While many technologies are transforming digital marketing sector, one that is truly changing it is Internet of Things (IoT). It offers brands new ways of gathering, integrating, and evaluating information on customer behaviours and patterns. IoT devices such as smart gadgets, smartwatches, and smart home devices are gathering data for brands. IoT gadgets also range from intelligent thermostats, wearable healthcare devices, sensors, fitness bands, and self-driving automobiles. These IoT devices collect and exchange data from their environment with other devices via the internet.
Emergence of IoT devices has revolutionized traditional marketing practices offering a new source of data collection. Collecting highly personalized data to inform marketing campaigns. These devices use sensors and actuators to collect data. IoT has a Machine 2 Machine communication (M2M) that gathers information from smart devices and upload it to the internet to exchange with other devices.
IoT Devices in Our Daily Life
Have you considered the number of smart devices around you that are integrated with IoT technology? Be it industrial product or a daily wear gadget, we have IoT devices re-shaping our experiences. At the same time, they are also powering digital marketers to curate hyper personalized ads. Here are some of the leading IoT devices around us where digital marketers are collecting and gathering user information from:
1. Smart Cities
Water distribution embedded with sensors, Waste Management – sensors in trash bins to detect fill levels, etc.
2. Health Care
Heart rate and blood pressure monitors, remote patient monitoring devices, etc.
3. Transportation
Traffic management, IoT enabled parking, vehicle location monitoring, etc.
4. Smart manufacturing
Production flow monitoring, industrial IoT sensors, etc.
5. Cars
Automotive cars, engine management, etc.
6. Agriculture
Smart farming techniques and tools, climate monitoring, crop monitoring tools.
7. Home appliances
Smart oven, coffee maker, air conditioning, water heater, etc
8. Wearables
Smart watches, fitness monitors, etc.
9. Energy Equipment
Grid automation, smart meters, etc.
Imagine your health tracker identifies your blood pressure rising and shares the information with other devices to immediately inform medical experts who track your recovery journey.
Another example is how EV cars today share information to other devices of the car being nearby your home. When you enter your smart air conditioning is turned on, your favourite music is playing on your home device and water heater is turned on. These are pre-instructions saved to automate your experiences. Marketers use this information to target users with time-sensitive and location-based adverts.
Essence of IoT in Digital Marketing
IoT devices are a game-changer in collecting and exchanging data. The new phrase ‘Data is King’ becomes true in IoT and digital marketing context. With IoT devices, the collected information helps digital marketers to create more accurate and successful digital marketing strategies. Let’s understand how IoT is re-shaping digital marketing experiences:
a. Personalization
IoT changed the narrative in digital marketing with hyper personalized ads and content. It collects customer data in real-time. Helping marketers to target their customer more accurately. Improving the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. IoT allows marketers to collect consumer’s information from various devices, understand the effectiveness of campaigns on different devices. Leading to improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns with relevant information.
For instance: Fitness device can offer brands information of a user’s fitness activity to offer them ads related to fitness equipment.
b. Real-time data collection and ad targeting
IoT devices collect data of user activity in real-time. This means IoT devices update a user’s activity to the internet in real-time, informing brands to build targeted personalized ads. Allowing digital marketers to target ads at the right time.
For instance, a fitness device recognizes its user is running across a central city park and can activate ads for energy drinks. Offering information to the users on the closest places to buy energy drinks from.
c. New Marketing channels
IoT device offer marketers the opportunity to explore untapped market. It has given rise to a new digital marketing segment of location-based advertising. A user while driving past a chain of food stores gets an alert on their smart watch on the recent offerings at the local restaurant. These offers are usually valid for short duration and time-sensitive offerings. Increasing the chance of conversion for the brand.
d. Understanding consumer patterns
IoT devices help digital marketers to understand consumer patterns. The data collected from IoT devices offers data points on – what a consumer likes, what trends impact their purchasing decisions, what location consumer’s shops at, needs of the consumers, etc. This information provides more accuracy in building digital campaigns to target a consumer’s need. In this regard, IoT devices also enhance customer experience by giving more relevant and tailored information to the consumers.
For instance: An intelligent thermostat can learn temperature preference of a user and alter the temperature automatically.
e. New Information sources
IoT devices offer digital marketers new information sources. Which can be used to inform and leverage marketing strategies. With IoT devices a user may always be connected to the internet. When a user is at home, they make use of smart home appliances and devices, when they travel, they use smart watches, fitness trackers, health monitors or automated vehicles. Each device offers multiple data points for marketers to convert into useful information with Big Data tools and Data Analytics.
For instance: A fitness device data is essential for many experts working in insurance, healthcare, fitness sectors amongst others. It collects blood pressure, heart rate, activity levels, etc. Insurance brands and fitness brands can use this information to target ad related to insurance plans or wellness and health items respectively.
IoT devices also help digital marketers with data tracking, marketing automation and customer analysis and segmentation. As we witness the evolution of dynamic IoT device marketplace, it will continue to evolve digital marketing practises with it. Shaping digital campaigns into more powerful, relevant, and informative experience for users. With the rising startups in IoT sector, the development of IoT devices will dominate the digital marketing strategies. Informing marketers of new ways to connect with the users and innovate campaigns to increase brand recognition and boost sales.
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