Monday, April 30, 2012

Letter from the Editor: Let Your Voice Be Heard












Dear Friend,

These are exciting times we live in. Digital marketing is moving at lightning speed. Social media is growing daily with Google+ and Pinterest snapping at the heels of Facebook and Twitter. (See “Pinterest Q&A” this month.) Increased Smart Phone usage is displacing desktop and laptop usage for online information. (See “Are you mobilized?” this month.) And Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing will have to reinvent themselves now that Siri has arrived.

Siri (Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface) on iPhone 4S lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk. Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean, and even talks back. What a fantastic invention and the epitome of technological advancement. And as this technology gains momentum, you’ll begin to see “Intelligent Automated Assistants” on all platforms that respond to the user’s voice, allowing them to not only find locations, add to their calendar, find trivia answers, download coupons and specials, but also to purchase items online...all with YOUR voice and without a keyboard.

It’s still in its infancy; Siri’s features are limited to the iPhone 4S and its default applications, as well as some applications that seem to have preferred status (e.g., Google Maps, Yelp, Wikipedia, and Wolfram Alpha—Best Buy’s shopping app). So, for small businesses, it’s important to be where she is pulling information from -- and that is Google Maps and Yelp.

The appearance and evolution of Siri gives good reason to pause, contemplate, and reevaluate your digital marketing strategy. Certainly something to think about. Let us know if we can help.

Best,

Chris

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