How Voice Note Channels Can Save Your Business Thousands Every Single Day

In every workplace, time is money. Yet we’ve become accustomed to wasting time without even realising it. Remote teams, scattered across different locations, rely on digital tools like email, Slack, and other text-based systems to keep communication flowing. But here's the irony: the very tools designed to keep us connected are costing us hours of productivity every single day.

Let’s do some quick math. The average worker in the UK earns around ￡35,000 a year. In the US, that number jumps to about $60,000. When we break that down, the average hourly wage in the UK hovers around ￡17, and in the US, it’s about $29. Now consider how long it takes to type out an email or a Slack message. A single interaction can take 3 to 5 minutes, not because the thought is complex, but because typing is inherently slower than speaking. And yet, most of us are typing all day long.

The typical office worker sends or receives about 120 emails a day. Let’s assume 30 of those require a response or action — that’s at least 90 minutes lost to writing and responding to messages. Add another 30 messages on Slack, and suddenly you’re up to 150 minutes of communication that could have been done faster, with more clarity, and less miscommunication.

This is where voice comes in. Imagine if instead of typing, you were speaking. Sound Branch offers a simple alternative: voice channels that allow you to record messages, automatically transcribe them, and share them with your team. People can listen, read, or both — the communication is multimodal, which means it meets everyone where they’re at. But more importantly, it’s fast. Speaking is three times quicker than typing, on average. A message that takes 5 minutes to type can be said in less than 2.

Now multiply that time saved across an entire team. For a small team of 10 people, switching to voice communication could save between 10 and 25 hours of work every day. Let’s translate that into real money. If each employee in the UK is saving between 1 and 2.5 hours a day, that’s ￡168 to ￡421 saved per day in labour costs. In the US, the savings are even greater: $288 to $721 per day.

As your team grows, so do the savings. For a company of 50 employees, you’re looking at savings of ￡841 to ￡2,103 per day in the UK, or $1,442 to $3,606 in the US. And for large businesses? A team of 1,000 employees could save anywhere from ￡16,827 to ￡42,067 every single day. In the US, that jumps to a staggering $28,846 to $72,115.

But this isn’t just about money. There’s something more fundamental at play. Voice communication is richer. It’s faster, but it’s also more human. When we speak, we convey tone, emotion, and nuance that’s impossible to replicate in text. We reduce misunderstandings and build empathy in ways that keyboard warriors can’t. We stop hiding behind walls of text and start having conversations again — the way communication was meant to be.

So the question is simple: why are we still typing? Time is money, and the time lost to endless emails and Slack messages is costing us more than we think. It’s time to rethink how we communicate. Switching to voice isn’t just faster — it’s better for business.

How to Sign Up for Your Own Voice Site on Sound Branch

Step 1: Visit Sound Branch

? Open your web browser and go to soundbran.ch.

? On the homepage, click the “Create a Free Podcast Site” button.

Step 2: Create Your Account

? You will be prompted to enter your email address, name, and create a password.

? After filling in the details, click “Create Account”.

Step 3: Set Up Your Voice Site

? Once logged in, click the “Create a Free Podcast Site” button.

? Enter the name of your site (this could be your school, group, or company name).

? Select your preferences for the site’s privacy settings (e.g., public or invite-only).

? Customise your site with a logo or image and colours if desired.

How to Invite People to Your Site

Step 4: Invite Users to Your Site

? After setting up your voice site, click the Network option and “Invite a Contact” option.

? Enter the email addresses of the people you want to invite. You can invite colleagues simply by adding as many email addresses as you like.

? Send the invitations, and each invitee will receive an email with instructions on how to join your site.

Creating Groups and Inviting People

Step 5: Create a Group

? Inside your voice site, you can create specific groups for easier communication.

? Navigate to the Groups section in the menu and click “Create New Group”.

? Name your group (e.g., “Management”, “Support,” or “Sales”) and set the permissions for who can join and participate.

Step 6: Invite People to Your Group

? After creating a group, click on the group, and then click “Invite Members”.

? Add the email addresses of the people you want to join the group.

? They will receive an email invitation to join the group on your voice site.

Recording Voice Notes

Step 7: Recording via Browser

? Once logged in, you can start recording voice messages directly from your browser.

? Go to the Timeline or any Group.

? Click the “Record” button (usually a microphone icon).

? Allow the browser to access your microphone, then press and hold the button to record your voice message.

? Release the button when you’re done, add any text if needed, and click “Post”.

Step 8: Recording via Mobile App

? Download the Sound Branch app from the Google Play Store (for Android) or the App Store (for iOS).

? Log in with your account details.

