How the Internet of Things is Disrupting Digital Marketing

Think about the plethora of gadgets that can be connected to the internet, collecting and sharing data. Apple watches, smart TVs, NEST smart thermostats, Bluetooth headphones, home security systems, and motion sensors. The list is unending and growing. These items make up the Internet of Things (IoT).

The Internet of Things is the network of physical devices, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, and sensors that enable these things to connect, collect, and exchange data. Today, almost anything can be turned into part of the Internet of Things due to cheap processors and wireless networks.

There are already more devices connected than people in the world. By 2020, it is predicted that more than 50 billion devices will be connected.

Undoubtedly, the surge of devices making up the Internet of Things will disrupt digital marketing strategies. Keep reading to learn about how the ever-growing Internet of Things will impact analytics, search and social advertising, and privacy.

Volume, velocity, and variety of data

The surge in the Internet of Things network will allow companies to gather large volumes of information about their consumers. This data includes how consumers are using and interacting with certain products, performance metrics, and the environment that these connected devices are operating within.

Digital marketers can obtain increased insight into consumers’ everyday lifestyles, most importantly the aspects that they don’t necessarily choose to share publicly online.

IoT-enabled devices such as wearables and smart home accessories can reveal a consumer’s lifestyle trends, like when they wake up and go to bed, how active they are, and so on. This data is crucial for digital marketers to better understand how, when, and why specific products and services are being utilized, and in turn better respond to their needs.

Better predictive analytics

The sheer breadth of information on customer behavior gathered from the Internet of Things will expand exponentially, making real-time analysis viable, and in turn better predictive analytics.

This data coupled with machine learning technology will give digital marketers the capability to create more complete profiles on their customers and predict their needs and wants more precisely. 

The primary goal of marketing is to reach consumers at the moments that most influence their decisions. Marketers seek these “micro-moments” in an effort to bring customers down a traditional consumer purchasing journey funnel, which starts with awareness, familiarity, consideration, purchase, and ultimately reaches loyalty.

In digital marketing, timing is key. Better predictive analytics will allow marketers to reach customers at the right time, through the right medium, and with the right message.

Voice search and SEO

Expanded research on machine learning and natural language processing has impacted search engines. It is estimated that over 1 billion voice searches are completed every month.

Today, optimizing pages around short keywords isn’t enough because conversational search queries are changing the rules. More consumers are using products that utilize AI like Amazon Alexa and Google Home and are dictating their queries in a natural, conversational format, which includes imperatives and pronouns.

Digital marketers must consider how people would naturally ask questions and focus on longtail keywords to accommodate users searching with voice.

In addition to reconsidering keywords, improving site speed, schema, and mobile-friendliness are becoming more important as the Internet of Things continues to grow.

Check out our infographic for more details on how to incorporate voice search into your e-commerce digital marketing strategy.