• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, July 29, 2015

Many businesses already are using IoT data to back up their digital marketing and most of them call it a success.

Some companies are so successful with it that they plan to divert resources to the Internet of Things from elsewhere, based on new research.

The study comprised a survey of 500 marketing and technology professionals in large and midsize companies conducted by Survata for 2nd Watch.

Interestingly, the big data of IoT is being used primarily for customer related insights.

Meanwhile, concerns around implementing IoT digital marketing programs involve cost and support, according to the survey.

Companies are tapping the Internet of Things for multiple customer-focused activities. Here’s how IoT is being used in digital marketing campaigns:

• 28% -- To better understand customer preferences
• 24% -- To power campaigns and promotions
• 15% -- To power customer-facing Web and mobile applications
• 32% -- All of the above

The real question is how well these uses have been evaluated and there’s positive news on that front. This is how effective the campaigns have been judged:

• 43% --  Quite successful in terms of meeting customer engagement and demand generation
• 27% -- Extremely effective, we’ve eclipsed our goals and generated quantifiable returns
• 26% -- Appear to serve the purpose for which they were intended
• 3% -- Not sure, we haven’t really measured anything

It looks like these successes are about to drive even more use of IoT data in digital marketing, since most (84%) companies are likely to expand their IoT data programs, with almost a third (31%) very likely.

As in all new major market disruptions, there are a host of considerations moving forward, not the least of which is cost. Here are the biggest considerations:

• 40% -- Cost
• 21% -- Support, the exec team doesn’t yet see the value
• 20% -- Technical skills, we don’t have them in house so need help developing and implementing
• 20% -- All of the above

As the Internet of Things escalates, significantly more data will emerge. The good news is that some businesses already are finding uses for this data in their digital marketing.

The majority (59%) of businesses are leveraging IoT data for digital marketing, with some (19%) being “very aggressive” about it.

On the other side, a significant number (40%) of businesses are not yet using any IoT data for marketing, with some (13%) saying IoT is not on their radar. And that’s not an IoT issue; it’s a radar issue.

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What to learn more about IoT? Check out the agenda of the upcoming MediaPost IoT: Shopping conference here.