Content Strategy for the Internet of Things (IoT)

It’s Monday morning in the year 2020, and everything in our inbox is strangely…relevant. The maker of our oven sent over another list of recipes that we would actually make. Our gym emailed a report of our weekly workouts – it turns out that our strength is 20 percent higher over the previous month, but our upper back and chest muscles are out of balance. The email offers links to back exercises you can use to correct this.

This is the potential of content marketing in a world where billions of devices are assigned IP addresses and interconnected in an “Internet of Things” (IoT). 

While the interconnection of more than 25 billion devices has raised security and privacy concerns that need to be addressed, the Internet of Things is collecting an enormous volume of data that content marketers like us can use to improve our craft.

It is essential for businesses wishing to tap into the Internet of Things era build a content strategy that attracts the right partners, investors, buyers, advocates and existing customers who may play a role in this shift.

Defining a content strategy for the Internet of Things

Your content strategy must include curating and distributing content that engages advocates, browsing trends for the industry and aligns with your enterprise’s brand story.

Considerations for an IoT content strategy

• Co-creation of content with existing partners will enable maximize the exposure, authority and lift of the content.
• Creating search-accessible content on brand’s website that directly spells out the capabilities with IoT
• Creating a sales-focused product roadmap outlining future plans with the Internet of Things to help our potential customers feel comfortable with our support of the evolving realm of needs
• Content built upon industry tradeshows or upcoming events
• Upcoming product launches for our company that relate to IoT
• Conducting a contest or poll of our existing social followers and release the results in a beautifully packaged report.
• Crafting a campaign to existing customers outlining our company’s capability with the Internet of Things and it’s opportunities in the marketplace.

 Core assets to consider in defining a content strategy

• Search accessible website content (more pages)
• Product demos or tours using video or photo slideshows (use of social sharing essential)
• Landing pages or microsites dedicated to IoT solutions
• Videos (informational, viral or promotional)
• Whitepapers
• Datasheets and Case studies
• Research and reports
• Product specifications and definition
• Pricing guides for specific solutions
• Catalogs
• Instructional or training material for existing clients
• Advertising
• eBooks and other forms of gated content for lead generation
• Webinars for existing customers or leads – nurturing and educational content
• Online and digital interactive content (apps, interactive graphics and calendars)
• Blog content
• Social media publishing (defining a full-range of communications via social media for IoT)
• Automated messages and emails
• Email support for customers: tips, resources, updates (at least quarterly)
• Phone, email and outreach scripts
• Interactive content and examples

IoT data will help marketers deliver better content in three main areas:

• 1.    Recommendations: Internet of Things, combined with a little data science, will turn devices into powerful recommendation engines.
• 2.    Insight: In many cases, IoT will be able to go beyond preference-based recommendations and provide information on how your usage is changing.
• 3.    Value: An Internet of Things oven, an interconnected gym and dozens of other Internet of Things scenarios will be able to provide proof of value and achievement. While recommendations and insights focus on existing customers, this value content would focus on potential customers

It is up to us as content marketers to create the perception that the Internet of Things offers value and new possibilities for our users. 

People want marketing content to be more relevant to their lives, and Internet of Things will help us achieve that – hopefully long before 2020.