Smart speakers are becoming more popular and influential as sources of news and information. But how can you write news content for smart speakers that keeps listeners engaged and satisfied? Here are some tips and best practices to consider.
Smart speaker users have different preferences and expectations than online or print readers. They want concise, relevant, and timely news that fits their daily routines and interests. They also want a natural and conversational tone that sounds human and trustworthy. To write news content for smart speakers, you need to know your audience's demographics, behaviors, and feedback. Use analytics, surveys, and reviews to understand what they want, when they want it, and how they want it.
Start strong (to grab attention), stay original (to keep it going), be interesting yet concise (to get audience wanting more).
In this case, you should understand that you are unlikely to surprise anyone with information from books and theory (especially if people understand the topic). Therefore, the most favorite option is to tell your personal experience and everything that came out of it, while simultaneously using fundamental theory to lead to this.
Listen to your audience by actually speaking to the people that fall into your bracket. A face to face conversation, with thorough interviewing, will get you far more feeling for your audience than 40 hours of research, surveying and analytics. That's because you need to know the "why" behind the trends that you're spotting.
These might be of help: Conversational Tone-Smart speakers are part of the home, often perceived as a family member. Using friendly tone for news content would make the listener feel as if they are being personally addressed, fostering a deeper connection. Interactive Elements-Encouraging listener participation through questions or prompts, creates a dynamic two-way communication, which not only keeps listeners attentive but also provides them with a personalized experience. Keeping Content Brief and Relevant-Attention spans are short; news for smart speakers should be concise, focusing on the most important facts. Tailoring content to the listener's interests or location can further enhance relevance and engagement.
I believe there's room to consider a broader narrative style, even within the brevity that smart speakers necessitate. While users generally prefer quick and relevant updates, occasionally, they might appreciate deeper dives into certain topics. This doesn't mean lengthy monologues but rather strategically placed, more detailed insights that add value to the news narrative, making it not just an update but a richer, more engaging experience. Additionally, while analytics provide valuable data, there's also an intangible aspect of listener engagement that numbers might not fully capture.
Writing for the ear is different from writing for the eye. You need to use simple and clear language, short sentences, and active voice. You also need to avoid jargon, acronyms, and complex numbers that might confuse or bore your listeners. To write for the ear, you need to read your content aloud, edit for clarity and flow, and use punctuation and pauses to create rhythm and emphasis.
What's easiest to read, is hardest to write. Simplify your content without losing the confident tone, remove all acronyms (or explain, them the first time you include them), and always assume that while your reader is very smart, you cannot assume they are from your industry or understand your own company.
The first few seconds of your news content are crucial to capture your listeners' attention and curiosity. You need to start with a hook that summarizes the main point, highlights the relevance, and sparks the interest of your audience. A hook can be a question, a quote, a statistic, or a surprising fact. To start with a hook, you need to craft a catchy and compelling headline, lead, and introduction that make your listeners want to hear more.
Hook is the most important part to grab attention! You must start with something interesting for instance an anecdote or a fact that grabs attention and ignites curiosity among listeners about something. - Be unique but logical - Link it to your story (coherence) - Keep it short but interesting
When writing, most people want to add a line or two that gives context to their message. DON'T DO THIS. Instead, jump straight into the action of your message with a hooky opening. In the "flat text" of your article or content, there is plenty of time to back up and explain the "why" or "how" of your hook.
Smart speaker users have limited attention spans and memory capacities. They might be multitasking, distracted, or interrupted while listening to your news content. You need to structure your content in a way that makes it easy to follow, remember, and recall. To structure your content, you need to use transitions, signposts, and summaries to guide your listeners through your main points, arguments, and evidence. You also need to use repetition, variation, and reinforcement to reinforce your key messages and takeaways.
Structurally, always assume that you will lose people along the way. Imagine that your content is written on a sheet of paper that is rolled up from below. Give your readers the gist of your opinion/ message up-front, and add more detail later. It's OK if you repeat yourself with several more layers of detail, further along in your content. Adding numbers (i.e. "The Three Reasons for X" or "Seven signs that X is happening") are a comfortable way for your reader's brain to process information.
To captivate smart speakers, think "short and sweet": prioritize key info, use clear transitions, and avoid jargon. Write conversationally, like you're talking directly to them, and add a dash of personality and sound effects to paint a picture with audio. End with a call to action and anticipate their follow-up questions. It’s all about easy listening and digestible chunks – keep them wanting more!
Smart speakers offer more than just text-to-speech capabilities. They can also deliver audio elements that enhance your news content and create a richer and more immersive experience for your listeners. Audio elements can include sound effects, music, voiceovers, interviews, or clips from other sources. To use audio elements, you need to choose them wisely, integrate them smoothly, and balance them with your narration. You also need to follow the technical specifications and guidelines of your smart speaker platform.
Smart speaker users rely on voice assistants to find and access your news content. You need to optimize your content for search engine optimization (SEO) to increase your visibility and ranking. To optimize for SEO, you need to use keywords, phrases, and questions that match your audience's queries and intents. You also need to use metadata, schema, and markup to help your smart speaker platform understand and present your content.