• by Chuck Martin , May 17, 2018

There are three discrete steps marketers should take to get started with using voice assistants and smart speakers for marketing, according to a new report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

Marketers are facing the mass adoption of interactive voice, the two-way consumer engagement with voice agents like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple’s Siri through smart speakers, phones or even cars.

Citing research from Juniper Research, IAB notes that by 2022, more than 70 million U.S. households will have smart speakers.

Interactive voice engagements will significantly change the consumer path to purchase, with consumers currently using voice to check on the status of orders, make shopping lists or searching for products, according to the study. In the future, the behaviors are expected to evolve to making purchases, creating reviews and re-ordering items.

Consumers generally use voice assistants in three categories: utility and task, content and entertainment and search and commerce.

To get started with interactive voice, the IAB report suggests three steps:

• Find help. Ask agency partners, whether large firms or emerging agencies that focus on interactive voice, or decide to develop in house.
• Get discovered. Once an interactive voice app or skill is created, it must be promoted. This can be by integrating into podcasts, off-platform media promotion or getting featured by the platforms in their app skill stores, or receiving high consumer ratings.
• Measure success. Key metrics captured should include number of users along with usage and engagement.

Voice assistants and usage via smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home will continue to grow in relation to human interactions, since voice assistants are faster, more convenient and provide great choice, notes the IAB report.