If last week’s blog has got you thinking about how to provide the answer to the millions of voice searches made every day, then you’re going to enjoy this week’s exploration of Alexa Skills.
Alexa Skills are a bit like apps, designed with Amazon tools to take advantage of Alexa voice searches. Amazon are keen for us to make Skills, so they provide a lot of the tools to make it easier for developers, as well as ensuring that Skills can be created using any code language.
Given Amazon’s global dominance of the smart speaker market, Alexa Skills are potentially a great channel to connect with your preferred audience.
Do I need an Alexa Skill?
Only you can answer that question. But if you’re a B2C brand with a defined audience, lots of useful knowledge, and a content marketing strategy, then it’s worth exploring the idea. And if you’re already selling your product on the Amazon platform, then you should definitely read on.
Alexa Skills for Content Marketing
If you’ve got this far, you’re probably already familiar with the idea of content marketing, providing useful content for your ideal audience to build trust and positive brand associations. You’re probably aware of how that content can be repurposed for use in different channels – for example, a good informative blog can be repurposed as a Youtube explainer video, or a LinkedIn slide share.
Alexa Skills offer another avenue for you to repurpose your content. You can provide a repository of your subject knowledge that can be accessed via an Alexa Skill, using voice search. There are many brands making good use of this – the Jagermeister Party Hotline is a good example, offering everything from cocktail recipes to party playlists to provide experiences synonymous with their brand. Jonnie Walker also make great use of their Alexa Skill to provide on-brand informative fun (stop judging! Some of us are still working our way through the Christmas booze).
If you’re an active member of the community you’re marketing for, then there might be opportunities for you to provide a more specific service for your audience – the Surrey Hills Mountain Biking Alexa Skill is a good example, providing up to date information about biking news, route suggestions and bike trail conditions specific to that area and community.
Alexa Skills for Ecommerce
There are more direct ways to make money with Alexa Skills. Even if you’re not registered as an Amazon merchant, you can set up an Alexa Skill to allow customers to manage their accounts using voice commands.
Food vendors can follow the example of Domino’s and Starbucks to provide easy voice command ordering and payment options.
For Ecommerce businesses already operating through Amazon, additional services such as Amazon Pay for Alexa Skills offer even more incentives, allowing voice command purchase systems to be integrated with your CRM and ordering and inventory systems.
If you’re looking to work with the most innovative marketing agency Leeds has to offer, you’re in the right place. Get in touch for a chat about what we’re doing differently.
