Are you looking for the best content marketing examples on the web?
Content marketing has become highly competitive now. 91% of B2Bs and 86% of B2Cs use content marketing. This is why if you want to achieve powerful results from your content marketing efforts, you need to stay on your toes and use the best strategies that work. Instead of plainly publishing blog posts and creating a lead magnet and hoping for the best.
So, I have scoured the internet, studied some brands and made a list of the best content marketing examples I have come across. Check them out below to learn about tactics you can use to drive shares, traffic and leads…
#1 Buffer:
I had to include Buffer in my list of content marketing examples as they have been using this form of marketing to grow their business for a long while now. As a result, they have one of the most successful sites out there that gets over 4 million visits a month according to SimilarWeb.
One of their most prominent content marketing assets is their blog, where they publish top quality content on a regular basis. As this screenshot from Social Animal shows, their content gets shared thousands of times.
Their content gets a ton of shares for 2 reasons.
One is that they share top quality unique content. An example is this blog post on whether Vertical Video Makes a Difference.
They spent $6,000 on experimenting to figure out the results. It must have taken them a lot of time as well.
You might be wondering if it is worth it to invest this amount of time and money for a single blog post?
It definitely is. As their audience consists of social media marketers and businesses who need this kind of data.
Their readers found this post so useful that they shared it 2,100 times on Facebook.
This type of unique data-filled content can also be a link magnet, hence the post has gotten over 545 backlinks from 110 unique domains as shown by SEMRush.
SEMRush data also shows that it would cost $2,100 to rank for all the organic keywords (the post ranks for) using Google Adwords.
Another reason why Buffer’s content gets a ton of backlinks and shares is that they used guest posting to build relationships.
Most people these days use guest posting as a link building strategy. But Buffer saw the bigger picture when they got started. And used guest posting for building relationships and not just for backlinks and the initial spike in traffic.
As a result, some of the top bloggers out there share their content and link to it. For example, here’s Jeff Bullas sharing a blog post from the Buffer blog…
The 10 Top Social Media Tools Brands are Using to Succeed in 2019 https://t.co/eIPu9zF4Jt via @buffer pic.twitter.com/HxOiWao67o
— Jeff Bullas (@jeffbullas) February 13, 2019
Another tactic that has helped buffer standout with their content marketing is to be public with their information. They run the Open blog where they tell you all about how much they earn, where the money their customers’ pay goes, how much they pay their employees, how they run their company, etc.
This helps them establish themselves as an authority in the startup niche. Other people who are just creating their own startups will find these kinds of posts useful.
It’s a bit similar to the income reports bloggers publish (but a lot more advanced). This type of content can attract a lot of shares and backlinks as it contains unique data.
So, if you too want to run a successful blog I recommend that you analyze Buffer’s blogs, even if they aren’t related to your niche. Make sure you dive in deep and use a tool like Whatagraph’s social media analytics and SEO reports to obtain as much information as you can.
#2 Zyro:
Zyro is a website builder that incorporates free tools into their content marketing strategy to generate customers.
An example is this Logo Maker.
People can use it for free. They created it because as I mentioned they are a website builder. Their target audience consists of people who don’t have a website or are about to build one.
People who are just about to start a website or people who just started a business and need a logo for their social media accounts will want to use it.
Zyro promotes this tool in their blog posts like this one on Creating a Facebook Business Page.
and on their homepage.
Another unique thing about Zyro is that they don’t ask for the email address in order to access the tool. You can create the logo and download it without signing up.
When most companies use free tools in their content marketing they usually ask people to provide their email address to gain access to it. This can deter a lot of people from signing up and using it.
But because Zyro doesn’t ask for email addresses, more people will use it. Also, more people will be open to sharing it with their friends and followers. It can work as a really good link magnet.
You might wonder how they stay in touch with these potential customers if they aren’t signing up for their list?
The answer is retargeting. Zyro can retarget people who visited that page and promote their builder.
The Logo Maker isn’t the only tool Zyro uses to generate customers. They also offer other tools like Slogan Generator, AI Heatmap and AI Writer. Each tool will help them attract a different type of audience.
#3 Gymshark:
When most people think about Gymshark, their mind immediately jumps to Instagram, as they along with their influencers are everywhere on this network.
But Gymshark’s marketing strategy extends way beyond Instagram and one of the places is their blog. What I mainly like about their blog is that they share a combination of content. This includes purely education content like this post one on How to Squat Properly.
They don’t try to promote any products in it.
And then they have posts like this one on the Best Clothes for Running where they promote their products.
If you want to successfully generate sales from your blog, you should be doing something similar as well.
The posts that are purely educational will do the job of nurturing the audience. People reading these posts aren’t looking to buy anything.
For example, when someone is reading a post on how to squat properly, they are probably at the gym and just want to learn how to squat. They aren’t ready to buy anything at that moment.
But when someone reads a post on the best clothes for running, they are in a different state of mind. They want to buy something immediately.
This is why posts like these will get you more sales.
So make sure you think about ‘reader intent’ and publish both kinds of posts. And promote some of your own products in your more promotional posts (especially if you are an ecommerce store) like Gymshark does. Because if you don’t recommend your products, your readers will go buy your competitors’ items.
For best results, you should publish more of the educational posts and only a few promotional posts. As you don’t want your blog to seem too promotional.
Gymshark were able to set up a slideshow that recommends products because their site and blog are set up with the Shopify website builder.
Insert image: use a builder that lets you easily embed products
It makes it easy to embed products in your posts.
So, make sure you use Shopify or a similar builder that simplifies this task.
#4 Burberry:
One of the most unique and creative content marketing examples I have come across is the Burberry Acoustic campaign from Burberry. This is where Burberry worked with artists from the UK.
Burberry got music artists like The Crookes to sing in serene settings like in the below video while wearing Burberry clothing.
This was a nice way to subtly advertise their clothing using content people love to consume. This has helped Burberry rack up millions of views. I myself have discovered so many wonderful artists through them.
So, while doing content marketing don’t be afraid to think outside the box and create content like no one else is creating. It can really help your brand stand out. It doesn’t always have to be educational content.
Conclusion:
These are 4 great content marketing examples I have come across the web. As you can see there are so many ways to promote your business with content marketing whether you are a B2B or a B2C.
Try and adapt some of these strategies into your own content marketing to get more traffic, leads and sales.
What do you think about the above content marketing examples? Which brands do you think are getting content marketing right? Please leave your comments below.
Mitt Ray is an expert on Content Marketing. Mitt is the founder of Social Marketing Writing. He helps businesses with social media and content marketing. Mitt and his work have been featured on sites like Business Insider and Wired. Follow him on Twitter @MittRay.