Digital marketers are aware that voice search will impact the way they market products and services, but almost a third (29%) aren’t actively doing anything to address the changing landscape, according to research from Greenlight Digital.
Although 25% felt they can incorporate voice search into their marketing strategy in order to maximise the impact Amazon has on the industry, 29% admitted they are not doing anything to address it.
When it comes to putting hands in pockets, 43% of marketers said they will be investing their marketing budget into advertising with Amazon to reach customers through voice search, while a quarter remained unsure - despite many recognising it would change the way retail businesses market to consumers.
The most predominant tactic marketers are adopting to address the change is reassessing product names to reflect how users speak – which was the case for 32% of digital marketers surveyed. This allows voice-search users to find a brand’s products more easily and make those brands more readily visible.
“Voice assistants aren’t a gimmick. It’s here to stay and is going to change the way brands reach consumers. Marketers must put their money where their mouth is when it comes to addressing these changes,” said Andreas Pouros, CEO of Greenlight Digital.
“Assessing keywords and product names, and optimising websites for voice search is an action that needs to be invested in – both in terms of time and money. The brands who see the value of investing now will be the ones who reap the benefits of this increasingly popular technology,” continued Pouros.
The widespread adoption of voice search shows no sign of slowing down – Canalys forecasts 70% year-on-year growth of smart speaker sales this year. Digital marketers should recognize voice technology’s potential to change the way retail businesses market to consumers, although research highlights that not all digital marketers are keen to take action.
