The Internet of People
By: Bryan Clagett, CMO, Geezeo.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is defined as the proposed development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data.
Itâs rapidly evolving and Iâm a huge fan of my Wink, Nest, and Honeywell products, which give me control over my lights, security cams and thermostat at my vacation home.
How IoT will impact financial services is yet to be fully understood, but Iâm confident great things lay ahead. Connectivity is a wonderful thing.
While we are waiting for IoT to shake out, why not consider an Internet of People (IoP) strategy?
Iâm not just talking about a social media or digital strategy, but rather a substantive approach to this simple question; how do we leverage the internet to connect with members and our communities? I know this question is rather broad, but itâs one that I donât think enough of you ask nor answer.
The concept of IoP started emerging in 2015, as wearables started hitting the market. Ironically, little is written about IoP because it has been a concept driven by the electronics industry as a means to connect people to devices and technology.
The real opportunity of IoP, is its ability to connect people with other people, and of course with brands.
I firmly believe that the heart and soul of the Internet is made of people reaching out to each other, connecting and communicating for a myriad of reasons. Our industry gets so wrapped up in talking about channel convenience and accessibility. We forget that individuals and organizations need to experience the Internet as a two-way communications platform. It cannot just be about product delivery or only serve as a broadcast medium serving up stale, homogenized content.
Connectivity to your audience improves transparency and helps you build trust.
Most importantly, it gives you and your brand an opportunity to emerge as a center of influence. If your goal is to be the âfinancial partner of choiceâ or âlifetime financial partnerâ of your members, you better have an approach that leverages an IoP strategy.
Every aspect of the web, particularly as mobile continues to flourish, represents an opportunity for you to connect and connect the dots. Relationship building, community building, and influence building should be competencies of your brand and none can be effective without an IoP strategy.
So many of you tell me your credit union is about âpeople helping people.â Well, increasingly people are on the web and it has emerged as the channel of choice. So I askâ whatâs your IoP strategy?
Geezeo
 is the NAFCU Services Preferred Partner for Personal Financial Management (PFM).
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