How Can Internet of Things Help in Social Media Monitoring?

Over the past few years, no other word has generated as much excitement or for that matter, as much confusion, as the Internet of Things (IoT). Not only has this buzzword kept tech journalists around the world busy, it has also prompted global businesses to sit up and take notice, and wonder whether IoT is actually something that can benefit their day-to-day working.

The truth is, 9 billion Internet of Things devices exist as of today, a heady number in its own right. At the same time, organizations are still finding it overwhelming, expensive, and complicated to answer how IoT will fit within their business model.

What is Internet of Things and What Are its Applications?

The term "Internet of Things" isn't as new as many would like to believe. About 20 years ago, a group of MIT professors described in vivid detail a world where devices or "things" would be interconnected and share relevant data easily amongst themselves.

Today, most of what seemed like a pipe dream two decades back, is coming true with the help of IoT, as more and more devices and sensors interconnect to provide insights that were previously out of reach. Built on cloud computing and a swath of data-collecting sensors, the Internet of Things as we know today is virtual, mobile, and connects a multitude of "things" instantaneously - transforming everything from house bulbs to oil rigs into smart devices.

The Internet of Things is now seeing widespread adoption in various sectors, such as -

• Applications of Internet of Things in Software - From separate protocols which focus only on IoT, such as 6LoWPAN, MQTT, CoAP, etc. to embedded OS such as Tiny OS, Mantis, and Contiki to ensure an IoT device functions properly, software has seen a huge resurgence when it comes to employing IoT in the best possible way
• Applications of Internet of Things in Business - IoT is rapidly enabling smarter business operations and decisions, changing the business landscape as we know it. From connected tractors being manufactured by John Deere, to Microsoft using IoT to make their products more personalized, the applications are huge and groundbreaking

Social Media Monitoring and the Internet of Things - An Immaculate Pairing

As enterprises around the world seek an efficient way to monitor, listen, and analyze data gathered from social media, IoT offers them a convenient method for social data aggregation without affecting their time and energy. By gathering valuable insights with the help of IoT-connected social media monitoring tools, businesses can make informative and crucial decisions across a variety of internal departments.

With their last ten years spent on connecting people with each other, Social media giants and other organizations are now looking at the coming ten years to connect people to their devices, and gather valuable input from it. Facebook recently announced its partnership with Chamberlain and Roost, a company which targets the home security device market, and has steadily started rolling out its Parse platform for IoT.

Some recent examples of how IoT is working hand-in-hand with social media monitoring tools include -

• Various SaaS providers such as Visible and Radian6 are increasingly turning to social media monitoring to collect consumer data and deliver it to their customer in real-time with the help of IoT-connected devices
• Automated retail experts N&W are soon going to roll-out and feature visual recognition of customers based on their past choices and orders, with relevant food habits and demographic data being collected through social media
• Swedish pharmacy Apotek is promoting digital ads delivered selectively based on the people around it, their likes and dislikes, etc.
• Disney is using Internet of Things technology to power their RFID-based MagicBands, which can be used to grant guests the access to their parks, pay for purchases without carrying wallets, reserve rides, etc. By collecting guest trends with the help of social media tools, Disney plans to streamline how future guests interact with their immediate surroundings inside their theme parks
• Tencent, the makers of the hit mobile messaging app WeChat, are also working closely with IoT cloud provider Ayla Networks to develop an operating system for smart interconnected devices, and explore how consumers can control their surroundings only with the help of the WeChat app
• Life360, the creator of another social messaging app with a focus on connecting family members together, has also made its foray into IoT-enabled Social media monitoring, partnering with Nest to integrate its app with their security devices

The Connected Future of Socially Smart "Things"

According to Cisco, more than 50 billion objects will be connected to Internet, and most to each other, by the year 2020. From cameras to toys and prescription optics, etc. every device will be socially connected with the help of cloud technology and IoT. Experts frequently call this widely-expected phenomenon as the arrival of Social 3.0.

As many of these new technologies come online and communicate via social networks, companies and organizations will gain tremendous opportunities to cater to a brand new, more connected demographic in new and exciting ways.

If organizations are able to remove the justifiable privacy concerns aside, the world will benefit immensely from a socially conscious and responsible Internet of Things. The possibilities are endless as far as smart objects and their socially-connected variations are concerned, and already include -

• WiFi Routers
• WiFi Tags
• Facial Recognition Technology
• IR Motion Trackers
• Gesture Recognition Software
• Parking Space Sensors
• Shelf Weight Sensors
• Digital Advertisements

Today, IoT is already on its way to being optimized for use with social media, allowing automated posts and user shares to be regularly generated by smart, connected devices. This, in turn, will pave the way for new social monitoring tools which can leverage the power of millions of interconnected smart objects.

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Connect to a More Social Future with the Help of Flatworld's IoT Solutions

At Flatworld Solutions, we have supported cloud-driven research and analytics technology since our inception. We are perfectly poised to support industry leaders surge ahead of the competition with the help of our IoT-ready social media monitoring services. It's time to deliver more targeted content to your audience, and lessen the adverse impact of irrelevant, repetitive ads.

Contact us to learn more about our offerings, and how we can transform your business by focusing on your existing strategies and uncovering new insights.