“Hey Alexa, where can I find XYZ?”
If you’re even remotely connected to modern technology, then you know what, or rather who, Alexa is, and that you can virtually ask her anything and receive an answer. These curated answers are entitled “skills” and there are currently more than 30,000 available today. With so many skills out there, it seems that adding a new skill to Alexa’s library is an easy task. So is it that so many companies struggle with how to integrate voice technology into their marketing strategy? If you’re one of the brands that finds itself lost on designing an Alexa skill for your brand, here are a few tips that may help.
- Plan Ahead. Don’t be so eager to get a skill onto the market that you fail to create a great and useful one. Alexa users are not shy to leave negative reviews on skills they find dissatisfying so make sure you go into the planning process with an idea of your skill, how it will be developed and how much of your budget you’re willing to allot to it.
- Keep The Human Aspect Alive. We aren’t arguing that Alexa is a real person, but users certainly interact with her as if she is. With that in mind, keep your skill dialogue brief and to the point, yet still upbeat and conversational. Avoid complex, industry-specific language that may leave your listener more confused. The best way to know if you have a good skill dialogue is to actually read it out loud to someone. Simple enough, right?
- Remember, Alexa Is Not Perfect. Just like we stated before, Alexa is a piece of technology, not a person. Therefore, her technology may encounter issues with your skill, such as not responding correctly or providing the wrong answer. To combat this issue, make sure your dialogue includes a wide variety of phrases people may use to address Alexa and have several error messages ready, like redirecting them closer to your original messaging or asking them to clarify.
- Make Your Skill Known. New skills are being added to Alexa’s library every day, making it more difficult for users to find your specific one without prior knowledge that it exists. As a result, it is important to heavily promote your skill through social media and on your website, with instructions on how to use it. The more users hear or read your skill’s language, the easier it will be for them to automatically remember it.
- Utilize Your Voice Search Strategy. Once you become more comfortable with voice search as a marketing strategy to interact with your customers, consider adding in voice shopping initiatives or digital voice advertisements to encourage users to ask Alexa to find your brand specifically.
If done correctly, developing an Alexa skill will do wonders for your brand in terms of brand recognition, customer interaction and sales. If this is something you’d like to consider for your company, Vista14 is here to help! Contact us here to learn more.