What if every day felt like you were living on the Enterprise from Star Trek?

It may sound like this is still centuries away. However, voice assistance technology can help bring a piece of tomorrow into the here and now.

Devices and technologies such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant have become more popular than ever before. And this technology is poised to completely transform how you live in 2018.

Keep reading to discover more about voice assistants and how they will help you!

What Are Voice Assistants?

Voice assistance technology is pretty self-explanatory. This is any technology that allows you to issue commands or ask questions verbally.

Many consumers now have this technology built into their phone with things like Siri on the iPhone. And others use this technology in their home with technology like Amazon’s Alexa and Dot devices.

Whichever device you choose, this technology is going to change how you spend every day in 2018. And they are also poised to change the digital marketing landscape in a big way.

Read on to discover exactly how it’s going to revolutionize everything!

Smart Lights

One of the most elegant voice assistance technologies are “smart lights.” These are lights from companies such as Amazon and Google that can be controlled in different ways.

A popular choice for many consumers are the Hue Lights by Phillips. These lights let you control things like the level of illumination and even the kind of color you want the light to emit.

These lights can be controlled via a special app. However, you can also control them with your voice using technology such as Alexa.

At the end of the day, this is one of the most practical applications for voice assistants. It’s great to be able to turn off your bedroom light without having to get up!

Smart Shower

Chances are that the shower is the last place you’d expect voice assistant technology. After all, electronics and water seem like a pretty odd combination.

However, companies like Kohler are bringing these two worlds together. They offer products such as mirrors that can accept voice commands sent through Alexa.

The device itself has waterproof speakers, making it a perfect addition for the shower. It can also control things like the PerfectFill bathtub and the DTV shower.

This technology is especially great for cold mornings. You’ll be able to warm up the bath or shower without even touching a cold faucet.

Talk to Your TV

The remote control was once considered a revolutionary device. It allowed consumers to change the channel without getting up and going directly to the television set.

Now, you don’t even have to use the remote in a traditional way. For instance, Sony is releasing TVs that have Google Assistant built into them. This lets you control apps and browse channels by voice.

LG is also releasing TVs with Google Assistant built into them. Meanwhile, Samsung already has a line of TVs that allow you to speak into the remote instead of pressing buttons!

Music On Demand

For many people, music is a major part of their lives. Individuals love to do everything from doing chores around the house to getting groceries while listening to tunes.

Streaming music has made it easier than ever to listen to your favorite music on demand. And now, various voice assistants let you request songs by voice.

Amazon’s Alexa interacts with Amazon’s music library to play many different tunes. Consumers willing to pay a monthly music subscription fee will have access to many more songs.

Alexa is also being integrated into other devices. For instance, Garmen now offers a multifunction Speak Plus Dash Cam. This lets you request music, directions, and even sports scores by voice!

Browse By Voice

Most of the early voice assistance technology focused on mobile devices. This led to the advent of things like Siri on the iPhone.

However, many consumers spend much of their day on traditional PCs rather than browsing their phones. Google is now seeking to bridge that gap by offering Smart Displays.

Smart Displays offer the functionality and convenience of tablets, letting you install apps and browse websites. However, they also let you set alarms, stream music, and even lock or unlock your doors by voice!

These displays represent a great way to enjoy voice assistance technology wherever you go.

Aiding the Disabled

Consumers traditionally focus on the mainstream appeal of the different voice assistants. However, all of this technology represents an unprecedented way to help those who are disabled.

Those with impaired vision can benefit immensely from having devices such as Alexa. This lets them stream music, inquire about the weather, and even put together shopping lists by simply using their voice.

And devices such as the PetNet SmartFeeder use Google Assistant to release pet food into a container with a command. This is a great way to feed a hungry pet for those who cannot see the pet or who would have difficulty walking to the food bowl.

Talk to the Fridge

Ever notice how often you have the refrigerator door open? Whether you’re simply browsing for contents or trying to plan your next meal, you waste a lot of your energy and your home’s energy doing this.

Samsung is trying to change all of this with a Family Hub of refrigerators powered by Bixby voice control technology. These fancy fridges keep track of the items inside and you can ask about the contents by voice.

They also feature a display on the outside and allow you to customize profiles for up to six members of your family. This allows everyone to have a custom experience when using it.

The Bottom Line

All of these voice assistants are amazing. However, having the best product in the world means nothing without good marketing.

My name is Eric Ritter, and my Digital Marketing Consultant focuses on one thing. Specifically, I’m here to take your business to the next level with the kind of digital marketing that every company dreams of having.

To see how I can make the business of your dreams the business you have today, simply reach out and contact me!

In 2018, business leadership is holding digital marketers responsible for generating revenue. Artificial intelligence (AI) is giving them a competitive advantage when engaging with customers. But is your team on track for the AI marketing revolution?

