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nternet of Things or IoT has become a growing topic of conversation in the workplace and in our communities. What does Internet of Things or IoT mean? Well, most search engines result on the internet show that IoT is the interconnection via the internet of the network of physical devices, not only computing devices, embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data. Sound complex, right? But is not; basically, IoT is the interaction between devices connected to the internet to transmit data and collected data between them. IoT it’s a concept that potentially impact how we live and how we work.
People always wanted and look for convenience in their lifestyle, and IoT takes such comfort to a whole new level. Today’s new rule is, “Anything that can be connected, will be connected.” IoT allows for virtually endless opportunities and where internet marketing will be a crucial factor. The Internet is ever-present, and today we see IoT expressed in cars, home appliances, wearables, store shelves, buildings, factory equipment, shipping containers, and more connected toys and electronic gadgets that we’ve ever seen before.
A century ago, convenience was a shorter drive to the grocery store or to our work. Today, convenience and accessibility mean that your groceries show up at your front door, or you can work form your home like is you be in your workplace. We are accustomed to nearly on-demand anything: food, music, movies, people, etc. Social media has taken the lead on how to use and manage IoT. Social media allow us to interact with physical buildings and devices using your social identity. IoT doesn’t merely access information that a consumer chooses to share publicly on platforms like social media, but information about their everyday lifestyle. Because of this, marketers need to manage connected things with people an also the social interaction between the two.
IoT brings endless opportunities to marketers to listen to the needs of their clients and customers and strategically respond with an assertive message at the right time and to the right devices. Some of the benefits of IoT in marketing are:
- Analyzing customer buying habit across the devices and software platforms customers use.
- More data regarding the ways clients and consumers interact with devices and products.
- Getting a better insight into customers buying journey and the stage the customer is.
- Real-time interactions, notifications, and targeted ads.
- Quickly respond and resolved the customer service issues.
IoT marketers interact with clients and customers in unique ways. If our clients and we have not made IoT engagement a priority, we are going to lose brilliant business opportunities. IoT allows marketers to have visibility into how, when and where customers are interacting with the client’s products. This presents a tremendous opportunity because we now have an always-on focus directly on our client’s customers. Taking it farther, marketers can see what’s impacting a consumer aptitude – weather, customer reviews, sentiment – and based on that be able to alter our marketing strategies or conceive and deliver new digital services in real time.
IoT offers a tremendous volume of data on consumer habits and behaviors which give an excellent understanding of customers’ needs and wants. Understanding how customers use their products, marketers, and developers can update features to better align with customer needs and expectations. This understanding permits us to act on real-time data insights by offering new experiences to the clients and customers.
As professionals in the marketing and advertisement industry, we should start taking IoT more seriously, as they will impact consumer behavior and the platforms we use to grab their attention. Again, as marketers, we must understand how customers are affected by the IoT and use the digital transformation to their advantage. Because IoT allows us as marketers to see where customers are on the buying journey or the use of internet resources, we can generate more techniques for positive customer interaction. With an increased access to customers behaviors, marketers are able to think on new ways of communicating with clients and customers to answer questions and guide them at an earlier stage of the buying or internet search experience.
Consider the types of IoT-enabled devices that are on use by the general consumer: coffee makers, thermostats, home automation systems, and wearable devices like smartwatches to mention a few. Most of today market appliances are integral parts of the consumer’s everyday lifestyle, from their morning wake up until their sleep at the night. Access to data on consumers lifestyle trends means that marketers can see how, when, and why specific products or services are being utilized.
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is another marketing aspect that is experiencing a significant shift in the industry thanks to the prominence of the IoT. IoT is changing how human language is processed by devices and machines, as people now are more frequently using keywords more naturally when questions or searches in search engines. The increased use of artificial intelligence technologies like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Home mean that search engines need to understand the intention of the user. Web pages will not be only ranked merely on the use of simple’s keywords. Now they need to consider natural language phrases that could be contained within the content of the page and the SEO description. For marketers, this shift from keyword-based SEO content to intention-based writing will be a significant aspect of the IoT landscape.
However, IoT brings security risk and concerns about the privacy of clients and their consumers. This should be of major importance to marketers and the clients we represent, especially entering in a time where the amount of consumer data information is exponential. Even when many consumers react positively to having product offerings and sales funnels customized to their unique preferences and needs, they also value their privacy both online and offline. Consumers data collection will change with the increase of the device in the IoT. How marketers utilize this data and interact with consumers will also have to change. It’s imperative that as digital marketers we must be preparing strategies for significant changes that the IoT will inevitably bring.
