TRANSFORM YOUR MARKETING WITH THE INTERNET OF THINGS

Profit from revolutionary opportunities for customer interaction.

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Big changes are on the horizon for your marketing team, thanks to the Internet of Things (IOT). In the near future, almost every household product we own could be online, which means huge opportunities for entrepreneurs like you to take advantage of an unprecedented variety of channels, which will help you acquire data and interact with consumers.

“All good marketing begins with good research,” says Nickay Piper, president of New York-based digital marketing firm Market Grub Media. “You have to try to pinpoint exactly what the consumer needs without them coming to you and telling you.” The IOT makes it easier for small businesses to do just that.

Ready to get inside your customers’ heads? Piper’s 3 marketing tips can help you use the Internet of Things to your small business’ advantage.

Access big data to improve your product. The Internet of Things will offer access to more than just consumer data. A proliferation of environmental sensors in buildings, roads, cars, and everything else you can imagine will allow entrepreneurs to acquire detailed information on weather, traffic and so much more, giving them tools to add more value to their products and marketing campaigns. Companies will compile this data and likely sell it. “A smart small business will purchase those reports,” Piper says.

Get instant feedback on your merchandise. With more and more items connected to the Internet, customers will be able to let you know how they feel through feedback on the product packaging itself. Or, you could remotely monitor how often they use your goods. “It’s really a conversation that you’re having with the user,” says Piper. “It allows you to know immediately whether or not you like something.”

Put your product in front of customers’ eyes — literally. With the growing number of interactive screens, you have the ability to reach potential customers wherever they are – be it on a tablet, a watch, in a grocery store aisle or, potentially, even in their contact lenses. “One is in development that will allow you to literally scroll your online feeds with your eyes closed,” Piper says.

The bottom line with the Internet of Things is that marketers can tailor how, when, where and on what to focus their outreach to attract customers who are most likely to buy. Businesses will be able to get more pertinent data, Piper says. “Then we can create more relevant campaigns.”