Many brands are still on the fence about AI marketing. It’s a big investment without many proven results. But recent applications are about to change that for good.

Most companies need a team to manage all digital channels and analytics. Digital marketers managed data manually. Responsiveness to customer behavior could be low or negligible.

Even newer POS and CRM technologies depend on human cognition to function. And there’s nothing like the human touch. But not in all cases.

Forbes says, “Marketers have more insights-related tools at their disposal that facilitate true data-driven decision making, but AI is needed to help integrate across tools, datasets, and platforms.”

What Is AI Marketing?

AI is a cognitive system that identifies the best possible path to a desirable outcome. Think of AI marketing as adding a new layer of decision making to the marketing mix. AI can perform much of the human cognition required to run campaigns.

This includes targeting campaigns across channels. AI will analyze customer behavior and act upon new insights without human involvement.

Leading digital marketers use AI for all customer engagement, even without prior programming. AI solutions can simulate any number of scenarios designed to meet specific objectives. They represent the next and biggest phase in the evolution of marketing technologies.

The result is a smarter marketing model. It means better, more frequent engagement with customers. It means greater responsiveness to customer needs as well.

Is AI Marketing Right for My Business?

You will hear a lot of about AI marketing in the conference loop. But AI adoption is only picking up.

The technology is not quite where it needs to be either. Data scientists are still skeptical about the results produced by AI marketing technologies.

But even as the technology improves, most marketers can’t wait. There are too many sources and data types available. It’s becoming harder to integrate them all to produce actionable insights.

Your competitors are attempting to do that now.

There are ways you can apply AI marketing techniques now to get your business on track. As the technology improves, you could already have a record of success. See how your competitors feel about that.

4 Ways AI Will Transform Your Digital Marketing Model

AI marketing won’t solve all your customer woes. But AI will deliver insights that help you make the best campaign decisions possible. And it’s already doing that for marketers.

The following are four advantages of AI that marketing teams are leveraging today. If you’re still on the fence about AI, prepare to update your digital marketing strategy.

Automation

Imagine if your team spent less time on tedium and more time on innovation? Even basic data parsing takes cognitive power. That’s where AI becomes your best new member of the team.

Think of some of the daily jobs below your teams’ skillset. Time-consuming tasks like reporting are necessary but don’t contribute to productivity.

59% of marketers believe AI will have a major or moderate impact on their productivity. They found that a team’s collective hard skills aren’t what make them successful. “Emotional intelligence, social skills, [and] level of creativity” are what add to performance.

Including AI isn’t about the machines taking over your team. It’s about maximizing your team’s potential. Help your all-stars spend more time creating value than reporting on it.

Predictive Analytics

You can apply AI to solve problems the way a human brain does. That includes analyzing data sets and producing actionable insights. Imagine your team spending more time acting on those insights than digging for them.

Predicting customer behavior and marketing trends is challenging for any team. There is room for predictive errors, and wasted time acting upon them.

AI cannot tell the future. “Predictive” is different than “prediction.” AI can discover trends and give your team what it needs to act upon them.

Your technology might produce billions of helpful data points. How many users are going to churn? Which users are the most likely to become customers?

AI gives your team what it needs to create realistic predictions. Spend less time digging through data and following false leads. Spend more time creating conversions and driving brand loyalty.

Applying Your Marketing Strategy

We’ve gone over some of the practical applications of AI. But what does AI mean for the “bigger picture”?

There are several dimensions to your marketing strategy. They include channels, targeting, and pricing, among others. AI can contribute to all of them.

You choose your marketing channels based on your audience and content. Your choices depend on the greater goals of your marketing campaign.

AI can automate marketing channel selection based on your objectives. It can look at data from previous campaigns and optimize the selection of your channels for future ones.

Your targeting involves reaching the best audience for your value propositions. You’ll zoom in on specific audiences within your marketing channels.

AI can analyze historical data and identify gaps in previous targeting. It can experiment with new forms of targeting before you launch your initiatives.

Optimizing Your Team

It might seem creepy to have AI tracking employees’ performance. But with AI doing so in real time, managers have more opportunities to nip performance issues in the bud.

Employees are often motivated by the question, “what will the boss think?” AI gives them a new motivator: “What’s the best thing to do?”

AI can spot when employees are losing sight of positive motivators. They can spot if they’re encountering skills gaps. Identifying these problems helps teams work together to prevent shortcomings in the future.

Building a Future with AI

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a business enabler. It’s a human enabler, too. Employees are already adjusting to their new “team members” in the workplace of tomorrow.

It’s time to start thinking about how AI marketing will affect your team. But you need to understand what it will do for your business before your next move.

Let’s connect. Contact me today to set up a short consultation. We’ll talk about your pain points and talk about what AI can do for you.