5G technology and what it means for the future of marketing
The rise of futuristic technology is here and it’s all because of 5G. Realistic VR, Extensive Data collection and even holograms may be possible with the existence of 5G and this will mean a plethora of new ways to utilise digital marketing. 5G vows to improve speed, capacity and latency of internet connections allowing people to transmit more data from more devices. This will open up new models of personalised marketing, data collection and also new ways to advertise using voice assistants and VR experiences. While in the current world, Wifi is much more common, with 5G starting to roll out within bigger cities, more than 90% of marketing professionals worldwide expect 5G to have an impact on their industry over the next decade. This means a number of things for marketers. Preparing for such a big change will be costly but businesses face missing out and lagging behind the times if they don’t convert. With this being said, in this article we’re going to go over 5 ways in which 5G may affect your business over the next decade, how to prepare and what exactly 5G is.
What is 5G?
Before we go over the ways 5G may impact your business, it’s important to first look at what 5G actually is. 5G is the 5th generation of cellular device networks based within the cloud. The previous generation is 4G which is still used by a wide majority of people when wifi is not present outdoors. While 4G uses cables and infrastructure to amplify its signal, 5G utilises cellular towers to amplify its cloud-based signals which eliminates the need for cables.
What makes 5G revolutionary?
While Wifi and wireless networks of the past could only power smaller devices such as mobile phones and, at a push, tablets, 5G will have a strong enough signal to power much larger devices such as laptops, televisions and in the future even self-driving cars. This changes the game for cellular connectivity, allowing people to potentially use their devices anywhere at any time.
What is the difference between WIFI and 5G?
The biggest difference between WIFI and 5G is that WIFI is unlicensed internet while 5G is licensed. This means that while you currently pay internet providers to amplify your WIFI signal, with 5G you’ll be paying a cellular company to use signals from their cellular towers. 5G will come from one main cellular tower within a city and be amplified using smaller cellular towers nearer them. This differs from WIFI which comes from radio waves and cables.
Now we have established what 5G is and why it is an important change, we will now give you 5 important things marketers should keep in mind for the future.
1. A surge in video marketing and audience
Video is already the most consumed form of content on the internet. By 2022, Cisco predicts that it will account for 82% of all web traffic. At the same time, Hubspot predicts that 44% of all people using Ad Blockers do so because of slow load times and buffering. 5G will completely change this game. With its low latency, 5G can greatly reduce wait times for videos and ads, which will in turn encourage people to get rid of their Ad blockers. This will mean that there will be a much bigger audience that may consume video content, making it an incredibly important medium for marketers and ads. With this information then, marketers should get ready to turn their ads to video form content to reach much more customers in the future.
2. Interactive ads
Developments in digitally interactive advancements like VR and AR have been stunted by current 4G and WIFI technology. AR and VR however have been proven to help increase sales. From designer brands creating virtual shops that customers could physically look around during the pandemic to makeup brands allowing you to virtually try on it’s products to see if the colours suit you, interactive ads can encourage customers to make a purchase. 5G has the potential to turn any space into a digital interactive marketing ad platform, with fast speeds it can support much more. So, your business should start looking into creating VR and other interactive ads to make the most of it in the future.
3. Better opportunities for personalisation
With 5G technology allowing individuals to use the internet wherever and whenever, mobile devices will generate a massive amount of data. These offer more valuable insights about your brand, sales patterns and customer behaviour. For example, if you recognise that your sales seem to drop off in the summer and pick back up again in the winter, you can make sure to up your personalised ads during the autumn to boost sales. More personalised ads can also add to your sales so make sure to utilise this information and learn how to use 5G to your advantage.
4. Virtual assistants will take the lead
People now use virtual assistants for a variety of tasks. With Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s assistant, people already utilise voice assistants in their everyday lives. With 5G, people will be able to take these voice assistants everywhere they go. This may one day result in mobile advertising revolving around voice assistants. Marketers will need to find new ways of exploring this medium, finding new formats to tap into voice based advertising.
5. Your online presence will be more vital than ever
With higher speeds and better connectivity, people will likely consume even more online content. It’s very important then to develop a strong online social media presence. Work on optimising your social media, allowing it to become a space where your customers can interact with your brand. Building a solid social media presence now will help your business grow in the future when 5G is more widely used.
Takeaway
While the current world lives in a world of 4G and WIFI, in the future 5G will take over the internet space. It is important then to be ready for this change, with marketers exploring and predicting the kind of trends that will occur with 5G rollouts. So, make sure you’re researching other ways in which your business may be affected and get yourself ready for the changes in the future.