March 6, 2016

Content Marketing Examples

Whether you’re new to content marketing or already a seasoned expert, you can always learn from what other companies are doing with blogs, podcasts, videos, and more. This post highlights nine awesome content marketing examples from across the web, that can help you generate brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and nudge people toward the next step in their customer journey.

1) ConversionXL – a killer blog

Blogging is like the gift that keeps on giving. Think of it as a repurposable content hub for social media posts, nurturing emails and newsletters, sales engagements, and much more. Studies also show that companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website and generate 126% more leads. The hard part? Creating a blogging machine that regularly churns out fresh SEO-optimized content, just like ConversionXL has done… You can tell the company puts a ton of work into its blog. Each post is like a feast from every angle – research findings, expert quotes, case studies, and actionable takeaways. Following marketing best practice, you’ll also find plenty of opportunities to opt-in for more. Be inspired by ConversionXL’s example then learn the nuts of bolts of growing your business with blogging.

2) MasterClass – compelling YouTube videos

Videos are another way to drive brand awareness, generate leads, and communicate with customers. They take a fair amount of resources to create but may be worth investing in. One survey found that video performed better than any other content for producing conversions. Create buzz with a weird video like Slack’s, or make Hollywood jealous like MasterClass… MasterClass creates video courses taught by Usher, Serena Williams, Kevin Spacey, and in the above example, author James Patterson. Yes the classes are really taught by them, and it’s amazing. The company creates course trailers for YouTube to drive leads back to its site. If just 1% of the 464,777 viewers click the call the action, that’s 4,647 interested buyers taking the next step. Are you interested in getting into video? Learn if you should hire an in-house videographer from Wistia’s blog.

3) The $100 MBA Show – an actionable podcast

Podcasting is an undertapped content channel. There was a 32% increase in the number of Google searches for “podcast” from 2014 to 2015, and 500 Startups even says podcasting is the new blogging. Done right, it can create a voice for your company (literally), generate more qualified leads, and build a better connection with your audience. The $100 MBA Show is a quality podcast example. The host, Omar Zenhom, doesn’t just recycle the same interviews you’ve heard everywhere else. He gives actionable advice through daily 10-minute business lessons. It’s definitely worth a listen. You can also check out the startup’s guide to podcasting if you want to learn more.

4) Kodak’s The Story of Professional Photography – a shareable infographic

Infographics are a visual way to turn dry data into compelling stories. They’re also your best bet to gain social media traction, since they’re shared three times more than any other type of content. The key is to create a killer infographic and promote it like crazy. Kodak’s The Story of Professional Photography is a great example of visual storytelling. In its interactive infographic, the company shows how digital cameras forever transformed professional photography. The story is easy to follow, the iconography is easy on the eyes, and there’s actionable takeaways. Check it out for yourself. The folks at Lemonly are the masters of creating infographics, with an ever-growing collection to learn from.

5) BambooHR – relatable and human customer stories

Customer stories are a powerful way to win the hearts of potential buyers. They could be the clincher before a website visitor converts, or the key piece of content your sales guy shares with a warm lead. Just remember to design and write your stories with your target audience in mind. That helps eliminate fluff. BambooHR is a solid example to learn from. Its customers page uses human-centric photography (look at all those smiling faces). When you click through to an individual story, you find out more about the customer, their challenges and how BambooHR helped. It’s easy to digest and fun to read. Are you curious how to create a customer story for your business? I’ll give you a hint: cover who, what, where, when, why, and how.

6) Segment’s Analytics Academy – bite-sized lessons & free email courses

There’s incredible value in teaching a concept from A to Z. This is where online courses come in. They’re a strategic way to educate your audience, show your expertise, and generate more leads. Segment’s Analytics Academy is one of my favorite examples. The company offers bite-sized lessons in topics like “Intro to Analytics” (7 lessons) and “Collecting the Right Data” (5 lessons). People read the articles on the website, or sign up to receive the lessons straight to their inbox. Segment only uses evergreen content in its academy – this is key. Whatever you write in your academy needs to stand the test of time.

7) Moz’s Rand Fishkin – helpful SlideShare presentations

Slideshare is like a social network for Powerpoint presentations. It’s been called “The Quiet Giant of Content Marketing,” and is amongst the most visited 200 websites in the world. Upload the presentations you already make for work meetings or conference presentations and watch the leads come rollin’ in. Moz’s Rand Fishkin does this well. He’s uploaded 103 SlideShares, each with thousands and thousands of views. Here’s one that’s at 146,645 views and counting… Just like every other content type, what matters for SlideShare presentations is the content. Is it striking a chord? Does a meet a customer need? Are your customers on this channel in the first place? Is it timely? Nail these and you’ll win on SlideShare.

8) Duct Tape Marketing – irresistible ebooks

Ebooks are the most common lead magnet known to marketers. They come in all shapes and sizes – blog post compilations, quick crash courses, comprehensive deep dives – but what matters is if your audience wants what you write. Assuming you’ve nailed that by researching your audience, creating an ebook is a great way to inform, educate, and inspire. Check out Duct Tape Marketing’s growing library of ebooks: John Jantsch and company have been at it for a long-time. This isn’t even all of their ebooks!

9) Unbounce – educational webinars

Last but not least, webinars. Research shows that 62% of B2B marketers use webinars as part of their content marketing strategy to move leads along the buyer’s journey. Like blog posts, you can create webinars once and then use them forever. Unbounce has dozens of educational webinars accessible through its site. Unbounce keeps these webinars gated. Meaning, people need to fill out a lead capture form before watching. This strategy makes sense since webinar viewers are typically more qualified than ebook downloaders and newsletter subscribers. Here’s how to create a kick-ass webinar from beginning to end. Regardless of the content type you choose, do your best to create quality content that meets your audience needs and achieves your business goals. That’s how you create content that converts. Now it’s your turn. Is there any killer content examples you’d add to this list? Any types you’ve tried that I didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments.