The Internet of Things has already been named the next Industrial Revolution or the next Economic Revolution by experts. And it’s already revolutionising relationships between people and everyday devices.
Kettles that set to boil before you walk in the front door and refrigerators that order your groceries for your when you’re running low are just the beginning. And ‘dumb’ devices will become ‘smart’ computers that connect to everything else in your life.
The key here is connectivity, so it comes as no surprise that social media will be affected too. Here are some of the ways that the IoT revolution will change social marketing forever.
People Will Be Connected All the Time
One of the biggest benefits for social media marketers is the increase of devices that will be hooked up to the web. Giving your platforms even more airtime and allowing brands to communicate with their customers in more ways.
This infographic below shows just how many devices are expected to be connected by the year 2020:
The data shared here via this cool infographic forecasts that by 2020, more than 1.3 billion home devices, 3.5 billion in-car devices, and 411 million wearable devices will be connected to the net.
This means that customers will have access to social media everywhere they go, anytime and anywhere. Not just on their mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. But on smart devices that they can wear on their person or use in the vehicles.
An increase in connected everyday ‘things’ will see a need for 24-hour comms and stronger social media teams dedicated to providing real-time responses.
Sharing Will Become Easier
Social sharing will become much easier for social media users, so higher levels of interaction may be expected. Although engagement may be more challenging as everyone shares the tiniest details of their lives throughout the day.
Connected devices will also be able to share data with one another and this may be based on the behavioural patterns of the user. In time, users will learn ‘conscious privacy’, taking charge of when / how they wish to be connected.
New Niches for Social Media
The Internet of Things will also have an impact on social media marketing for certain industries and sectors. Healthcare, for instance, will see some big changes via the Internet of Things – and this will see a new need for specialist social media marketing for the healthcare sector.
And as other markets see themselves adopting IoT and being connected to their customer like never before, the need for niche social media will grow.
The Growth of Micro Communities
One of the biggest advantages of connected devices is the natural development of micro-level, context-focused communities where users can interact with for short periods of time and engage with other people.
Such context-dependent micro-communities will provide a better user/customer experience and this is something that every brand should harness. Smart devices can begin to suggest engaging experiences or suitable products based on previous behaviours and social interactions. Giving brands a chance to connect with their target audience on a much deeper level.
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