The Internet of Things: Finding Inroads to More Personal Marketing

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The Internet of Things may still sound like a cryptic term to you, despite being one of the most important technological developments of the decade. If you've wondered what "things" have to do with the Internet, it basically means ordinary objects, appliances, and other household items being connected to the online world. With this cyber connection, you're able to get more efficiency in how things work in your home. It's one reason why you see many IoT products with the word "smart" in their titles.

Keep in mind, though, the Internet of Things applies to the workplace as well as household appliances. We tend to forget that many things used in the home also get used in an office.

With this in mind, the possibilities of how to keep things running more efficiently in a business context becomes all the more interesting and customized. At the same time, businesses marketing to customers with connected devices is a major opportunity to reach people on more personal levels.

While not everyone will love having businesses marketing to them in their homes, customers may change their mind when the approach to IoT differs from other methods.

If you're planning to explore marketing possibilities on IoT devices in the near future, how should you approach it so you connect to customers like good friends rather than resembling spam?

Studying the Data from Connected Devices

Just like in other digital marketing, you need to study information about your customers beforehand so you have a more targeted marketing campaign. Because data is sometimes more extensive in connected devices, you need a reliable server like the cloud to keep it safe and readily available.

Similar to big data, you'll want to study how your customers use any IoT device you provide to them. This data can help you customize what you market in a more personal way. You can learn a considerable amount about your customers based on how much they use the device, what features they use, and what time of day the device gets used.

Any of these aspects can tell you about customers' habits that help customize any marketing content you create. Your next challenge, though, is connecting your content to the device so it's something valuable.

Does Your Marketing Content Really Matter?

The biggest challenge to all marketers wanting to use the Internet of Things is creating content that truly matters in relation to the device. Users of the connected devices won't want to receive ads and other messaging if it seems intrusive and unnecessary. In an age when we can all recognize spam by a subject title, you risk creating a new age of spam if you push non-useful content.

Your best bet is creating content that isn't found anywhere else, including a Google search. Providing valuable tips on how to use the device more efficiently (or something related) is the content type users appreciate receiving. Especially when it's content that can truly help someone's life, you start making appliances more personal and as a recognizable brand.

How Should You Format Your Marketing Content?

Whether in email form, blogs, videos, or infographics, you need to find how to present your content on these connected devices. Even if you have valuable content, you don't want to present in a way that looks intrusive. Presentation is everything, and that requires testing what customers responded to previously.

Visual content is usually best since many customers may access it on their mobile devices rather than perusing it at home on a desktop.

It may be some time before the Internet of Things takes over, but contemplating these changes and planning ahead is a smart move for any marketer looking to keep their business relevant now and in the future. By staying aware of technological advancements, as well as always keeping the customer in mind, you will be ready when the time inevitably comes to make the switch.