Blog Post 6
The Internet of Things and the importance for Digital Marketers in today’s world.
The internet of things….refers to the billions of physical devices that are now connected to the internet’ according to ZD Net. ZD Net refer to the process as merging the digital and physical universes.
Our world is becoming more and more connected every day. We use technology in all aspects of life, nowadays, for example; work life, school life and even personal life. In turn, there is data being stored about our movements and activities. As marketers, we have access to a magnitude of information about consumers.
Source: Marketo
As seen in this graph, marketers have the opportunity to ‘gather previously unobtainable data about how consumers interact with devices and products.’ This information can help marketers create targeted advertisements to engage their target markets in ways never done before.
An example being devices such as Apple Watches or Fitbits, which are used to monitor fitness activities store information about the types of activities, locations, and even effort levels. These insights from the data collected help brands to make informed decisions about their products, what is popular and what can be improved. This information is so valuable and when analyzed correctly allows companies to continually become smarter and more strategic with their marketing and product innovation.
As more consumers are becoming aware of this data, transparency is key for companies to champion corporate social responsibility. When I found out I could see a breakdown of my phone usage on my phone I was horrified with the amount of time I spent on apps every day. This sort of data can be useful for consumers too but I do think that as a consumer the line between privacy and control in the future is going to be hard to achieve a level that people are comfortable with.
There are so many opportunities for digital marketing using IoT, it’s so essential to understand where it is moving in the future- as the future is approaching quickly. In order to compete in today’s market, we must be ready to understand and harness the data that comes along with it.
What are your thoughts on IoT, how do you think marketers can harness this data?
indirobertson
September 11, 2020 at 6:12 am (4 years ago)Hi Naomi,
IoT has definitely revolutionised how businesses can gain a 360 degree view of the consumer in order to directly target their needs. Just carrying around my phone can show me how many steps I take in a day and where I have been which can directly be used to a marketers advantage to propagate information about me as a consumer. The opportunities are truly endless!
Indi Robertson x
Naomi McKeogh
September 12, 2020 at 5:45 am (4 years ago)So many amazing opportunities for us as marketers. Thanks Indi for your comment.
Theresa Nguyen
September 11, 2020 at 7:16 am (4 years ago)Another great post by you Naomi! I definitely agree with you there when I went to look at my phone usage…crazy amount of hours on it! Im also feeling the same about my privacy, considering every app now it asks us if we would like to report data and any issues back to creators.
Naomi McKeogh
September 12, 2020 at 5:44 am (4 years ago)Yeah it makes me feel bad when I see how long I’ve spent on technology everyday. So good to have balance so I am trying to not be on my phone when I am bored.
Jesse
September 11, 2020 at 10:01 am (4 years ago)Great stuff! It’s crazy to think of how big the Internet of Things is, and how much of our appliances can store data. I think that this data can be really rewarding for marketers, particularly cookies as it will allow them to target members of their target market more accurately. Can’t wait for your next post !
Naomi McKeogh
September 12, 2020 at 5:43 am (4 years ago)totally agree Jesse! Thanks for your comment.
Emily
September 12, 2020 at 7:58 am (4 years ago)Hey Naomi,
Great post! I’m always facinated to see how much time I’ve wasted on apps on my phone. I think you make a really good point about how loT can be beneficial from a customer perspective. I have definitely learned a lot about how much time I’ve spent on certain apps and whether or not it was a productive or social app. I guess going into the future, businesses should be careful about how they collect data as there are privacy concerns.
Naomi McKeogh
September 13, 2020 at 5:35 am (4 years ago)Thanks for your comment Emily. Definitely agree with you there.
lili
September 13, 2020 at 2:22 am (4 years ago)Naomi great insight! you’re so right about screen time! guilty pleasure is getting a notification about my average being down for a day! but its wild to think that while my screen time is up my data is getting fed back in to big businesses ! can’t wait for your next post!
Naomi McKeogh
September 13, 2020 at 5:34 am (4 years ago)Thanks Lili for your comment. Oh I know what you mean hahahah so fun to track.
Ellida
September 13, 2020 at 6:14 am (4 years ago)Hi Naomi really interesting post! I feel like the IoT is so essential in our lives nowadays and reckon that it’s going to become even more useful for marketers as they can gain real time insights into consumer behaviour. – Ellida
Naomi McKeogh
September 13, 2020 at 11:35 pm (4 years ago)Thanks for you comment Ellida, exactly right- I am excited to get into industry and harness IoT and big data.