Why your employees' ears might just be the way to their heart
Once upon a time video killed the radio star, but in recent years our fondness for all things audio has resurfaced. From podcasts to audiobooks and from Siri to voice notes, we have seemingly rediscovered the power of the voice in communications. To give you some idea of the scale of the consumption in audio content, data suggests that 131 million Americans are listening to audio content daily, while it's forecasted that there will be around 160 million podcast listeners in the US by 2026.
And it’s not only commercial audio use that’s on the rise. WhatsApp has previously reported that its users sent a daily average of 7 billion voice memos! And it’s popular across the board, albeit it with the generational split that probably won’t surprise you, with 84% of Gen Z, 63% of millennials, 56% of Gen X, and 47% of baby boomers reportedly using voice notes regularly.
So why are we falling back in love with the sound of (our own) voices?
The power of audio storytelling
If you’ve ever had a text or email misread or misunderstood, then you will appreciate the power of being able to express something in spoken words, where you can add the right intonation and truly convey your emotions. But it turns out there are also some scientific, and very human reasons why this is such an effective medium for communicating with and engaging people.
Ever heard of the term prosody? Prosody is simply a term that – among other things - describes our individual manner of speaking. Prosody helps us make our message understandable, show intention and convey feelings. Listen to any TED talk and you will see this in action - speakers using intonation, accentuation and changes in speed and powerfully placed pauses to give sense to their words. Prosody allows us to heighten the listener’s attention and enhance their understanding. And far more powerfully than if we were only reading a transcript. According to the neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran, prosody is linked to the emotional parts of the brain and therefore, when we hear a voice, it gives us the sensation of being accompanied, we are not alone, which in turn provides a sense of wellbeing.
3 good reasons to introduce audio into your comms toolkit
As already covered above, we are hardwired to react to audio far more easily and intimately than by only reading content. Using voice has the power to evoke emotion, and as we know – where there’s emotion there’s usually engagement. And remember, audio is not only voice, there’s also music and sound effects, all of which helps to tell a richer – and more memorable – story.
Using audio communication also lessens the chance of misunderstanding as tone and intonation can deliver additional layers of information, making meaning and intention clearer.
And of course, there’s everybody’s favourite reason for doing anything: convenience. By giving your employees an option to catch up on company updates that doesn’t involve them reading yet another email or even having to sit at their desk, you significantly increase the chance that they will engage with what you have to say.
Introducing Podcaster from COSYN LAB
At COSYN we are always looking at ways to make communications more powerful, more engaging and of course more efficient. Given that audio as a medium is demonstrably powerful, we wanted to provide a way for organizations to harness that power to share their internal messages. And the result is our experimental tool, Podcaster!
With Podcaster - currently in its beta version - you can take any kind of written content, for example a newsletter, and use it to generate an editable podcast script along with high-quality audio. Your teams can then get the latest news and updates on the things that matter to them while on the way to work, while out for a run or even while cleaning their house. No more email fatigue, no more missed pings on Teams.
Want to know the best thing? It’s completely free. Sign up here and try it out today!