It’s a rare person who has never heard of the Internet of Things (IoT). Now that everything and everyone are interconnected, interrelated, and interdependent, marketing specialists are provided with all the tools necessary to bridge digital and physical worlds and enhance customer experience. Twenty one years into the 21st century, we all realize that the marketing industry has undergone dramatic changes and is still in the process of transformation. In today’s article, we’re going to take a closer look at the role of the IoT technologies in marketing.
A Few Words About IoT…
If you’re a least slightly familiar with technological advancements, chances are you know what the Internet of Things is. In essence, IoT is the system of interconnected and interrelated physical objects, devices, machines, and even living beings that are embedded with unique identifiers and capable of transferring and exchanging data with third-party systems of devices connected to the Internet. And the best part about it is that there is no need for human labor and supervision, as all algorithms and processes are executed automatically. At the present time, the majority of IoT projects pursue one and the same goal, that is to optimize and automate various processes and thus enhance the productivity of machines, systems, and/or businesses. And though there might not appear not to be any clear-cut connection with marketing, IoT technologies really bear on customer experience and the way businesses woo their clients. Among the industries that are now harnessing the IoT power are retail, automotive, entertainment, finance, logistics, and manufacturing. Digital marketing industry is actively adopting brand new data-driven strategies to craft more effective customer engagement techniques and reformat the traditional customer-seller relationship.
- More and more modern businesses are now availing themselves of professional services provided by IoT consulting companies. Such companies help to ensure that you select the right IoT marketing tool or employ the technology that is right exactly for your business.
Data Collection
IoT projects can go a long way towards helping industries in reinforcing their pricing models, smart metering, and data collection and management, of course.
Once the customers register their devices within the ubiquitous IoT network, digital marketers can start collecting important information about their potential customers’ preferences, buying habits, and behavior. Based on the results of the obtained data, experts create personalized messages for customers and tweak their SEO tactics to become visible to their target audience. Such contextualized and individually tailored marketing strategies prove to be more effective in driving significant change in the way businesses interact with customers and satisfy their demands.
- That being said, there are some worries concerning the security and reliability of IoT-based personal data collection. Extra precautions and security mechanisms, e.g., data encryption and device authentication, should be employed to avoid the leakage of information used in IoT for marketing purposes.
Customer Experience
Gone are the days when word-of-mouth marketing strategies could help businesses acquire tons of new customers. Nowadays, more sophisticated state-of-the-art solutions are employed to revolutionize customer experience and thus win more loyal clients. No need to emphasize the fact that for industries with the emphasis on external and customer-facing components, IoT can be truly indispensable.
Now various sensors and dedicated software can be used to monitor, evaluate, and manage CX. Let’s take companies producing Internet-enabled cars. Such companies utilize the latest IoT technologies to provide their customers with the best experience possible. They enable their vehicles to communicate with other systems outside of the car and act just like a normal wireless network. Sensors installed in a car make it easier to control the interior temperature in any weather condition, monitor tire pressure, and orient yourself quickly within the new surroundings. The IoT techs used in connected cars improve customer satisfaction. What’s more, Internet-enabled cars go a long way towards helping companies collect valuable user and performance data to subsequently improve usability and performance of their products.
But the use of Internet-connected vehicles is just a single example of how IoT techs can boost customer satisfaction and help businesses better cater to their customer needs. There is much more to IoT which makes it deserving of further development and adoption by experienced marketers and quality managers.
Smart Platforms
With tons of important data produced by IoT devices, soon there will be a pressing need for the creation of dedicated smart platforms, intelligent tech stacks capable of handling billions of terabytes of information and analyzing data in real-time. Such platforms can serve as ideal marketing tools. They can be used to develop personalized and relevant experiences for the customers without being irrelevant or intrusive.
