How Brands Can Use Voice Technology To Advertise in the Metaverse

The metaverse is one of the top emerging technologies of 2022. Companies worldwide are investigating potential use cases and building capabilities for the metaverse. Meanwhile, two foundational metaverse technologies — augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) — are steadily improving and making it easier for businesses to launch compelling metaverse experiences. According to one recent Greyscale reportOpens a new window , consumers have already spent more than $200 million on virtual products, services and assets in the Web 3.0 Metaverse, demonstrating significant demand for the next evolution of the internet. 

So, what does this all mean for brands today? Massive growth potential. The metaverse provides a new channel through which companies can engage with consumers and sell offerings. Modern marketers will be able to advertise products and services in novel ways using a combination of next-gen technologies that are coming into the mainstream. Voice technology, especially, is gaining traction as an advertising tool for the metaverse.

Through voice technology, brands can deliver highly interactive and personalized experiences for consumers and commercial users alike. The current problem is that metaverse voice applications are often lacking in several ways. Below are the most common issues businesses face using voice technology, as well as tips on how modern marketing teams can rise above the noise to effectively leverage voice technology in the metaverse.

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How Metaverse Voice Technology Is Falling Short

Current voice-based metaverse experiences come with a lot of friction. Users notice time lags, and conversations between humans and avatars can feel disjointed or frustrating. Voice applications can also sound overly artificial in many cases. This prevents the voice shopping or overall experience from feeling warm or comfortable and may turn consumers off from interacting with particular brand avatars or brands as a whole. As a result, this can negatively affect retention and conversion, both of which will be essential as metaverse adoption increases and more brands turn to the metaverse as a channel through which they can find new customers. 

Additionally, brands are having difficulty differentiating themselves in the metaverse because some popular avatars use the same voice across different platforms. This makes it harder for companies to distinguish themselves and create unique identities that resonate with specific customer segments. It also causes confusion on the consumer side regarding with whom they are actually speaking. 

To rectify these issues before they are exacerbated, marketers can take steps to address these shortcomings now. The key is for teams to think about the entire customer journey and all potential touchpoints where voice can fill a void in metaverse-based interactions.

The Key To Successful Voice Advertising in the Metaverse

First and foremost, consumers want to feel as though they are connecting with the same brand as they navigate different channels so that their overall experience with a brand, no matter the channel, is the same. For marketers, this means either choosing an existing voice or developing a custom voice that aligns with the brand’s personality. Obviously, the idea of maintaining a consistent brand persona is not new; marketers just need to translate this knowledge to voice applications in the metaverse to ensure a seamless interaction. 

Regardless of what voices brands choose, the important thing is that they make sense with the current persona and are available at all relevant touchpoints. This includes anywhere involving conversational AI, text-to-speech features and natural language processing. Potential voice touchpoints should also include interactions that do not involve voice today but could help users and marketers achieve their goals.

For instance, imagine a shopper searching for a household item, like laundry detergent, in a metaverse-based store. Adding a voice that speaks out about environmentally friendly ingredients or stats on how many people purchased the same product over the past week could prompt a helpful dialogue with the consumer. In this case, the voice assistant could make the shopper feel like they are communicating with a personified version of the brand. In future interactions, the consumer will likely want to engage with that same brand again versus another that does not deliver that voice experience. It is these voice touchpoints that will enable brands to separate themselves from the pack and will increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. To make these voice touchpoints a reality, brands may consider working with a third-party voice partner.

Find an Experienced Text-to-Speech Solution Provider

As marketers explore ways to use voice technology in the metaverse, it is helpful to keep in mind that the metaverse will rely on visual and audio stimuli primarily for a long time. Consequently, voice and audio together have to provide the immersive experience people expect when they enter the metaverse. Simply using any voice to represent conversational AI or convert text to speech will not be enough for brands that want to win going forward, as consumers will become increasingly frustrated with disjointed audio experiences. 

To get started in the right direction, marketers should turn to a sophisticated voice technology developer that has already mastered Web 2.0 and can bring their experience to Web 3.0 technologies and offerings. While it is possible to build a custom voice capability for the metaverse internally, the fastest path to success is through a third-party vendor that knows how to get voice apps up and running quickly and has mastered creating seamless voice experiences that translate to the metaverse. Marketers can then focus on navigating this new virtual world and achieving their ultimate goal — converting consumers into lifelong customers. 

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The good news is that there is still time to ramp up voice technology skills for the metaverse. We are in the beginning stages in which brands can stand apart from the competition simply by investing in the right solution and taking the right approach when it comes to their voice technology strategy. This means delivering a consistent voice experience across old and new customer touchpoints to foster engagement and elevate even the smallest of interactions. As more channels come to life, thinking about the entire consumer experience empowers marketers to think critically about their strategies to ensure a seamless, friction-free experience that drives conversion and increases consumer engagement and loyalty. 

What steps have you taken to successfully advertise in the metaverse using voice technology? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .

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