As a marketer or online business owner, you already know that the faster you can produce results, the longer you’ll be able to focus on developing and refining your overarching strategy so you can capture the attention of your audience more than your competition can.
But, physically typing out blog posts, drafts, personal notes, ideas, and various other documents can be a (painfully) slow process, especially when you consider how much faster your brain’s processing speed actually is compared to your typing speed.
Since you type a lot slower than you think, a great way to take back some of that valuable work time is by automating your writing tasks. Don’t think that’s possible? Well, it is! All you need is the right voice-to-text software.
The good news is that there are a lot of these tools available on the market for you to choose from.
And, to save you the trouble of having to sift through dozens of products, I’ve done all the research for you and come up with the best voice to text software that you can find out there.
So read on to find out everything you need to know about it and how you can use it to boost your productivity when it comes to content creation.
What exactly is Voice-to-Text Software?
It is simply a speech recognition technology that lets you type without using your hands by turning the words you speak into written text.
You just dictate what you want to write, and it does the rest.
This means that as bloggers, you can now get your posts written a lot faster than you normally would – which ultimately leads to getting more things done in your day.
One of the best voice to text options you’ll find today is called Dragon Naturally Speaking.
It’s among the absolute best tools you can use to improve your efficiency and expedite your workflow. It not only turns your spoken words into text, but it also does so a lot quicker than you’d be able to type.
With Dragon voice to text software, blog posts that used to take you hours to write will now be completed in just minutes!
And that’s not all that Dragon does.
It also identifies and understands human speech and carries out your commands on a computer. We’ll take about that a bit more later on. Right now, let’s take a look at why you might want to invest in this software.
Why Bloggers Need to Use Speech-to-Text Software
Well, there’s the obvious reason – dictation is a lot faster than typing. On average, most people type at a rate of about 1,000 words per hour. Of course, the rate goes up significantly if you actually know what you’re talking about.
But even then, it’s nowhere near the 6 to 10 THOUSAND words that you can dictate in just one hour with the right software!
But there are many other reasons you should consider using this type of software when blogging. For instance, dictation is ideal for people who suffer from RSI as well as those who get pain in their fingers and wrists from typing.
Also, you don’t have to be stuck sitting in one place while you dictate.
You’re free to move around as you please, and your hands can be busy with something else at the same time (for the super-efficient multi-taskers among us…) Your eyes will also benefit from not having to stare at the bright computer screen for hours at a time.
Dictation also keeps you a lot more focused than you’d normally be if you were typing by hand.
For instance, I know I get easily distracted while writing, and sometimes I find myself checking emails, browsing Facebook, or doing various other things that have absolutely nothing to do with writing.
But once I started using speech to text, now I’m more likely to hit my target word count every day.
Yet another amazing benefit of using this software is that it makes it harder to edit as you write. This is something a lot of us are guilty of doing, and it wastes a lot of time.
You can’t edit and talk at the same time, so you will definitely get your post done quicker.
About Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice to Text Software
As I’ve already stated, I believe this to be one of the best options for bloggers and all other writers. Created by Nuance, this is industry-standard dictation software that allows you to dictate through your PC.
But, I also know that not everyone is ready to spend several hundred dollars on voice this type of recognition software, so I’ll include some of the less pricey alternatives and even a couple of free ones at the end.
How to use Dragon Dictation Software
One of the main advantages that Dragon has over the free options is that you can train this software to recognize specific words.
It becomes increasingly accurate the more you use it, and it also allows you to command your computer to do certain things using just your voice.
It is a bit pricey, I’ll admit, but it’s an investment in your writing that you will come to appreciate once you start using it.
Over time, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it before.
Of course, if you’re someone who only blogs once or twice a month, you may not see the value in getting this software. It makes a lot more sense for people who write a lot or on a daily basis.
When using Dragon, the first thing you need to do is to train it.
We won’t dive too much into this part, as this software has a very easy-to-follow tutorial guide to help you get started. You’ll learn how to use Dragon’s dictation while giving the software a chance to learn and understand the way you speak.
The initial tutorial takes about 90 seconds only, and you’ll be able to be up and running in about ten minutes after completing the rest of them.
This part of the setup is a step you shouldn’t skip because it will be vital in helping to increase your accuracy.
During the setup process, you also get to import some of your writing into Dragon so that it can study your writing style and learn the words and phrases you use most commonly.
Key Info:
This part of the setup is a step you shouldn’t skip because it will be vital in helping to increase your accuracy.
During the setup process, you also get to import some of your writing into Dragon so that it can study your writing style and learn the words and phrases you use most commonly.
Tips to Help You Get the Most Out of Dragon Dictation Software
1. Always outline your writing in advance
Dragon works best if you dictate in complete sentences.
