Voice notes in sales pitches? Only on LinkedIn

Business owners know that they face a tightrope when it comes to marketing – too little and they’ll slide from customers’ considerations, but too much, and they risk alienating the very people they want to reach. 

LinkedIn has proved a valuable marketing tool for businesses; with 310 million active monthly users and its network expansion possibilities. However, a small backlash on the platform over voice pitches is opening the debate as to what is good practice.

In particular, when can businesses use voice note pitches, if at all.

Voice Pitch etiquette

With increasing evidence that LinkedIn is replacing emails for marketing for many businesses (especially B2B), questions are now arising as to exactly how marketers should use the platform’s tools. 

Voice notes are proving a contentious way of marketing directly, with one LinkedIn user describing them as “presumptuous,” but also argued that they are non-searchable, so of limited value. 

They also stated that voice notes are “out of context” on LinkedIn, which suggests that they are more acceptable on other platforms. Their usage on platforms like WhatsApp is pretty widespread.

An article published in July suggests that WhatsApp voice notes are used by 62% of daily users. Popularity does seem to be determined by age, with Gen Z and Millennials leading the way; though Time magazine hailed them as “small acts of love” in an essay in February. 

Too forward, too intimate?

Herein might lie the issue. The balance between standing out on LinkedIn and being over familiar – and perhaps therefore unprofessional – is made tougher by the nature of voice notes. 

They seem to be equated with friendships or colleagues, and therefore not suitable for what is essentially reaching out to a stranger. 

Consensus seems to be that sending a voice message should not be your first interaction with a potential client. 

There are a number of key reasons, including the fact that a voice message doesn’t allow a LinkedIn user to preview the content. This might get their security hackles rising as it screams scam or spam. 

It is also inconvenient. It is far quicker to quickly read a message than having to find your headphones, hit listen and take notes of what was said. Ease is absolutely key when it comes to building relationships with potential clients. 

Benefits of the written word

There are also huge advantages to writing a message instead of sending a voice note. The first of which is editing. 

Writing a note gives you a chance to really hone what you want to say, keep it targeted and make sure that all of the information you want to include is there. Unless you are a champion orator, voice notes tend to be more fluid, full of pauses and can also be harder to understand.

Written messages also leave a visible trail. If a potential client does reply, the conversation is there in LinkedIn for you to see what has been said to date. Having to listen back to voice notes doesn’t allow this. 

However, once a rapport has been built, voice notes can absolutely play a role as there is power in hearing a human voice, but also efficiency when it comes to conveying ideas.

At this point, when you are no longer a complete stranger, voice notes could be what keeps a customer engaged. Use them too soon, though, and expert opinion suggests you could send people running or see them not engaging at all.