5G is about to go to become the future of marketing – at least, that’s the promise. But the real question is when 5G will reach its dominance in the mobile world? Let’s look at the impact of market transformation from 5G.
Most marketing experts agree that 5G is going to be a transformative technology. It will process data at a much higher speed than the current 4G network. Furthermore, users will be able to access data on a variety of devices at the same time.
Expect 5G to Hit the Market Hard in 2020
5G was first mentioned back in 2017, but all of the major carriers have been busy testing their programs. But the latest Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona saw many of these providers sharing their visions and rollout plans with the community.
These rollouts are all pointing to 2020. Since carriers and smartphone makers are all working in unison for this rollout, we’re going to see it gain traction quickly.
Businesses need to be ready to take advantage of this technology the moment it becomes available. Start laying out the foundation for your 5G marketing plan today.
What 5G Means for Brands?
The market transformation from 5G will be directly affected by two key factors – speed and data. Each one has an important role to play. All marketing trends are going to emerge from those two metrics.
1# Speed
5G is expected to have speeds at least 10 to 100 times faster than current 4G networks. Faster mobile internet will be the most influential change that marketers will need to pay close attention to.
That means faster load times for websites and videos. Mobile users will be able to consume even more data. It also means that they will be providing more data to businesses.
Mobilevideo marketing is going to become even more impactful with these new speeds. We’re going to see 4k and 8k streaming become the new normal.
Finally, we’re going to see real-time analytics since the communication between devices is faster. Marketing campaigns will be much more laser focused.
2# Data
Make no mistake! 5G is going to revolutionize the entire industry, so we will need to design marketing campaigns differently.
No one knows for certain exactly what will happen, but the evidence thus far shows us that users will be sharing more data than ever. This will allows businesses to personalize their marketing campaigns even further. It will also put more demand on small businesses to adopt data analytics into their marketing efforts.
From a marketing perspective, we’re going to be able to reach more people and an entirely new market segment. Right now, there are millions of users who are limited to slower connections, but once mobile opens up 5G networks, a lot of these people will become reachable.
Plus we’re going to start seeing more devices connected through a 5G network. For instance, even refrigerators can connect to the internet now. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to be taking our fridge everywhere, but the fact that a fridge can connect would open up new marketing opportunities in specific niches.
What Can Marketers Do to Prepare?
Companies need to tweak the way they approach marketing to handling the market transformation from 5G.
Combining machine learning with data analytics is going to become even more important since there will be even more data coming in. The stress on a company’s data systems is going to continue to grow, forcing them to prepare more advanced systems.
The entire customer journey is likely to change. Cloud software will continue to become a go-to technology for storing mobile data. It will expand since users will now have faster access to the cloud.
Data will continue to be the key driving force for business so marketers will need to ensure that their systems are employing a data-centric approach.
Small businesses that have gotten away with not utilizing data to its fullest will no longer have that option. They will be forced to adapt.
The 5G Roadmap
- LTE is going to continue its evolution as we get closer to the rollout of 5G networks. As a result, we’ll see a lot of providers start to incorporate LTE access. Additionally, new transparent air interfaces will be developed that are centered on services and users.
- By 2020, we’ll find that most of the wireless coverage in the world is provided by LTE technology. Service providers that are hosting 4G networks will have time to start the transition to the new spectrum. They will develop new wireless access technology to meet the coming demand for 5G.
- Any service providers that are still using limited spectrums will introduce 5G access in an interoperable manner. This will allow legacy devices to be still serviced on compatible carriers. This is going to be a vital aspect of the transition.
- Finally, LTE will evolve to the point where it is capable of becoming a full-fledged member of the 5G family. This is an essential step for service providers looking to stay ahead of the game. Since air interfaces are going to evolve, LTE will need to evolve along with them to ensure that devices can operate in the same bands.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that businesses need to get a head-start on 5G because it will put them at a significant advantage.
We’re going to see the services that we can’t even imagine at this point. All we can do is prepare for the things that we know will happen. Marketers must adapt so that they can bring positive results and ensure that their brands are still seen as credible once 5G takes over.
The key preparation strategy is to make sure that all data analytics systems are prepared for faster mobile speeds and that they can handle the influx in data that we fully expect. Data experts like the Research Optimus team can help prepare businesses to meet this new demand for data.
Author Bio: Gracie Myers
