What is text-to-speech and how can it help your business?

What is Text-To-Speech (TTS)?

Text-to-speech, also termed TTS, enables brands, companies, and organizations to convert written text into natural-sounding audio. It is a form of supportive technology that reads out digital texts in a variety of languages and voices. TTS technology is used on computers, smartphones, and tablets. It is widely accepted for its flexibility, as it provides an alternative for brands to communicate with users when reading a screen is either not possible or inconvenient.

Although first used as an accessibility tool, the technology has evolved over the years. Advancements in digital content production and rising consumption of mobile devices, coupled with increasing internet penetration, have boosted the demand for text-to-speech technology. Nowadays, TTS services produce high-quality, natural-sounding speech outputs. These can be voices representing different ages and genders, with different pitches, rates, and pronunciations. As a result, TTS has the potential to increase return on investment (ROI) by significant numbers.

The Benefits of Text-To-Speech​

So now that you know what text-to-speech is, let’s take a look at some ways it can benefit your business:

1. Increases Content Reach

15-20% of the worldwide population has some form of language-based learning disability. TTS makes content accessible to that population. It also makes content accessible to those with literacy difficulties or reduced vision. Websites applying TTS technology can attract 774 million illiterate adults around the world and 285 million people with visual impairments. Although it provides huge support for the abovementioned populations, speech enabling web content does not interfere with usability for those without disabilities. Making digital content accessible in multiple forms also aids other populations, including older users and foreign speakers.

2. Enhances customer experience

Adding an alternative way to consume content online creates an easier and better user experience. Audible online content helps customers better understand your message by translating written text to audio. TTS is said to increase customer comprehension and enhance the overall message. By doing so, visitors are far more likely to return to your website, as a result of the positive experiences they have had. Also, a positive customer experience increases the chances for positive word of mouth.

3. Saves time and money

Speech-enabling customer care minimizes human agent workload, accelerates processes, and issues can be solved quickly and easily. On the other hand with the use of TTS technology, online content can be speech-enabled, with minimum maintenance. In this way, organizations save a significant amount of money on operational costs.

4. Effective brand building

Customer experience lies at the heart of your brand building. TTS helps to enhance the customer journey across different touchpoints, building loyalty and differentiating companies from their competitors.
A single, natural, and human-like voice used across multiple contact points can help build consistency in the brand while enabling emotional branding. All these are factors that contribute to effective brand building and an improved customer experience.

5. Facilitates Learning

There exist several different styles of learning. Some individuals prefer to learn by hearing, some by seeing, others by reading, some by doing, and others by asking questions. Most prefer a combination. By enabling both visual and audio presentation, text-to-speech helps improve comprehension, recall, and vocabulary skills, while boosting motivation and confidence.

The technology also makes employee learning programs easier to grasp and allows for learning, anywhere and at any time. This results in better employee performance which benefits the business.

6. Enhances Mobility

Users are spending an increasing amount of time on their mobile devices, reading and consuming content. Text to speech gives them the option to consume content on the go. This way users can listen to a news or blog article, a PDF document, or an e-book in any environment that is convenient for them. TTS provides people the convenience of reading anything they want, without having to scroll through it.

To sum up

One thing is for certain, text to speech has the potential to make things easier and better. From increasing your digital content’s reach to delivering an enhanced end-user experience. TTS technology gives access to your online content on mobile devices, increases engagement, and ensures that information is available in both written and audio formats. And all of this while minimizing costs. All in all, text-to-speech allows you to respond to the different needs and desires of each user in terms of how they want to interact with your offering. So, if you are ready to give your words a voice, Routee’s TTS service can complement your communication using natural sounding voices and personalized messages. It is time you give it a try!