Think about what you want to say before saying it. This may sound like it’s going to make your dictation efforts a lot harder, but it won’t.
As you condition yourself to your new way of ‘blogging’, you’ll eventually find that it becomes so easy to dictate this way that you don’t have to think about it anymore.
This means that if you’re writing about a topic that you don’t know very well, it’s well worth taking the time to do a bit of research so that you have an idea of what it’s vaguely about in advance.
You can draft your outlines by using bullet points or you could create mind maps. Use whichever approach works for you, and keep the outline near you while you dictate.
2. Use Placeholder Words
If you have to dictate words that the software can’t understand easily, such as foreign names of people or places, the best thing to do (rather than fight with the software every time it messes up) is to simply use a placeholder word.
This can be any common word that Dragon recognizes. You can then search for that word(s) after you’re done writing and replace them with the right one.
3. Get the Proper Equipment
For your dictation to be 100% accurate, you need to have the right microphone.
A cheap microphone won’t cut it. You need a high-quality microphone that if you want to avoid the hassle and stress of having to correct a lot of words afterward.
So instead of using your computer’s inbuilt mike or a cheap headset that’s been lying around for years, make sure you get a proper professional dictation microphone or headset.
This will have a dramatic impact on your accuracy.
The surrounding environment also plays a huge role in your success or failure when it comes to using this or any other dictation software.
This means that if you dictate in a coffee shop or somewhere equally noisy, your accuracy is going to decrease. It’s best to ensure that you only dictate when you’re in a quiet room.
4. Allow Time for Learning
As with any new skill, it’s going to take a bit of time for you to learn how to dictate a full blog post in minutes, effortlessly.
For a lot of people, there’s a period of trial and error that they go through to figure out the best way to integrate dictation into their writing workflow.
But, as long as you allow sufficient time for this unavoidable learning curve, you’ll soon be able to dictate with ease.
For instance, you always need to speak punctuation commands, like ‘period’ and ‘comma’, and when you want to start a new paragraph, you have to say the words ‘new paragraph’.
You also have to avoid saying ‘you know’ and various other filler words. It may take a bit of time to condition yourself to do this efficiently.
Dictation Changes the Way You Write
If you’re a blogger, this is a good thing. Because you’re speaking, you’ll find that your writing tone starts to become a lot more conversational.
You’re also less likely to include bigger words or complicated language in your posts.
Something you should keep in mind about this software is that although it’s pretty close, it’s not 100% accurate.
While the software will undoubtedly get better as you use it, it’s not going to be able to recognize every single word you say.
This is particularly true if your writing involves a lot of technical terms, or if the words are affected by your accent.
Track your word count from each writing session so you can compare it to when you’re writing by hand – if for no other reason than to motivate you to keep learning how to dictate more efficiently.
Additional Features of Dragon Dictation Software
The advanced version of Dragon Naturally Speaking software offers you the power to control your computer via your voice.
This aspect of the software specifically benefits those people who have physical disabilities that hinder them from doing things like surfing the internet, using applications on their computer, or basically doing anything that you can do with a mouse or keyboard.
Personally, I don’t actually use Dragon for any of those things. I am more interested in using it for writing blog posts more efficiently and to prevent any problems with RSI.
If you don’t know what RSI is, it’s a potentially debilitating health condition that arises from overusing your hands to perform repetitive tasks (such as writing, typing, or clicking a mouse…).
Bloggers and other people who use computers regularly are at risk of developing RSI.
Another impressive feature of Dragon is that you can import audio files into it and it will instantly transcribe them for you.
For instance, you can record audio files on your iPhone instead of dictating directly into the software, but expect the accuracy will be a bit lower than what you’d be able to achieve using your headset and computer.
However, it’s a super useful feature if you find yourself stuck.
Dragon Cost and Alternatives
You can use Dragon software with any of your favorite programs, including Word, for a price that ranges between $59 and $300 depending on the version you get.
But, if you’re not yet ready to use this premium dictating software, here are a few alternatives:
- Siri
- Cortana
- Listnote
- Gboard
- Apple Dictation
- Speech Recognizer
- Google Docs Voice Typing
Dictation Software: The Final Word
In case you’re wondering, it is possible to edit your written work using Dragon by simply commanding the software to select then replace the words. But, to be honest, I’ve found doing it this way to be a bit slower than just editing by hand.
However, making corrections using your voice is a great way of improving the accuracy of your profile.
Oh, and by the way, if you’re going to have different people using this software, each person needs to set up their own separate profile.
The bottom line is that speech to text tools like Dragon Naturally Speaking are extremely useful for anyone who wants to increase their daily word count, get through first drafts, or avoid writing in pain.
As long as you use it the right way, this software will help you get more done, easier, each and every day!
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PlanetBizOp.com
->Steven
Updated: Originally published April 4th 2019