? Navigate to your Voice Site or Group, and tap the “Record” button at the bottom.

? Press and hold the button to record your message, then release it to post.

Notifications and Message Tracking

Step 9: Receive Notifications

? Once you’re a member of a voice site or group, you will receive push notifications on your mobile device and email alerts whenever:

? A new voice message is posted.

? Someone replies to your message.

? You receive direct mentions.

Step 10: Track Message Engagement

With Sound Branch Analytics, you can unlock valuable insights into how your team communicates and interacts using voice notes. Here’s what you can do with the data:

Plays

Monitor how many times each voice note is played. This gives you an idea of which messages are resonating most with your team or audience. You can track trends over time and see if certain topics or conversations spark more engagement.

Word Usage

Analyse the frequency of specific words used across voice notes. This allows you to track recurring themes, important keywords, or even measure how effectively your team is using certain terms related to key projects or goals. It’s a powerful way to identify focus areas or assess the tone of communication.

Popular Groups

Identify which groups within your organisation are the most active and engaged. Understanding which teams or departments are making the most use of voice communication can help you pinpoint strong collaborative efforts and areas that might benefit from more engagement.

Popular Chats

Track which conversations or threads are receiving the most interaction, whether that’s through replies, likes, or listens. This gives you insight into the most important or engaging topics, helping you prioritise communication efforts.

Time-Based Trends

Use analytics to track the number of plays over time, helping you understand when your team is most engaged. This data can inform when to send important voice notes or updates, ensuring maximum visibility and interaction.

Sound Branch analytics empower you to make data-driven decisions on communication effectiveness, collaboration, and team engagement, all while encouraging richer, faster conversations.

Annual Potential Savings

Here are the estimated annual savings for UK and USA companies based on switching to voice note channels, calculated for teams of 10, 50, 200, and 1,000 people:

UK:

1. 10 People:

? Low Estimate: ￡43,680

? High Estimate: ￡109,460

2. 50 People:

? Low Estimate: ￡218,660

? High Estimate: ￡546,780

3. 200 People:

? Low Estimate: ￡874,900

? High Estimate: ￡2,187,380

4. 1,000 People:

? Low Estimate: ￡4,375,020

? High Estimate: ￡10,937,420

USA:

1. 10 People:

? Low Estimate: $74,880

? High Estimate: $187,460

2. 50 People:

? Low Estimate: $374,920

? High Estimate: $937,560

3. 200 People:

? Low Estimate: $1,499,940

? High Estimate: $3,749,980

4. 1,000 People:

? Low Estimate: $7,499,960

? High Estimate: $18,749,900

These savings reflect the reduced time spent on written communication by switching to faster voice note channels. Larger teams experience even greater financial benefits due to the cumulative time saved across employees.

Top Job Roles and Teams That Benefit Most from Voice Note Channels

1. Remote and Hybrid Teams

? Why it’s useful: Streamlines communication across different time zones and reduces the back-and-forth of emails or Slack messages, making collaboration faster and more effective.

2. Customer Support Teams

? Why it’s useful: Voice notes allow support agents to quickly resolve issues, leaving a human touch that builds rapport with customers, while transcriptions ensure accurate record-keeping.

3. Sales Teams

? Why it’s useful: Speed is critical in sales. Voice notes enable faster follow-ups with prospects, quicker responses to enquiries, and improved communication between sales reps and managers.

4. Project Management and Operations Teams

? Why it’s useful: Helps project managers give rapid updates, deliver instructions clearly, and keep teams aligned without the need for lengthy written reports.

5. Education and Training Teams

? Why it’s useful: Educators and trainers can send quick verbal feedback to students or trainees, making learning more interactive and personal while saving time on written assessments.

6. Marketing and Creative Teams

? Why it’s useful: Enables fast brainstorming sessions and idea-sharing without getting bogged down by long email chains. Voice notes help capture creative thoughts in real-time.

7. HR and Recruitment Teams

? Why it’s useful: Voice channels allow for more personal interactions during recruitment, performance reviews, and internal updates, fostering better engagement with candidates and employees.

8. Leadership and Executive Teams

? Why it’s useful: Executives can quickly share strategic updates and announcements across teams, maintaining clarity and connection with the workforce without the formality of long emails.

9. Tech and Development Teams

? Why it’s useful: Voice communication speeds up the sharing of technical issues, troubleshooting processes, and product updates, allowing for quicker decision-making in fast-paced environments.

10. Healthcare and Medical Teams

? Why it’s useful: Doctors, nurses, and administrative staff can use voice channels to quickly share patient updates and instructions, improving communication in a time-sensitive industry.

Learn More:

https://soundbran.ch

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