To stay competitive, marketers must not ignore the rollout of Industry 4.0‘. As IoT deployment ramps up, businesses need to review their marketing strategies to up to date with changes in technology.
IoT (or The Internet of Things) could disrupt marketing in a number of ways, and brands have to be more reactive than they’ve ever been. Here are 4 IoT considerations when writing your digital marketing plan.
1. Prepare for voice search
In search, we will see a big shift to conversational queries. As more devices connect to the internet, and the use for hands-free increases, voice search will become more popular with users.
Gartner forecasts that IoT devices will reach 20.4 billion by 2020. That would be nearly three times the world population. If those stats are anything to go by, search executives should get ready for natural language key phrases associated with voice. This means that internet users will be asking more long-form questions, rather than simple or singular keywords.
2. Personalisation will overtake segmentation
Customers are no longer tolerant of seeing irrelevant information when browsing the internet, opening emails, or visiting websites. Personalised experiences is no longer just a luxury or desire. In fact, 62% of consumers now expect companies to personalise offers based on items they’ve bought in the past (data from Salesforce).
The need to personalise not only applies to on-site content and email marketing, but it will affect the world of PPC management too. Text advertising will need to be useful and significant to if they are to catch the eye of today’s time-poor, tech-savvy shopper.
This will become easier as the growth of connected devices garners more data about individuals, allowing us to design bespoke shopping journeys throughout the sales funnel.
3. Everything will be a marketing platform
A toaster, a fridge door, a vacuum cleaner, or a watch – all of these things will become prime advertising real estate. Smart devices can be anything we use in day-to-day life, and as people start to connect to social media or other platforms through these devices, they will become the new place to advertise.
One of the biggest developments to think about right now, for instance, is self-driving vehicles. Once this concept becomes mainstream, marketers will have to create ways to engage people on a deeper level after the elimination of manual driving.
Another area that will have rapid growth is wearable devices. This can be smart watches, where people access their emails or Facebook. Or it can be a pair of connected trainers used to log running PBs and distance walked. These devices will all provide opportunities to post personalised ads, offers or content.
4. Nothing will matter more than CX
Increased connectivity will create a desire for more dynamic user experiences. Consumers will be used to having everything they want and need at their fingertips, at the click of a button or tap of an app. So, creating a memorable Customer Experience (CX) will be more important than ever.
A study by Walker predicts that CX will overtake price and product as the main brand differentiator. Meaning that designing enjoyable, engaging and helpful experiences throughout the customer journey will be key. This will open up a whole new scope for content, and the role of CX content creators will be integral to a brand’s success.
