Online marketing is very much influenced by progressive and thought provoking new technologies.
The world of online marketing is constantly evolving with new technologies helping to shape this change. For example, the popularisation of social media plus the fact that we can now all access social media sites on our smartphones, has completely changed how online marketing is packaged and delivered to potential consumers.
Below we highlight innovative, evolving and developing new technologies that will completely revolutionise the online marketing future and the way in which we deliver online marketing to consumers.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Although not classified as a new technology as such – as it has been around for several years – Augmented Reality (AR) is now being researched for ways in which it can be used for the online marketing world. One such example is the now worldwide phenomenon that is Pokemon Go. This kind of technology shows you just how valid AR is as an online marketing tool.
The AR target audience
The target market when it comes to AR is very much the smartphone user, with many online marketers now creating user friendly AR apps and games to engage with their target users. One company that is using this technology to the max is Modiface. They have developed customised apps that utilise AR, so that consumers can try before they buy. This enables the consumer to try on eyeshadow and other beauty products in the comfort of their own home via the app’s AR mirror.
Virtual Reality
On the hot heels of AR comes Virtual Reality (VR) which is even more intense and once again a highly anticipated online marketing tool. The idea behind this technology is that the consumer will be completely immersed within the digital world, almost living it and exposed first hand to what is on offer.
VR and Online Marketing
So how will the two worlds collide? An article on the Forbes website states that VR could radically change the online marketing world as we know it via visual marketing and in particular the live transmission video; VR tutorials and the emergence of Facebook owned, Oculus Rift. At present this VR technology will cost you around £700. The benefits for online shopping though is huge as the way in which advertisers can sell their products will completely change with the emergence of the radical VR world.
The Internet of Things
We cannot talk about how new technology will influence the online marketing world without mentioning the Internet of Things or (IoT). This is in reference to all of the web related and interactive devices that we have in our homes, or will soon own. The way in which this online marketing technology will work is that, say for example when using a smart oven, that product could be targeted with advertising for a specific brand of food or cookware. As you can appreciate, the possibilities are endless.
Wearable technology
Linked heavily to the IoT is wearable technology, namely that of the Apple Watch. An interesting article on the LinkedIn website shares that this type of technology will ultimately lead to the emergence of targeted marketing with wearers receiving customised adverts based upon past shopping experiences, trends and online searches.
AI Assistants
It would appear that in the past, AI assistants were something of a joke, but it would seem that no one is laughing now with the emergence of iOS’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana and Google’s…Assistant. The possibilities of this type of technology for the online marketing world is vast and is really only just beginning. The ability to search for any product or item and to receive an instant audible reply is incredibly advantageous. This is partly because it has that ‘human touch’ but also because the information gained is instant. This technology is growing, as seen with the emergence of Amazon’s Echo Alexa device. What is also good to know is that Tech News Today recently reported that Alexa will recognise British accents.
Marketing Automation
Recently the technology behind online marketing automation has seen a big increase. This is mainly in the use of organising and scheduling social media posts on the likes of Twitter and Facebook, but also in the use of writing them, and writing them well. This use of marketing automation makes the entire marketing job process that much easier and more cost effective as the computer can do the job and quicker.
Clever use of this technology
However, you need to be clever in how you use this technology. Using it as the sole means for engaging with potential customers and other professionals within the same market is not a lucrative idea. Your social media posts could come across as rather flat and you may miss out on the social aspect of your company by not interacting with potential customers. So although this type of online marketing technology is incredibly useful, it should be used with other online marketing strategies and technologies that are already in place. An interesting article by Business 2 Community website also makes the point that predictive analysis is just that, predictive. We as humans also need to trust our gut instinct and to look at the bigger picture, as humans we are not always that predictable.
Data Visualisation
We all love data and can learn a lot about consumers and trends from the data that is generated. Big Data is indeed the new buzzword. Today we can learn about consumers shopping habits and behaviours which ultimately leads to more targeted sales, ad campaigns and online marketing strategies. However with the emergence of data visualisation, the consumer online marketing process has now gone up another level. Dara visualisation automatically interprets this data for us, with the use of images and graphs. This helps us to shape the future of a certain product, ad campaign or social media campaign. One such data visualisation trend is that of Google Trends which is free. What this tool does is to show you the items and words that people are searching for, including the popular trends by country and region, so that you are able to target your audience.
The Future of Online Marketing
So it would appear that the future of online marketing with the emergence of these new technologies is incredibly bright. The way in which online marketing is conducted, shared, the information collated and dissected, will of change over the forthcoming years. This makes the online marketing world incredibly interesting and diverse.
