Smart Devices, Smarter Marketing: Mastering the Future of Customer Connection

In today’s fast-moving digital world, smart devices are everywhere. From smartphones and smartwatches to voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, these technologies have changed how people live, shop, and connect. For businesses, this presents an exciting opportunity — but only if marketers understand how to use these smart device skills effectively.

This article explains what smart device skills are, how they work in digital marketing, and why they matter. It also includes real-world examples, simple explanations, and useful tools to help you get started — no tech background needed.

🔍 What Are Smart Device Skills?

Smart device skills are actions or features that allow users to interact with smart technology using voice, touch, location, or motion. Think of them as small apps or shortcuts that help users get things done — often by just speaking or tapping.

Here are some examples:

• Saying “Alexa, play my workout music” triggers a voice command.
  
• Asking “Hey Google, what’s the weather today?” uses voice search.
  
• Receiving a smartwatch notification about a sale near your location.
  

These skills are powerful tools that help brands stay close to customers — literally in their hands, homes, or on their wrists.

📈 Why Are Smart Device Skills Important for Marketing?

Smart device usage is growing rapidly:

• As of 2024, there are over 6.8 billion smartphone users worldwide (Statista, 2024a).
  
• The global smart speaker market is expected to reach $34 billion by 2026 (Grand View Research, 2023).
  
• Around 70% of consumers now use voice assistants daily (PwC, 2023).
  
• By 2026, 138 million Americans are expected to shop using voice (Statista, 2024b).
  

This shows that smart devices are not just popular — they’re essential. For marketers, this means:

• Faster access to customers
  
• More personalized experiences
  
• New ways to advertise and engage
  

💡 How Smart Device Skills Work in Marketing

Let’s explore some of the best ways brands use smart device skills in digital marketing:

1. Voice Search Optimisation (VSO)

Smart devices use voice. Instead of typing, people say things like:

“Hey Siri, find me the nearest coffee shop.”

To match this, your content should:

• Use conversational keywords
  
• Answer questions clearly
  
• Focus on local search and “near me” phrases
  

🛠 Try AnswerThePublic or AlsoAsked to find what users are asking online.

2. Smart Speaker Ads & Skills

Brands are now creating voice apps or “skills” for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. For example:

• Domino’s Pizza lets you say: “Alexa, order my usual.”
  
• Nestlé offers a cooking skill where Alexa gives step-by-step recipes.
  

This kind of interaction creates memorable experiences and makes the brand more accessible.

🛠 Learn more from Amazon Alexa Skills Kit and Google Assistant Developer

3. Location-Based Notifications

Smartphones and wearables can send location-based offers, such as:

“You’re near our outlet — show this message for 15% off!”

This works through GPS and Bluetooth (with permission). It’s a great way to bring people into your physical store.

🛠 Tools like OneSignal and Airship help you manage push campaigns.

4. Wearable Marketing

Smartwatches and fitness trackers let brands:

• Send health-related rewards (e.g., “You hit 10K steps! Here’s 10% off shoes”)
  
• Remind users of appointments or sales
  
• Provide app features on the go
  

🛠 Use Firebase to send targeted app messages to users on different devices.

5. Personalisation Through Smart Data

Smart devices collect useful data like voice commands, time of use, and location. With permission, brands can:

• Create custom offers
  
• Recommend products
  
• Send timely reminders
  

🛠 Use tools like Segment or Mixpanel to personalise marketing based on this data.

📊 Real-Life Examples of Brands Using Smart Device Skills

🛒 Walmart and Google Assistant

Walmart lets users shop by voice with Google Assistant. Saying:

“Hey Google, add eggs to my cart,” adds the item to their online grocery list. This saves time and builds loyalty.

🍕 Domino’s Pizza

Domino’s users can order pizza using Alexa, Google Assistant, or even a smartwatch. It’s easy, fast, and fun — and encourages customers to order more often.

🧘 Headspace App

Headspace works with both Alexa and Apple Watch. Users can say:

“Alexa, start my meditation.”

This builds daily habits and boosts brand connection.

🧠 Smart Skills Marketers Should Learn

To succeed in smart device marketing, you need to build these key skills:

1. Voice-Friendly Content Writing

• Write the way people talk
  
• Use FAQs and natural tone
  

🛠 Try Quillbot for rewriting content in a simpler, more natural voice.

2. Voice SEO

• Use spoken keywords
  
• Optimise for featured snippets
  
• Add structured data with schema
  

🛠 Tool: Ubersuggest

3. Push Notification Campaigns

• Send reminders and deals at the right time
  
• Use geo-fencing
  
• Keep messages short and clickable
  

🛠 Tool: CleverTap

4. Build Smart Assistant Skills

• Create Alexa or Google skills
  
• Test voice commands
  
• Keep it simple and useful
  

🛠 Use Voiceflow — no coding needed

5. Follow Privacy Rules

• Get user consent
  
• Let people opt-out
  
• Respect GDPR, CCPA, and local laws
  

🛠 Use Cookiebot for managing user consent and cookies

🔮 What’s Next? Future Trends in Smart Device Marketing

The future is even smarter. Watch for:

• AI-powered assistants that anticipate what users want before they ask.
  
• Augmented reality wearables that show prices or ads in real time.
  
• Emotion-aware devices that adjust content based on voice tone or facial expressions.
  
• Voice shopping boom — 138 million Americans expected to shop by voice by 2026 (Statista, 2024b).

References

• Grand View Research. (2023). Smart speaker market size, share & trends analysis report. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/smart-speaker-market
  
• PwC. (2023). Consumer intelligence series: Prepare for the voice revolution. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/library/consumer-intelligence-series/voice-assistants.html
  
• Statista. (2024a). Number of smartphone users worldwide from 2016 to 2029. https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/
  
• Statista. (2024b). Number of digital voice assistant users in the United States from 2017 to 2026. https://www.statista.com/statistics/973815/worldwide-digital-voice-assistant-in-use/