After the advent and undeniable popularity of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the next paradigm shift in content marketing will take place once Google Glass is launched to the general public.
Companies are already supporting their online marketing goals by following common content marketing best practices. But Google Glass is set to change all that. The way content is created and marketed will be much different when Google Glasses go mainstream.
What is Google Glass?
With Google Glasses, the search engine giant is aiming to bring the concept, wonders, and benefits of augmented reality to the masses. Google Glass is a device that combines a touchpad, camera, display, battery, and microphone into a spectacle frame. The gadget brings the desktop, laptop or mobile device screen right in front of users’ eyes, eliminating the need to be chained to a desktop, laptop, or mobile device to access the internet. It also ensures that users can see information in their field of vision without having to look away or be overly distracted.
In a nutshell, this spectacular pair of spectacles allows users to search, translate, and create audio and visual content using only their glasses. And to make sure these devices are as as unobtrusive as possible, the lenses on Google Glass feature a small s screen in the upper right-hand corner that serves as the display. This provides an effect that is comparative to a 25-foot high-definition television screen being viewed from a distance of eight feet, making any screen-based tasks instantly more immersive and potentially engaging.
One Google Glass feature that is already being buzzed about is its bone-induction technology, which produces sound by vibrating the skull of the wearer, thus eliminating the need for external speakers or headsets.
The new face of content marketing
Most of Google’s revenues come from advertising, but Google Glasses are not conducive to traditional online ad formats, as they would be too distracting to users. All content —advertising or otherwise — viewed through Google Glasses needs to be captivating, lest it be seen as irritating. Users cannot be expected to read hundreds of words and perform other tasks or multi-task at the same time, which is counterintuitive to Google Glass. Content should be short and succinct so that users can read it in a glance. With Google Glasses, content marketing needs to be permission-based. Marketers need to ask users for permission before they can display content. Also, content needs to be completely relevant to the user at that moment. So if the user looks interested in something, then ads and content related to that subject can be displayed to help the user.
3 ideas for adapting your content to suit Google Glass users
1. SMS marketing: Smartphones have almost wiped out SMSs and SMS marketing, which used to be very popular when traditional mobile phones were predominantly used. Smartphone apps may be more attractive and functional, but Google Glass wearers cannot possibly perform so many interactions just to get the information they want. SMSs allow marketers to send alerts that are short and informative, and can be read very quickly. However, this does not mean that marketers can send bulk messages frequently, which can distract the wearer of the Google Glass and can easily become an annoyance.
2. Permission-based content approaches: As mentioned earlier, pop-up content and ads must be eliminated from Google Glass. Instead marketers should obtain the permission of users before delivering content to them. Getting users’ permission is not optional anymore. Permission based content marketing is already considered the right way to deliver content to people. For example, newsletters and other types of content are sent to people via emails only if they have willingly signed up to receive such content. Also, many companies provide links to extra content, which people can click on only if they want to engage with more content. Similar principles must be followed with Google Glasses. Firstly, there is every little space on Google Glasses to deliver content and the users’ field of vision cannot be blocked by content that was never asked for.
The company has already made it clear that apps must get user consent before using their personal information. The apps cannot have unexpected actions other than those the users are informed of. Content opt-in forms are a must and apps need to be completely transparent to be successful on Google Glasses. Also, users must have the choice to not open or view a message when it is delivered and they must be able to delete the files and messages without having to read them.
3. Focus on utility: Some think that Google Glasses will clean up content marketing and make it more effective. This is because the device is all about delivering utility and value to the users instead of promotional messages and advertising. The most appreciated content on Google Glass will likely be that which is immediately useful to the users at that moment. Evernote, in fact, allows their users to transfer their grocery lists to Google Glass so that they can be seen when the user is shopping. Evernote for Google Glass allows users to take two actions. Users can transfer a note from their Evernote accounts onto Google Glass screen. Also, users can record short videos and take images via Google Glass and transfer them to their Evernote account.
In the real estate mobile app development industry, Zillow allows users to get information about a property and even connect with real estate agents via their Google Glasses. The app will provide information on the selling history of the house along with pictures and will allow users to compare the last selling price with that of the current one.
Some companies have already aligned their content with Google Glasses. Apart from Evernote and Zillow, a Facebook app called Ditto seems apt for the hands-free Google Glass. This app auto-tags photos when they are uploaded to Facebook. People using Google Glasses do not have time to pause and tag all the photos they have just taken. Ditto auto tags the pictures taken through Google Glass automatically. Other companies must also start making their content compatible with Google Glasses to stay ahead of the curve.
Key takeaways for content marketers
The display is right in front of the user’s eyes, which means that content cannot take too long to load. Also, long form content has no place in Google Glass. Most importantly, there is no doubt about the fact that content delivery needs to be permission-based. Content marketers need to keep in mind that people will be able to see content on their Google Glasses right in front of their eyes, which can be distracting. Their screens cannot be filled with spammy content that keeps popping up without notice as this will probably annoy and frustrate the users and encourage them to abandon the glasses altogether.
Photo by Ingrid Archer / GNU Free Documentation License
