Guest blog: A glimpse into the future of online marketing

Guest blog through Marit Vervaart from SeoOnlineMarketing.nl website optimization

Technology is constantly moving and that is great, because technology can make life a lot more enjoyable. In the meantime, that technology goes further than we could have suspected 10 years ago. Much of it is still far from being involved in our lives, but we are slowly seeing more and more new gadgets and gadgets that are also accessible to the general public.

Wearables, the new trend?

Wearables are smart devices that you wear as an accessory. Examples are the smartwatch and Google Glass. You wear them close to you and you are therefore quickly informed of messages, news and updates. Even though I don't see anyone walking around with a smartwatch in my immediate area, I don't expect this to take a long time. The big brands come up with more beautiful designs and the functionalities are becoming more extensive. I expect that within a short time it will no longer just be the front runners, but that it will be just as established as the tablet, for example. As a marketer you can of course respond well to this. Companies that do something with health can use it, because such a device around your wrist can, for example, measure the heart rate or the number of steps you have taken. You can also easily use someone's location. For example, by sending a special promotion when they walk past a store. Or how about a combination? Your heart rate goes up and you get a message from the coffee shop across the street: “Tired? Come and rest with a nice cup of coffee. " Just some examples of what is possible with this new technology. This kind of thing must of course be well regulated, because you do not want to be constantly bombarded with advertisements and notifications.

Household appliances go online

It won't be long before household appliances all go online. Music systems that can be controlled via your phone have been around for a while, but more devices are likely to follow soon. The heating, the coffee maker, the oven, the fridge, you name it. This of course offers fantastic possibilities. You are on your way home and already turn on the heating, you are upstairs and want to bake a sandwich like that, with your phone you tell the oven that it may heat itself up. A moment later you will automatically receive a signal when this has happened. Or there are some products from the fridge and a shopping list is automatically sent to your phone, so you can quickly visit the supermarket. Marketers can of course also respond to this. Are you putting out butter? At a supermarket the butter is now 2 get 1 pay, so you get to see an advertisement about that butter. Or your heating is regularly very high and suddenly you see advertisements from an energy company with tips on how you can save on your energy.

Scary or a great opportunity?

I am still fairly mild in my predictions. These are developments that are already in full swing and in the future we can expect even crazier things. The first robots for the general public, such as the Jibo, are already being developed and these will also get more and more functions. The question is how we will safeguard our privacy when virtually our entire life becomes involved with the internet and companies can find out more about us. Many people find it a bit scary, but for marketers the number of possible contact moments with consumers is enormously increased. It can also offer benefits to consumers. After all, they will increasingly see advertisements that connect to their lives and that really benefit them. Certainly something to include in the long-term vision of your marketing strategy!

 Marit Vervaart from SeoOnlineMarketing.nl