Smartphones turning consumers into cyborgs – futurist

As modern technology continues to change the way humans interact with one another, businesses are being forced to adapt as well.

One expert says smartphones alone are having a "huge impact" on small businesses in a good way.

Tim Longhurst - a futurist who works with clients to examine how the world is changing - believes customers have become like cyborgs: part human, part mobile.

"For us in business, if we're not using these devices to their full potential, then we may be missing out on huge opportunities," says Mr Longhurst.

It used to be common for businesses to pay for focus groups, where people would gather to share what they wanted out of a product.

"Social media is like a massive focus group with thousands of our customers sharing that information for free," says Mr Longhurst.

"Sometimes, as small business owners, there's so much for us to be across we can feel a little overwhelmed and it doesn't occur to us that there's actually gold."

Watch the video in the player above to see the full interview.

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Smartphones turning consumers into cyborgs - futurist