At its recent 10th year I/O conference, Google announced some revolutionary new developments. Some key technology was announced and it could have significant implications for digital marketing. Here we look at 3 of those new technology announcements and ways you could use them to take your digital marketing to the next level.
Think digital marketing is not relevant for your business? Come on, you know by now that companies, especially SME’s, need to embrace it. We can show you the way.
Now, back to the article…
The I/O Conference is a major event in the technology giants calendar. It’s where Google reveals all the things it’s been working on in the past year and provides glimpses of what products and services might be to come.
Here is our Birmingham digital agency team’s brief roundup of the developments of technology that we think will boost your digital marketing.
The technology in question is:
Google Lens, Google Daydream VR & Clever Photo tools
Read on to learn more about how we think they could integrate into your overall digital marketing mix.
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Google Lens – A New Type Of Visual Search
Announced by CEO Sundar Pichai, this new type of visual search technology allows you to use your camera as a real world discovery device. It does this by giving you information about the image it is looking at.
It can even suggest next actions…
In it’s demo, when pointed at a WiFi label, Lens correctly identified the login details and offered to log the phone into the network.
When directed at a shop front, it showed the business type and bought up star rating reviews pulled in from Google Maps.
The team at Marketing Tech News say:
“Lens will effectively turn your camera into a real-world search device; focus on anything and it will tell you what it is, and provide plenty of information about it.”
Google put out this tweet:
Google Lens could “unlock tremendous potential for brands or those delivering services through marketing or trying to add value to brand experiences.”, according to the Campaign Live website – and we have to agree.
They point out Lens forces businesses to re-think the customer journey. This then in turn directly affects where and how businesses may choose to market themselves.
“which will have direct implications on where and how we market.”
More than ever it will mean it’s essential that your digital marketing and social media strategy is on top form.
And that applies whether you are a physical business that people can visit, as in the restaurant example, or an online business.
Since…
Your online reputation could now directly influence your offline customers.
Why? Well, even online businesses have premises.
By marrying the physical world with the online world, Lens means having a local marketing presence on Google My Business is now more essential than ever.
If potential customers can point their cameras at your building frontage and gain insight into your company, then it’s important that you’re giving yourself the best chance of gaining that custom by keeping your local marketing listings up to date.
How Google Lens Could Boost Your Digital Marketing Efforts:
Local Marketing
This could be a great tool for your local marketing strategy.
We’ve talked before about how local marketing forms an integral part of any digital marketing strategy.
If you make sure you are proactive and keep your Google My Business information up to date and get your customers to regularly post reviews, you’ll build up a good reputation online.
Firstly, make sure you are listed in Google Maps.
Your location details in Maps will work as a backup and confirmation to the image recognition meaning it’s really important you are listed in every location that you appear, rather than the former occupant of the site.
Make sure you manage Google reviews and user generated content.
Like we said, if potential customers can easily point their cameras at your building and gain some insight into your brand, make sure there is nothing that will put them off from going in or choosing you.
Check your Google reviews. You can’t censor them but you can respond. Always give your point of view professionally. And, try and ensure your happy reviews outweigh your unhappy ones.
If you are the business who has the best results when a potential customer walks down the street pointing Lens at the buildings there – which one do you think they are going to buy from?
Customer Experience
Google Lens could integrate really well with businesses to provide an enhanced user experience.
Your customers might be able to focus on your business and, for example, book a reservation, check a menu or add a reminder to their calendar to call you.
Customers might be window shopping, scan your product and Lens could offer a specific set of instructions for the camera to act on. Such as adding that product to a shopping or favourites list.
It could even help us keep to a healthy eating plan! Scan an ingredient and you could get recipes suggestions, calorie information etc.
By simplifying such tasks Google Lens helps bring customers closer to your brand, product or service and reduces buying friction.
So far the only timescale detailed is that Google Lens is being released “soon”. When it is rolled out, it will be part of Assistant and Photos.
Google Daydream VR
Google announced their stand alone VR headset which, unlike some current budget models, will use location tracking technology.
That means they will be able to detect when you’re walking around.
This presents greater opportunities and could potentially open up a whole new world for marketers for all sorts of things.
How Google Daydream VR Could Be Integrated Into Your Digital Marketing:
* Sharing new or concept products with stakeholders before having to take them into prototype manufacture.
* Exhibiting at an industry show but a) got a product that’s still in development or b) sell bulky, hard-to-ship items? Take your Daydream VR to industry shows and allow potential customers/investors experience them, whilst saving on shipping and exhibition space!
* Cost-effective way of sending samples virtually – give overseas potential customers an experience of your product.
VR technology is already used frequently by estate agents to help people buy and sell houses.
Clever Photo Tools
The Photo app will now feature more developed sharing tools. The aim is to make it easier for people to share their photos with the people they want to.
And, using machine learning and AI, Photos can even now also remove unwanted objects from pictures!
How Google’s Clever New Photo Tools Could Work For Your Business:
- Share your product photos more easily. Set up dedicated galleries and share with prospects & customers when requested.
- Being able to edit out unwanted things on an image means these tools could assist you in creating adverts or other visual content more in-house… helping to keep your out-sourcing graphic design costs down!
- Use to organise and share photos at events.
- Get people to contribute to curated galleries and use these on your social media channels. A great way to integrate it with your content marketing strategy.
It almost certainly goes without saying that all of Google’s new technology will link easily into Google+ Pages & Profiles too. Which, is really good for your website’s SEO.
Will you be using any of Google’s new technology in your digital marketing?
Why not find out more about how we help SME’s sell more online, more profitably using our 21 years of expertise in website design, digital marketing and social media? We guarantee that by using us you’ll achieve a return on your margin.
We can even help some businesses in the Midlands access EU match funding*.
You might also like to read our previous Birmingham digital agency blog on web speed, security & SEO.
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