Why Voice Comments are the Next Big Thing for Bloggers

Having a blog isn’t just about writing the latest greatest content and hoping followers come. It’s also about staying ahead of the trend, finding the best plug-ins and making your blog shine through UX, visuals and more. Written content alone isn’t enough. And, well, images and videos are great, but they might not be enough either. The hot new thing right now is voice.

Voice is taking over the Internet

So what does voice mean for online communications and how does it impact you and your blog? Well we know it’s a big deal because it’s gaining traction everywhere. For starters, LinkedIn just added a voice comments feature to its platform so that users can record and share messages. But it isn’t just social media networks that are changing, it’s also the way we use the internet. Searches and SEO are evolving thanks to voice. Voice searches are now the fastest growing type of query online, and according to Wix, voice searches will account for a huge 50% of all total searches by 2020.

Why use voice?

Voice is a game-changer for many reasons. It’s fast, easy and extremely convenient. Site visitors no longer need to sit and type things out – they can record on the go, share their thoughts and listen to what others have to say. It’s fantastic for going hands-free, and perfect for multi-tasking. But something else really makes it stand out from other forms of communication – it’s a far more personal. Speaking to someone via voice or listening to someone’s voice message means you hear tone, inflections and more – this prevents a lot of the usual ambiguity we face when reading text online. And, in a way, it lets us combine the ways we communicate online and offline.

What does it mean for your blog?

Voice sounds great, but the real question is: how can it transform your blog? In general, brands are now devoting a lot of time to thinking and developing their voice strategies in industries as diverse as allergy medicines and dog food. The bottom line is, it’s all about getting your users more involved and creating a conversation. So, adding voice to your blog can help build your community and let your readers feel that they are an active part of what you are writing. The days of passively reading something and clicking away are officially over.

Create community through voice comments

So, how can you start? The truth is, one of the most neglected parts of any blog is often the comments section. And it shouldn’t be that way. The key to a successful blog is developing the ability to really listen to and understand your readers so that you can produce relevant and compelling content. Voice comments can be added to your blog to give your users an even better channel to communicate with you and with each other, helping you increase retention rates and reduce bounces. Most importantly, voice comments allow you to interact with your readers almost as you would face-to-face. This is ultimately much more meaningful (and much more fun) than sticking with the text comments most blogs come with.

Heyoya is a game-changing comments platform that brings voice to online publishers, improving user engagement by allowing readers to express themselves beyond the medium of text. Heyoya is proven to increase brand affinity and the quality of user-generated content. Heyoya works to build your community beyond your blog. Join Heyoya today and watch your blog flourish!

For more information on Heyoya, click here.