Voice commerce Marketing Tips to Boost Customer Engagement
Most e-commerce platforms or shops today still require customers to go through the motions manually—using their mouse and keyboard to search for products, select them, and go through checkout to pay. Voice commerce is the evolution of the traditional e-commerce, it’s what we all know from sci-fi movies and it’s actually already here.
These days, voice assistants are starting to change the customer experience. Successful examples in the likes of Amazon’s Alexa have made it clear that voice assistants are here to stay. Using Rep, businesses can turn their online shop into a voice-ready shop available to anyone with Alexa. But once you have voice shopping set up, how do you tell your customers and get them to try it out? There are numerous channels and methods you can use to get the word out and increase exposure to your voice shop.
Voice commerce tips
#1 Promote on Social Media
With a voice shop set up, you can tell your customers quick phrases they can say to Alexa to easily make a purchase.
For example, upload images with a phrase on Instagram when you have an interesting promotion going on or send a newsletter to your subscribers showing them how they can complete a purchase and even just browse your shop using only voice commands. Let’s say your shop’s name is PetsCo and you sell cat and dog food. You can tell your social media followers that all they need to do is say “Alexa, open PetsCo” to visit your store. Or, if they know what they want to buy or you’re promoting a specific product, tell them to say “Alexa, tell PetsCo to order Purina dog food.” It’s as simple as that!
#2 Send Out a Newsletter
Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing channels you can use, generating up to $38 for every $1 spent according to HubSpot. Now that you’re ready to accept voice shoppers, the next step is to let everyone know about it. Start by telling your subscribers and previous shoppers that they can now voice shop on your online store.. Simply send a newsletter announcing your new voice shop, with quick instructions and commands on how to complete their first voice purchase. Remember, voice shopping is a new way to shop so this may be as exciting for them as it is for you.
#3 Paid Ads
If you’re running paid campaigns on social media, Google, Amazon, or other ad network, create an ad announcing your voice shop. Add quick phrases your shoppers can say to visit your shop and hear about the latest promotions and sales.
#4 Let Customers Know They Can Easily Reorder in Checkout
An effective way to improve engagement and delight customers is to focus on turning their purchasing behaviors into habitual practices. Habits are usually formed when we have a process that needs to be repeated and is relatively easy to complete. Build habits by providing shoppers with an easy way to reorder items such as pet food, detergent, etc. for long lasting engagements and increased sales.
With voice shopping, your customers can simply tell their Alexa, “Alexa, tell MyShop to reorder the dog food.” A voice-based store can be a complex thing to implement, but with Rep, it doesn’t have to be. Rep connects online stores to voice shoppers in three easy steps. The customer’s previous purchasing history is saved, and Rep automatically identifies what dog food they purchased last.
The next step is to inform shoppers that voice shopping is enabled. . This can be done in the order confirmation email you send to them or upon checkout. Once checkout is complete, let them know how easy it is to reorder their items next time. Don’t forget to do this for customers that order without voice as well – this is a great opportunity to tell them that next time, they can order their items with voice through their Alexa device.
#5 Add It to Your Signature and Business Cards
Edit your email signature to include your voice shop announcement. For example “Now available on Alexa! Just say “Alexa, open [brand name]” and start shopping! You can also add it to your business cards or flyers – because it’s voice, you don’t need anything to be clickable. All you need to write is a command and a call to action telling people to say it to Alexa.
#6 Don’t Forget the Influencers!
Influencers are a great way to get more exposure and sales, but how can you make it work with voice? Easy! Just have influencers tell their audiences to say a specific phrase, like “Alexa, tell MyShop that Chef Rachel Miller sent me”. This way, you can provide unique promotions to users who visit your shop with this phrase, and track sales that came from each influencer. For customers, the experience is just like visiting a brick and mortar shop, and feeling like a VIP because they can say who sent them.
Consider the online and offline channels where your customers are engaged and find ways to meet them where it will matter most, from TV commercials when they are watching at home to their favorite catalog as they enjoy a cup of coffee. Once people are at your store, tell them about promotions with a welcome message to increase engagement and sales. Voice is the sales channel of the future, and your customers are already there, waiting for you to join!
#7 Podcasts
90 million Americans listen to podcasts at least monthly, which is approximately the same ratio as Americans who regularly go to church. Advertising on podcasts has always been a great way to increase brand awareness and recall. However, driving action and sales from podcasts has been a challenge. With your new voice store, you can now tap into this powerful marketing channel more effectively than ever before. Tell your listeners about your awesome products and give them a chance to transition into your shop seamlessly by saying “Alexa, open MyShop” or “Alea, tell Myshop that Wine Enthusiast sent me”. With this intuitive voice-first funnel, you’re ready to capitalize on podcast advertising.
If you don’t own a voice store yet and you want to hear about extending your online store’s capabilities and have a presence on voice assistants, such as: Alexa and Google Assistant. Schedule a free demo today with Rep to unlock the power of Voice!
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