Amazon tests shopping by text with sponsored suggestions
Amazon launched text-message access to Alexa for Shopping for a small, invite-only group of US customers on November 6, Digiday reported. Amazon plans Sponsored Product placements inside the agent's product suggestions and is not charging advertisers for them yet. The company will keep autonomous purchases free of ads and plans to expand texting access over the coming weeks. Amazon says more than 400 million customers used Alexa for Shopping over the past year, a figure that does not measure texting adoption.
THE BREAKDOWN
Ask your Amazon representative whether your products qualify for the text-placement test before allocating budget. Require a definition of an impression and a report that separates suggestions from purchases. Keep creator-attributed sales separate from shopping-agent conversions to avoid paying twice for one order. Check product detail accuracy before using creator content to drive shoppers into Amazon. Do not promise clients access to the invite-only customer rollout or assume free placement will continue.
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