Get Real
Where the fundamental appeal of Soundbite lies is in its “authenticity” – at least as of today as we continue to evolve our next-generation communications platform.
First, at least at this stage of our customer’s development, Soundbite creators are mostly just that – creative – rather than posed and picture-perfect overly done corporate communicators and we mean no offense to those AP-style junkies out there that “understand” their audiences only to be met by paltry email open rates and intranet engagement.
And where email vendors proclaim “Comms are Too Noisy.” Yeah, you think, I can’t count how many overly written, terribly boring internal communications emails I have read over the years or how they pile up into my 1000+ unread emails. But seriously, if you have the world’s best and easiest email designer, it will get better (enter sarcasm).
Why is it the brands don’t waste time with emails and use websites as secondary to short-form communications platforms where “Influencers” are on Instagram and TikTok harnesses the popular “creatives” moniker?
That is where our head is at with Soundbite.
Soundbite is this refreshing take that is enabling internal communicators to realize the influence and more importantly get partners in the business to actively participate in the creation of content. Soundbites for creators are collaborative and for audiences authentic. It’s not about giving a blueprint, but collaborating on a topic or sharing stories like that from NPR’s Storycorps.
This intrinsic realism, coupled with the authentic nature of the platform, helps to make what would otherwise be considered dry content exciting and fun. Consider Box Hill Institute, the largest vocational education institution in Australia that offers up Soundbiteswith humor for their quarterly performance business KPIs, and any business updates that affect all employees. The amazing part, one wouldn’t have thought from an email, but it turns out members of the Strategy & Governance team have senses of humor and personalities too!
Another great example is LiveTiles, a digital employee experience platform that has embedded Soundbite into their everyday routines. Rather than having meetings around the clock and being tired of emails, LiveTiles has now Soundbite enabled their platform with content-based experiences that let them build better connections and a healthier workplace experience.
Soundbite welcomes ALL creators talking about anything and everything with a down-to-earth approach that differentiates itself from anything ever offered in the employee communications and collaboration markets.
Soundbite requires outside-the-box thinking, trying to replicate success and failures on other platforms because both the strategy and content of Soundbite vs legacy communications formats align about as closely as a square peg in a round hole.
It’s Not How You Write, It’s What You Know … and How You Say It
OK, so this might scare most communications traditionalists, but it also might just be the key to breaking down traditional communications to business barriers that kill employeeengagement in the first place. Soundbite’s appeal lies in the way it prioritizes one’s interests and preferences based on interests audiences.
The Soundbite content-focused approach is a boon for communicators as they don’t need to waste time designingand authoring communications. Rather, they can work with creators who have intrinsic and inherent influence while enabling them with talking points or key messages to incorporate into the dialogue.
In Conclusion
We offer three tips for creators learning to use the platform:
– “Sound On!” Unlike otherplatforms, your sound is essential to Soundbite, not secondary.
Though transcription is possible and encouraged for increased accessibility, engagement, and search.
– “Tap your Talent.” We encourage partnerships with Soundbite Ambassadors who are your content partners and can act as a liaison to source great stories and find new creators who have a story to tell.
– “Keep It Real.” More than half of our most engaged Soundbites qualify as emotionally appealing or are around significant event-based topics such as Michael Brown, Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, and more.
But, of course, always put yourself before Soundbite. No matter what trends are emerging, Soundbite is not the tech looking for the idea. The communications team has to understand what Soundbite offers, what their culture is welcoming, and come up with a compelling reason to participate.