Voice-assisted devices are taking over homes, offices and hotels. According to Adweek, 67 million voice-assisted devices will be in use in the U.S. by 2019. But these voice-controlled devices are more than just speakers; they are digital assistants, home device controllers and personal shoppers.
Marketers can take advantage of this emerging platform by creating a strategy that connects with customers in a new way.
Just as there is no single social media channel, i.e. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have different audiences and require different approaches, the boom of voice-assisted devices will require marketers to think differently about how they approach each agent.
For example, Google’s voice agent, Google Home, has the same capabilities as a traditional search engine, while Amazon’s Alexa will search in its product marketplace first before searching the rest of the web.
However, because Alexa is a customer-centric platform, it collects valuable data about customers’ buying habits and demographics. Marketers can use this data to make advertising decisions, understand their customers’ needs and focus on strategies that attract their ideal customers.
A recent study by retail search marketing firm NetElixir, suggests that 71% of voice-search users don’t actually use it to make purchases, and only 29% employ voice-search for research. However, NetElixir CEO Udayan Bose predicts that larger brands will have the advantage with marketing via voice agents:
“I predict that brands will be the victors with voice search as consumers are likely referencing specific brands when buying via voice. For example, they’re asking to buy more Colgate toothpaste, rather than toothpaste from a particular retailer.”
[bctt tweet="“I predict that brands will be the victors with voice search.” @udayanbose" username="relevance"]
Because consumers cannot see the products in front of them when using voice agents, brands and marketers should think about creating custom identities, such as developing a unique voice or audio signature that makes their brands instantly recognizable by users.
Joe Maceda, invention studio lead at Mindshare North America, suggests that brands can offer voice-only discounts, exclusive to Amazon users.
Further, Maceda suggests: “many voice applications are not about directly driving sales, but getting people to use more. Meaning, 'Here are recipe suggestions for this product' geared toward getting people to use more of it. A happy byproduct: Getting people more used to engaging with your brand with voice."
Voice-assisted devices are the wave of the future. There are endless possibilities for brands and marketers to capitalize on the benefits of voice technology. The only limit is their creativity.
