of our choice. No effort necessary. It can be hard to make friends in the real world, but online, all it takes is an Internet connection and a thought. I truly believe that the ease of engagement native to social media is extremely appealing to most people. Social media provides instant social gratification without having to leave the comfort of your home.

Despite the appeal and prevalence of social media today, I’m not certain it can last. There is a part of me that feels we are so consumed by it that, when we realize how dependent we have become (addicted, really), there may be a backlash. It would not surprise me if, in the future, many people decide to disconnect and begin experiencing life in the first-person again, without looking at the world through a screen. I don’t see this happening anytime soon, but I’ve thought about going “offline,” so to speak, and I expect others have as well.

 

 

Digital Communication

The More You Know: An Open Letter to a College Freshman

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Dear college freshman (I’m sorry I don’t remember your name),

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Congratulations! You’re almost done with your first year of school. You should be very proud of what you’ve accomplished so far, but there is much more to come. My advice to you is to enjoy every minute of your time in college, because soon you’ll join me out here in the real world and I, as a fellow member of society, have certain expectations for you.

I expect you to contribute to society in some form or fashion and in order to do that ­­— to (productively) take part in the ever-evolving national and global dialogue — you need to be media literate.

I know what you’re thinking.

“I’m already media literate,” you’re saying to yourself. “I totally understand the media.”

Do you really though?

Being media literate requires far more than a simple understanding of the various forms of media. I know you are far more technologically capable than I ever will be, but, to be truly media literate, you must not only understand the nature of media, but also how and why those producing the content conveyed via the media you know so well develop their messages. You are going to have to dig beneath the surface and look beyond what you see in your Facebook and Twitter feeds.

In other words, and I know this may be bad news, but your research days are not done when you leave college.

Here’s another tip: You can’t believe everything you see or hear.

I know. You already know that. But…think about it. How often have you seen something online, from one of your friends for example, and simply taken it at face value? I’d guess more than you’d like to admit.

If you expect to be able to offer intelligent commentary on the issues you see or hear about through the media, you have to have an understanding of all sides of the issue. You have to understand the motive behind the message. This may mean expanding your worldview. This can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary if you want to become truly media literate — as you should.

So, how do you do it? How do you ensure you’re media literate?

The answer is actually pretty simple. You work at it. You apply a basic process to what you see or hear and, through that process, you gain the competency and knowledge you need to achieve media literacy.

If you haven’t already learned about this process, you soon will. Here it is:

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  1. Description: Pay attention, take notes and research the issue.
  2. Analysis: Focus on the patterns you notice in the previous phase and, shocker, analyze them.
  3. Interpretation: (This is hard) Asking yourself the question, “What does this mean?” when looking at your findings.
  4. Evaluation: This is where you reflect on what you’ve found before moving on to:
  5. Engagement: This is where you take an action based on your findings. This is where you become the productive member of society that I have no doubt you will become.

I expect it.

Enjoy the rest of school and I’ll see you in the real world.

Best,

Eric