Years ago, commercial websites were designed with a singular focus on delivering products and services to customers. The homepage contained images and copy describing what the business did and what was being sold. The navigation menu consisted of basic links to the homepage, an about page, products and services and a contact page.
At the time, this made perfect sense because that’s all a website needed. Unless your website was a blog, it wasn’t common to think about generating regular visitors.
Today, all types of businesses are generating returning, loyal visitors, and building relationships through content marketing. It’s well established that when you provide helpful information to people on a regular basis, they’ll be more likely to buy your products, and will be better customers, too.
Here are some examples of content marketing done well by popular businesses that feature unique, engaging content:
1. Dialpad
As a company focused on creating communication solutions for IT professionals, Dialpad offers a rich resource of content that’s relevant to just about anyone in the field of communications.
Their blog features heart-warming stories about some of their customers who have been able to increase their humanitarian efforts by using their product.
As profiled on their blog, Charity Water has brought clean water to over 5.6 million peoplein Ethiopia and Bangladesh.
Not only were the organization’s staff members missing calls while out meeting with donors, but the communication equipment they were using was an outdated, tangled mess that had to be managed by a third party.
When the organization found Dialpad, the cloud-based technology allowed them to manage their own communications systemand gave staff members the freedom to meet with donors without having to miss a call.
By sharing stories about humanitarian organizations like Charity Water, Dialpad is creating a strong rapport with both existing and potential customers by connecting through the heart.
2. Starbucks
What you see on Starbucks’ 1912 pike blog is guaranteed to be far different than any experience you’ve had visiting your favorite Starbucks store.
This blog’s content tends to favor what goes on at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room in Seattle, WA. And it’s not your usual Starbucks. In fact, if you walked in, you wouldn’t recognize it all.
You won’t find automatic espresso machines and giant milk pitchers at the Reserve Roastery—they use top of the line tools and equipment. The Reserve Roastery is a sophisticated, classy, upscale place resembling an expensive restaurant where Barista World Champions gather to brew perfection in a cup.
This blog highlights some pretty interesting aspects of the coffee world, including profiling creative baristas like Alex Sanchez, who created a coffee drink with its preparation resembling a cocktail. Sanchez says, “I’m an artist and coffee is my canvas.”
By focusing on the fine art of coffee in a sophisticated environment, this Starbucks blog makes their normal brand look fantastic.
3. Ecoki
Ecoki is an eco-lifestyle community that provides incredibly rich content to visitors in just about every area they could possibly want. This blog features articles on how to grow food, tips on making eco-friendly gifts, natural medicines, and the latest in science and technology, all related to being green.
The best part is they feature feel good stories relating to sustainability around the world, like announcing how the Rainforest Alliance helped three farmer groups in Guatemala obtain financial support so they could continue to produce and run their businesses.
By promoting sustainability in the form of consistent, high quality content, Ecoki has generated a large fan base that always has a reason to return.
Get started with content marketing
Content marketing creates an authentic connection between you and your audience. It can also help you position yourself as an expert in your field.
When you provide value to your customers through content marketing, you’re not only fostering loyalty – you’re also creating a trustworthy reputation for your business. And when people trust you, they don’t hesitate to buy from you.
If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a helpful guide to content marketingthat will help you get started building content your visitors will love.
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