Marketing 101: Should Your Business Implement Smart Home Marketing Strategies?

What is the current state of smart homes? According to research by Strategy Analytics, the number of households with smart home systems was 228 million in 2019. In 2020, it is estimated to reach 250 million. By 2021, it could amount to 270 million. 

Looking at data from previous years, there is an increasing trend of households that use smart home devices. In fact, between 2017 and 2018, there was an increase from 175 million to 202 million. This data refers to devices and services that monitor security, digital healthcare, integrated entertainment, whole-home control, as well as smart appliances. 

Devices such as smart speakers amounted to 118 million installations in 2018. By 2019, smart speakers reached 202 million. Business Insider Intelligence predicts that by 2020 and 2021, the number of installations will reach 278 million and 348 million respectively. 

Findings by Consumer Technology Association paint a similar picture. According to the data, audio and video usage via smart devices amounted to 56% in 2019. Home networking and home security devices followed at 34% and 33% respectively. 

One of the major contributing factors to this is the use of voice and the convenience it provides to consumers. According to Ben McInnis, who is the senior manager for smart homes at Amazon, the introduction of the Amazon Alexa voice assistant allowed customers to naturally interact with devices at home. McInnis’ interview with eMarketer also revealed that the introduction helped eliminate barriers of user-friendliness and cost. 

Businesses can therefore consider the use of voice when marketing their products and services. Voice search is an option that allows users to quickly receive answers to their questions. For example, when a user asks a question, the top result will be read out loud. 

Another consideration is the use of voice applications such as Alexa Skills. These applications can be used to give users personalized help in the form of information and guides. For instance, the TideGuide application allows Amazon Alexa to answer over 200 questions about laundry. It can resolve issues by providing guides on how to get rid of stains, how to care for certain fabrics, as well as how to use one’s washing machine. 

Another contributing factor to the use of smart home devices is the acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The use of AI not only allows for automation, but also personalization capabilities. AI also offers predictive capabilities, which can remind users of upcoming appointments, notify them of any routine changes, or even alert them about maintenance requirements. 

How users engage with voice and AI technology matters as well. According to research by Ipsos, 40% of smart home device users preferred using their voice to engage with smart home devices in 2019. Meanwhile, engagement through both voice and touch was at 41%. Taking third place, at 15%, were users who engaged with touch only. As for internet users, 28% of them engaged with both voice and touch, while 23% pertained to touch only. At 18% was engagement through voice. 

As technological advances continue to change the marketing landscape, businesses should be on top of them. This is to ensure that revenues continue to increase along with improved marketing strategies. 

Let Find Your Audience be your marketing partner. With our acute attention to detail and thorough research capabilities, we are ready to take your business to the next level. Contact us at 647-479-0688. You can also email us at hi@findyouraudience.online.

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