Whether your introduction came from HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey or from J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man, the idea of voice technology has been popular in sci-fi for decades, but it’s only recently made its way into our everyday lives.
Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home have become commonplace in US households. Ready for a crazy stat? Roughly 1 in 4 US adults now owns a smart speaker. That translates to 60 million people and 157 million speakers, with a 135% increase in smart speaker ownership over the past two years (according to the recent Smart Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research).
And while neither Amazon or Google allow brands to do paid advertising directly through the speakers (at least, not yet), there are still plenty of opportunities for brands to capitalize on this tech trend.
- Buy ad space on podcasts, radio stations, streaming sites, and news sources. When you purchase ad space on the platforms that your users listen to, you’re more likely to end up in front of your target market.
- Optimize your brand and website for voice search: Similar in concept to SEO, voice search optimization is a way to ensure your brand comes up first when someone does a web search via a smart speaker. Diving into the tech of voice search optimization will take a little work, but it may be well worth it for your brand. Here’s a resource to learn more about optimization for voice.
- Create Skills (Amazon Echo) and Actions (Google Home) that smart speakers can use all day every day. One example of a simple Amazon Echo Skill would be telling your Alexa to reorder paper towels when you run out. Another example: Tide has a Skill that offers step-by-step instructions on how to remove every type of stain, including recommending products.Want to learn how to build skills and actions that serve your brand? Check it out:
How to create an Amazon Echo Skill
How to create a Smart Home Action
Have you explored ways to integrate voice technology to help your business get found through this exciting new tech? Drop us a line and let us know.
