Episode 9
Voice Search & AI: Insights from Susan & Scot Westwater on Building Brands and Boosting Inbound Marketing
In this episode, Mark & Cynthia take on the role of the inquisitive luddite, exploring the realms of Voice Marketing, AI-powered content creation, and their profound impact on businesses.
️ Join us for captivating conversations with our expert guests:
- Susan & Scot Westwater of Pragmatic.Digital: Discover the future of marketing with voice search technology and conversational AI. Susan and Scot unveil insights from their new book on Voice Marketing, shedding light on how businesses can leverage these innovative tools to engage customers and stay ahead of the curve.
- Vivek Gargav of Caldere Associates: Explore the power of AI in content marketing as Vivek shares his remarkable success story. Learn how he harnessed ChatGPT and other AI tools to achieve a remarkable 400% ROI over just six months. Vivek’s experience provides actionable takeaways for businesses aiming to boost their content strategy’s effectiveness.
- Practical AI Solutions for Small Businesses: Susan and Scot share invaluable insights into using AI tools like Bard and Google My Business. Learn how even small businesses with shoestring budgets can create a competitive advantage by harnessing AI’s capabilities. Uncover strategies that can propel your business forward in an increasingly digital world.
Key Takeaways
- Voice Search Optimization for Small Businesses:
- Optimize Google My Business profiles to answer customer questions and enhance discoverability.
- Examples include local pest control businesses increasing inbound calls exponentially by refining their listings.
- Conversational AI for Brand Building:
- Leverage tools like ChatGPT and Bard to analyze content and identify top-of-funnel opportunities.
- Generate content based on high-impact keywords and customer FAQs to drive traffic and engagement.
- Democratizing AI for Practical Use:
- Voice technology is increasingly accessible, aiding not only businesses but also underserved populations like the elderly or those with disabilities.
- Real-time translation and hands-free search are becoming standard, enhancing customer experiences globally.
- Business Applications of AI and Voice:
- Generative AI tools can personalize marketing, improve sales strategies, and automate tasks such as content generation and analytics.
- Voice interfaces are evolving from simple commands to rich conversational experiences, enabling better engagement.
In This Episode
- 0:00 – Introduction: Mark Mondo sets the stage with his “luddite” perspective and introduces guests Susan & Scot Westwater and Vivek Gargav.
- 5:15 – Voice Technology’s Evolution: Susan & Scot share their journey into conversational AI and its transformative potential for businesses.
- 15:30 – Practical Use Cases: Examples of businesses succeeding with voice search and AI, including local optimization strategies.
- 30:00 – AI-Driven Content Strategies: Vivek explains how ChatGPT can be used for content analysis and strategy development.
- 45:00 – The Future of Voice Technology: Discussions on accessibility, inclusivity, and the role of voice in customer engagement.
- 55:00 – Closing Thoughts & Resources: Final tips for small businesses and upcoming speaking events.
Guest Bio
Vivek Gargav is the marketing director at Caldere Associates in Reading, England. As a Zoho certified expert, he enjoys working with SMEs to enhance their customer relationship management using Zoho CRM, Zoho Social, Zoho Campaigns, and Zoho Analytics. He’s our goto expert at MondoCRM when comes to learning anything about AI.
Susan Westwater advises the world’s most innovative brands that want to capitalize on the incredible opportunity Voice and conversational AI represent. Combining the strategic marketing and brand knowledge she gained from 25+ years at top tier agencies such as Leo Burnett and working in corporate, Susan helps clients expand their brands into conversational experiences to solve marketing and customer experience problems. Susan has presented and authored a number of talks, workshops, articles, research papers, and books focused on the role Voice, conversational AI, and other emerging technologies like the metaverse, play in marketing and business strategy. She is an organizer of the Women in Voice Chicago Chapter, Ambassador of the Open Voice Network, an instructor at the AI Academy for Marketers. Susan is co-author of Voice Strategy: Creating Useful and Usable Voice Experiences(which was a #1 Release on Amazon) and is a co-author of Voice Marketing (just released!)
Scot Westwater is the Co-Founder of Pragmatic Digital, a consultancy that partners with brands and their agencies to develop and implement conversational AI strategies that deliver tangible results. With expertise spanning various sectors, the Pragmatic team creates tailored solutions that cater to clients’ needs. Scot works closely with restaurant, retail, entertainment, and healthcare organizations to improve their marketing, customer experience, and operational efficiency. He leverages his 24+ years of design, UX, and digital strategy to create compelling conversational experiences for clients.
Scot co-wrote Voice Strategy: Creating Useful and Usable Voice Experiences with his wife, Susan, and is preparing to launch a new book, Voice Marketing, in September 2023. He has been a featured speaker at industry events such as SEM Rush World Marketing Day, Project Voice, VOICE Global, and VOICE22, and he enjoys giving guest lectures for master-level marketing and HCI classes. Scot also serves as an Ambassador for the Open Voice Network and as an instructor for the Marketing AI Institute.
Additional Resources
- Pragmatic Digital: https://www.pragmatic.digital
- Google My Business Guide: Google My Business Help
- ChatGPT by OpenAI: https://openai.com/chatgpt
- Bard by Google: https://bard.google.com
- Voice and AI Conference Info: Voice & AI Conference
- Caldere: https://www.caldere.com.
